The Holdovers

Award-winning filmmaker and screenwriter Alexander Payne is known for satires and comedy-dramas that shine a light on facets of American culture ranging from politics (Election) to midlife and post-retirement crises (Sideways and About Schmidt) to (somewhat obliquely) land grabs (The Descendants).

Another theme of interest to Payne is the meaning of family—and the storyline of “makeshift families” is what shines forth in his most recent movie, the 2023 release The Holdovers. Set in the early 1970s when the Vietnam War was still raging, The Holdovers tells the story of an unpopular prep school teacher, a bright but unhappy student, and a grieving school cook and what they learn from one another when forced to spend Christmas break together.

The film stars veteran actor Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph (who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role), and newcomer Dominic Sessa (praised by reviewers as a standout with star power). According to one review, Payne’s love for his characters—who are “easy to root for and like the [people] we know”—is palpable, and the film expertly balances comedy with a look at “the unpredictability of life”:

“[The] script is about those wonderful turns in our lives when a stranger can shift us off in a new direction that we hadn’t considered and how they can come long after we think we’re done adjusting.”

The National Board of Review and the American Film Institute named The Holdovers one of the top 10 films of 2023.