Synopsis

Nobody likes teacher Paul Hunham (Giamatti) – not his students, not his fellow faculty, not the headmaster, who all find his pomposity and rigidity exasperating. With no family and nowhere to go over Christmas holiday in 1970, Paul remains at school to supervise students unable to journey home. After a few days, only one student holdover remains – a trouble-making 18-year-old named Angus, a good student whose bad behavior always threatens to get him expelled. Joining Paul and Angus is head cook Mary (Randolph) – an African American woman who caters to sons of privilege and whose own son was recently lost in Vietnam. These three very different shipwrecked people form an unlikely Christmas family sharing comic misadventures during two very snowy weeks in New England. The real journey is how they help one another understand that they are not beholden to their past-they can choose their own futures.

Critics Views

“The Holdovers is a consistently smart, funny movie about people who are easy to root for and like the ones we know. Its greatest accomplishment is not how easy it is to see yourself in Paul, Angus, or Mary. It’s that you will in all three.”  Rogerebert.com

“The star gives an awards-worthy performance in this terrific period piece.” The Telegraph

“The Holdovers is a film about class and race, grief and resentment, opportunity and entitlement. It’s that rare exception to the oft-heard complaint that “they don’t make ’em like they used to.”  Variety

Film Rating

IMDb
 Critics: 82%  Audience 79%

Rotten Tomatoes
Critics positive review 97%   Audience Liked It 92%

 Stockbridge Audience Score: 94%

Audience Comments

Great acting and very heartwarming
Both of us thoroughly enjoyed the film
The acting was excellent, truly enjoyable experience I would recommend this film to all.
Gentle film with surprising moments of laugh out loud humour!
The era was captured so perfectly. The characters were brilliantly drawn.
Nicely played. Enough character complexity to make the revelations worthwhile when they came. And not a mobile phone in sight. Lovely
Great choice, a good gentle story with superb actors.
Too long for the subject. Very well acted. Quite depressing.
Brilliant acting
Superb acting.
Great performances by the 3 main characters and surprise plot twists along the way. Great fun.
Great entertainment but also thought provoking, invoking smiles, laughter and deep reflection.
A little protracted….
Good film..liked moral lessons …excellent acting…shame it was too long, otherwise I would have said Excellent. A strong message conveyed with humour and fun.
Humour, sadness and happiness all together. A heartwarming film.
Brilliant acting, convincing storyline.
Wonderful close ups and Boston under snow
Very moving. Enjoyed its grittiness and humour.