I heard The Holdovers described as an “instant Christmas classic” and I completely agree. It feels like the type of movie you would catch on TV every holiday season and leave on to get into the holiday spirit. The movie tells the story of three individuals, a student, a teacher, and a cook, who, for different reasons, are spending their Christmas break at the boarding school where they all live and work in the year 1970. 1970 is not just a footnote in the plot, it is the crux of the movie. This is a period piece through and through from the old-school MPAA rating to the stylized treatments of the Focus Features and Miramax logos to the zooms and editing and film grain to the plot and the dialogue and humor. It doesn’t feel like a movie made in 2023 about 1970. It feels like a movie from 1970 that was just unearthed in 2023.

The main trio is played by Paul Giamatti as the teacher, Paul Hunham, Da’Vine Joy Randolph as the cook, Mary Lamb, and newcomer Dominic Sessa as the student, Angus Tully. All three were individually incredible but also had such great chemistry together. I had only ever seen Da’Vine Joy Randolph in The Idol which is such a different performance from this one. It really shows her range. She is already receiving accolades for this film and will likely be up for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. The character of Angus Tully felt so fully formed and like a real kid. And it turns out, he is. Apparently, Dominic Sessa attended the school the movie was filmed at and went to an open casting call for the role. The fact that this was his first ever acting job makes his performance all the more impressive.

This movie captures nostalgia, holiday spirit, and found family and wraps it up in a visually stunning and moving present just in time for Christmas (and Hanukkah). There are some slower moments and the story is fairly predictable, but sometimes you just want an easy watch and a feel good movie. Especially when you are home with your family for the holidays. I really enjoyed it and the end brought me to tears. If The Holdovers can’t warm your heart this winter, you might be getting coal for Christmas.

2023 Count: 28 seasons, 51 movies, 1 special