In a sort-of return-to-form for Alexander Payne (especially after the trainwreck known as "Downsizing,") Paul Giamatti stars in this instant Christmas charmer about a gruff teacher who has to babysit a small group of kids that can't leave their fancy New England boarding school. This small group eventually dwindles down to one - act two features the bonding of this classic history teacher with an older teen boy Angus, played wonderfully by newcomer Dominic Sessa.
There is also a subplot involving a cafeteria manager (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) trying to sort out her own issues after losing a son. Randolph won an Oscar for her performance here which is awesome. David Hemingson also won for his script. I have to be honest, I feel the same way this guy probably did when his phone rang - why does Alexander Payne of all gosh-dang people need a writer, and just to fulfill a story vision he had? But, obviously it worked. I still would have liked to see this written by Payne and Jim Taylor his partner for Sideways, Election and About Schmidt, easily Payne's three best.
In act three Giamatti really turns up the acting chops and his last 20 minutes of the film are to watch a master thespian at work. He's come a long, long way since the five-liner days of films like Donny Brasco. The Holdovers is a great piece for him. It's a little clunky and slow at times and is the only Payne film I can say would have benefited from a trimming. But it's an immediate holiday season classic and a wonderful return to form for the brilliant Alexander Payne. 3.75 stars/5
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