The Holdovers

R

Released Nov 10, 2023

2 hr. 13 min.

Holiday

Comedy

Drama

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List

97%

355 Reviews

Tomatometer

92%

1,000+ Verified Ratings

Audience Score

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 Consensus

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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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

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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 - You Are Penis Cancer

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The Holdovers: Official Clip - Paul's Harvard Scandal

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The Holdovers: Official Clip - You Are Not Your Father

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The Holdovers: Official Clip - Tully Visits His Father

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The Holdovers: Official Clip - Bummer Christmas Party

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The Holdovers: Official Clip - Awkward Christmas

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The Holdovers: Official Clip - The Detention Chase

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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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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

Jaylan Salah

InSession Film

Randolph takes the pain and the imminent grief that her character is feeling to the core, making her chain-smoking adaptation to the situation, while watching the game shows and interacting with the other characters all the more impactful.

Apr 17, 2024

Full Review

CJ Sheu

The News Lens International

Absolutely nothing new happens in Alexander Payne’s surprisingly warm and fuzzy film, but it’s a perfectly fine way to while away 135 minutes. And — who knows? — you might even remember some well-worn yet valuable life lessons.

Apr 1, 2024

Full Review

James Kendrick

Q Network Film Desk

Anchored by Giamatti’s compelling central performance ..., The Holdovers takes a meaningful dive into a complex world of emotional conflict

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 27, 2024

Full Review

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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
Executive Producer: Andrew Golov, Thom Zadra, Chris Stinson, Tom Williams
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
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.66:1)

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