the Holdovers is a period piece about misanthropic Prep School teacher Paul Hunham(Paul Giamatti) who gets stuck with the remaining students over Christmas break. Eventually, he winds up with only one troubled teen Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa) under his care. Both Paul and Angus have trouble getting along with other people and both are haunted by past tragedies. Somewhat predictably they start to bond over the holiday stuck together.
This is Alexander Payne’s latest work, and it definitely has his signature humor. Paul Giamatti fits naturally into the role as hard on the outside but soft on the inside educator. It’s a good movie but not one of Payne’s best.