X
- 2023
- R
- Focus Features
- 2 h 13 m
- 2023
- R
- Focus Features
- 2 h 13 m
Summary A curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually he forms an unlikely bond with one of them -- a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa) -- and with the school’s head cook, who has jus...
Directed By: Alexander Payne
Written By: David Hemingson
- 2023
- R
- Focus Features
- 2 h 13 m
- 2023
- R
- Focus Features
- 2 h 13 m
The Holdovers
8.0
Where to Watch
Summary A curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually he forms an unlikely bond with one of them -- a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa) -- and with the school’s head cook, who has jus...
Directed By: Alexander Payne
Written By: David Hemingson
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 61 Critic Reviews
82
93% Positive
57 Reviews
57 Reviews
7% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 61 Critic Reviews
82
93% Positive
57 Reviews
57 Reviews
7% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Hunham’s hero Marcus Aurelius once wrote, “Give thyself leisure to learn some good thing.” Take his advice and see this film.
The Holdovers is a wonderful revelation from an excellent director who proves he’s still able to take us by surprise.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 196 User Ratings
8.0
85% Positive
167 Ratings
167 Ratings
11% Mixed
22 Ratings
22 Ratings
4% Negative
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 196 User Ratings
8.0
85% Positive
167 Ratings
167 Ratings
11% Mixed
22 Ratings
22 Ratings
4% Negative
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
And when i thought the movie is gonna let me down a bit when they decided to go with one student instead **** of students like in Dead Poets Society, it turn out to be one of the best love hate relationship bond story i've ever watch, Paul Giamatti deserve all the praise but we still can't forget about the other two hearts of the film, Dominic Sessa and Da'Vine Joy Randolph, i've never been this drawn to a relationship between not only a student and a teacher but any kind of relationship including two people or more like this before, the chemistry between the two and the three are really really perfect, it's About Schmidt all over again, about these three individual with their own personal problem and you care so deeply to each and when they together, it's so lovely, it's so realistic, it's heartwarming at times, and it's depressing at times, each moments you care and interested and drawn to each of dialogue and conversation they have, it's really incredibly well written, in terms of the filmmaking perspective, the soundtrack was great, the cinematography, and movie as a whole was just as realistically entertaining and engaging, The Holdovers has just become one of my favorite movie of all time, and one of the best films of 2023, i love this movie so much.
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At times, funny, and always insightful story about class, entitlement, loss, and the often lingering effects of family dysfunction. Giamatti is as self-destructive as his previous starring role in "Sideways," but gets good advice from a surprising source, an often overlooked cook. I like movies about honesty among liars, and the potential for change, and humanity. This is one of the best.
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If The Holdovers is about anything, it’s about the hard, hard work of small acts of kindness.
Add a bit of road movie misadventure, a la Payne’s Sideways, and you have a Christmas movie with spirit and wit, with a minimum of mawkish sentiment.
The frame is filled with observed but uncommented-upon details . . . The film seems to exist in a real world populated by fully dimensional people.
The vibes are immaculate from the start and only grow more so as the characters gradually start to become as detailed as the world that “The Holdovers” constructs around them.
The Holdovers is a flat, phony, painfully diagrammatic movie masquerading as a compassionate, humane one.
Arguably my favorite movie of 2023. A sincere, genuine portrayal of humanity of which I rarely get the chance to experience, The Holdovers is the rare critical darling where I found myself liking it just as much, if not more. Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph put in my favorite performances of the year as their respective characters, their convincing, emotionally powerful portrayals not only enthralling me to my core but truly helping this film to never leave my attention. Their story arcs and strong development over the course of the film left me engaged and emotional, and by the time the ending came, I couldn't help but reflect on everything I had just watched and just feel in awe. By the time of the ending, I couldn't help but tear up a little.
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the performances were excellent (after all, paul giamatti is in it) but i found it too predictable and formulaic. SPOILER ALERT - the crusty nasty teacher becomes buddies with the troubled rebellious student - saw that coming. the protagonist tells off his oppressive boss in the end - saw that coming. but i'll give it credit for things i predicted that didn't happen. SPOILER ALERT AGAIN - he didn't end up in a relationship with the pretty school employee, and the chef didn't end up with the maintenance guy. still, overall, the movie is worth seeing.
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I'll diverge from others and say this is a pretty depressing film. Other than this story flaw the acting, cinematography, and overall movie is quite good. Each scene seemed to present itself as depressing rather than as normal or hopeful. So, our view is: "go ahead and watch the movie but do something to keep from being depressed."
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Kinda mediocre in all regards. It's a bit funny, a bit sad, mildly interesting. Doesn't do anything that hasn't been done many times before and much better.
Paul Giamatti is great as ever. The other performances are mixed. The young guy in the co-lead role isn't convincing as a student.
I was left feeling like I'd wasted my time with this. But it's inoffensive and passes the time well enough.
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Movies like this are what happens when lazy, cynical filmmakers formulate their product to satisfy the tastes of lazy, undiscerning viewers. The brief, forced bursts of smarty-pants dialogue and the awkward, manufactured feel-good plot points do nothing to redeem this manipulative exercise. I'm embarrassed for everyone involved.
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Production Company
Miramax,
CAA Media Finance,
Gran Via Productions
Release Date Oct 27, 2023
Duration 2 h 13 m
Rating R
Tagline Discomfort And Joy.
Website
https://www.holdovers.jp/
Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Win & 5 Nominations
Golden Globes, USA
• 2 Wins & 3 Nominations
Online Film & Television Association
• 4 Wins & 9 Nominations
