The Holdovers

R

Released Nov 10, 2023

2h 13m

Holiday

Comedy

Drama

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List

97%

Tomatometer

362 Reviews

92%

Audience Score

1,000+ Verified Ratings

From acclaimed director Alexander Payne, THE HOLDOVERS follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who 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 just lost a son in Vietnam (Da'Vine Joy Randolph).

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Critics Consensus

Beautifully bittersweet, The Holdovers marks a satisfying return to form for director Alexander Payne.

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Audience Says

Cute and touching if not laugh-out-loud hilarious, The Holdovers is a thought-provoking dramedy for viewers seeking a dialogue-driven movie with a throwback feel.

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Mark Kermode

Kermode and Mayo's Take (YouTube)

The format may be unsurprising but there is nothing unsurprising about just how good and enjoyable this is... this is the kind of bittersweet, character-dialogue driven piece they just don't do anymore.

Jan 23, 2024

Full Review

David Sexton

New Statesman

It is the genius of Paul Giamatti to make us, over the course of this great movie, not just re-evaluate and learn to respect this mess of a man but actually... to love him.

Jan 22, 2024

Full Review

Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

There’s a bracingly astringent bleakness under its surface layer of melancholy humour; a biting, sharp edge that counters the occasional lurch towards sentimentality.

Rated: 4/5

Jan 21, 2024

Full Review

William Mullally

The National (UAE)

In a time when things often seem so hopeless, when the same forces of inequality and military injustices plague our own world, perhaps it’s this film’s realistic salve that makes it resonate so strongly.

Rated: 4.5/5

Jul 20, 2024

Full Review

Calum Cooper

In Their Own League

Despite the anxiety and even sadness its story exudes, it’s a movie so in love with its characters, and so steadfast in its humanist convictions, that it reaches into your soul and melts even the most frozen of hearts.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 19, 2024

Full Review

Gautam Sunder

The Hindu

The Sideways actor-director duo combine once again for a terrific, bittersweet rumination on life, love and grief.

Jul 17, 2024

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Allan B

Recommend. Very touching story that opens the doors to challenging our views of our selves.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/11/24

Full Review

Cathy

Good story, well acted, good pace to the movie.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/09/24

Full Review

Jennie S

Authentic and vulnerable, young actor Dominic Sessa performance was surprisingly moving, and stood up against veteran co-star Paul Giamatti, who is so reliably good that we take it for granted that anything he's in is going to be worth seeing--and we're never wrong (royally speaking). Randolph's performance was also noteworthy, although I feel in this movie Sessa is the one who ought to have been nominated for supporting actor--his performance is that good.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/08/24

Full Review

Dina M

It has such a good story of two people that had more in common than they thought. It is a great movie from the teacher perspective. Even the ones that seem lost and have bad behavior can be reached. Don't give up on them.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/27/24

Full Review

martin e

Very funny and moving at the same time. A very enjoyable experience from start to finish

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/22/24

Full Review

Paul G

Beautifully written with a stellar performance from Ms. Randolph. This is gentle movie with a slender steel spine. Its a must-see.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/20/24

Full Review

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Alexander Payne

Director

Paul Giamatti

Paul Hunham

Da'Vine Joy Randolph

Mary Lamb

Dominic Sessa

Angus Tully

Carrie Preston

Miss Lydia Crane

Andrew Garman

Dr. Hardy Woodrup

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The Holdovers: Official Clip - Paul's Harvard Scandal

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The Holdovers: Official Clip - The Detention Chase

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The Holdovers: Official Clip - You Are Not Your Father

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The Holdovers: Official Clip - Bummer Christmas Party

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The Holdovers: Official Clip - Tully Visits His Father

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The Holdovers: Official Clip - Awkward Christmas

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The Holdovers: Official Clip - You Are Penis Cancer

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The Holdovers: Exclusive Movie Clip - Cherries Jubilee

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The Holdovers: Movie Clip - Barton Men Don't Lie

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The Holdovers: Movie Clip - This Is Why I Hate Parties

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The Holdovers: TV Spot

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The Holdovers: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

From acclaimed director Alexander Payne, THE HOLDOVERS follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who 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 just lost a son in Vietnam (Da'Vine Joy Randolph).

Director: Alexander Payne
Producer: Mark Johnson, Bill Block, David Hemingson
Screenwriter: David Hemingson
Distributor: Focus Features
Production Co: Miramax, Gran Via
Rating: R (Language|Brief Sexual Material|Some Drug Use)
Genre: Holiday, Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 10, 2023, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 28, 2023
Box Office (Gross USA): $20.3M
Runtime: 2h 13m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.66:1)

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