An Alternative Christmas Film: The Holdovers

Edited by Katie Hannapel

Alexander Payne’s recent film, The Holdovers (2023), easily places itself as a modern Christmas classic in that it shows an alternative Christmas vacation - one that spotlights the experience of through those left behind for the holidays.

This film takes place at an East Coast boys boarding school in the 1970s. Paul Hunham (played wonderfully by Paul Giamatti) is a disgruntled history teacher that has been appointed to stay behind and chaperone the students who have nowhere to go for the holidays. He bonds with rascal Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa’s first major acting role) along with the cook, Mary Lamb (embodied by scene stealer, Da’Vine Joy Randolph), who recently lost her son in the Vietnam war. It’s a ragtag group, similar to movies like Good Will Hunting and Dead Poets Society, capturing a feeling that isn’t easy to find, and one that I specifically love.

Holiday anxiety can plague anyone, even those with a more traditional experience awaiting them on Christmas. The Holdovers serves as a nice reminder that it’s the spirit and the people who show up for you that makes the holidays special. Even a curmudgeonly professor can be warmed up during the month of December. As the year winds down to an end, vulnerable conversations feel easier. Or maybe it’s the lack of sunlight and the cheery music that messes with our heads and makes us all want to be better people, even if it’s just for a week or two.

The story itself isn’t entirely unique, but the way that it is sculpted feels like a breath of fresh air. All of the characters’ motivations feel realistic, and I believe their struggles. Furthermore, the story isn’t overly sappy, which would have been an easy route for this tale to take. It is touching, but at the end of the day, it’s not like their lives are completely changed forever. It’s laugh out loud funny but also incredibly devastating - the perfect casserole of emotions all blended together to accompany you in a movie theater on a cold afternoon.

The soundtrack is wonderful and features the Labi Saffre song “Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying”. This track embodies the emotional thesis of the movie: don’t fight sadness, care for those around you, you don’t owe anyone your story, and cherish the ridiculous moments. Also, let’s be real, who doesn’t spend the holidays doing all of those titular things?

The dialogue feels so lived in. Payne’s movies are frequently centered around conversations (Sideways is a great example of this), and that’s where this film truly shines. It also lends itself to be rewatched over and over again since it’s chocked full of touching moments. It is slow and not full of tinsel, but that’s what I think makes it even more special: it’s an understated Christmas movie. It doesn’t rely on the typical beats and rather Christmas just looms in the background - I was happily surprised by how little of the movie actually takes place on the 25th.

Holiday movies are usually centered around falling in love or getting closer with family or morality. The Holdovers flirts with all of these, but it’s not about any of them. At its heart, it’s about getting through the season and learning how to bear it with those around you. It’s the season of giving and it’s easy to feel isolated. It’s refreshing to see a movie that doesn’t shove jolliness down your throat, instead it sits with you and however you may feel during this time of the year. It’s extremely validating for anyone who has ever felt the pressure to be happy during the holidays when it’s the last thing you want to be.

On my second watch, I fell even more in love with it and related in a different way. Time moves differently as the year counts down. There’s so much build up and all of a sudden it’s New Year’s Eve, and then it’s midnight, then 12:01 and absolutely nothing changes. Every year it still takes me by surprise that I don’t morph into a new person at the drop of a hat. I saw this realization on all of the character’s faces as they watched the countdown on TV.

I plan on adding this film to my yearly rotation. I can’t wait to grow with these characters and see what I uncover in the years to come. If you’re tired of the same movies playing over and over each year, give The Holdovers a try. It will at the very least be a nice respite from Buddy the Elf and Ralphie Parker.

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