A heartwarming film has been hailed as a new Christmas classic just a year after its cinema release.
Featuring Paul Giamatti, renowned for his performance in the 2003 biographical film American Splendor, this festive drama spins a touching tale set in an American boarding school in 1970.
Paul Hunham, a grumpy teacher, is obliged to remain on campus during the holiday half-term to care for students who have no other place to go. Despite his initial resentment of working over the festive season, Paul forms an unexpected bond with a mischievous student and the school’s head chef. The trio navigate the holidays together, taking viewers on an emotional rollercoaster.
The film in question is Alexander Payne’s Oscar and BAFTA-winning masterpiece, The Holdovers. Upon its premiere last year, the drama was lauded for its sensitive exploration of profound themes such as grief, depression and self-discovery, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Giamatti’s portrayal of the disgruntled teacher is a highlight, but the film also marked an impressive screen debut for Dominic Sessa, who played the troubled teenager.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph also mesmerised audiences as Mary Lamb, earning an Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.
The coming-of-age story has been garnering glowing accolades from cinema enthusiasts since it hit the screens. A movie buff commented on Rotten Tomatoes, writing: “This movie has the most classic Christmas movie vibes of any modern movie I’ve seen. It’s just absolutely heart-warming and grin-inducing from start to finish.
“The characters have so much depth; you love them and you hate them and you’re just so happy when they’re happy. This movie spreads Christmas cheer like wildfire. It’s hilarious and heart-breaking and beautiful.”
A different viewer expressed their thoughts, saying: “This was simultaneously heart-warming and heart-breaking. Well written, well acted, and authentically captures the era; I think it would be a crowd pleaser. I have many thoughts and feelings but not many words.”
Yet another film enthusiast added their voice: “All year I have been waiting for a movie to completely knock my socks off. After twelve months of searching, I finally found it. The Holdovers has a certain magic to it that I can’t quite explain. The story is simple, the characters are deeply flawed and everything about it feels like a warm hug.”
On the movie critique site Letterboxd, one user gave it four stars, concisely stating: “New poignant holiday classic just dropped! “.