A private all-boys high school in Massachusetts is the setting. One teacher is asked to stay in the dormitory with the handful of students who, for whatever reasons, can't go home for the Christmas vacation. How this grumpy Classics teacher struggles through his duties toward a surprising personal fulfillment is the subject of this delightful, at times poignant American film. It takes place in the 1970's, and the movie itself feels like it could easily have been filmed then. In addition to Paul Giamatti's performance, his best since his TV work in the John Adams series years ago, there is a fresh, distinctive performance by Dominic Sessa - as the student going through a difficult ordeal involving his parents. It's one of the few excellent films about school-related subjects - Goidbye, Mr. Chips, To Sir With Love and Hoosiers come to mind. If you enjoy well-written, traditional movie making
with sharply observed characters and plenty of heart, track this one down in theaters before it gets buried in streaming.
Review of The Holdovers
