Every holiday season, I turn on my TV and see the same movies being shown on repeat. Not to take a dig at the typical holiday movies like Elf, Home Alone, and How The Grinch Stole Christmas, but this year I was searching for something new. As I browsed through countless streaming services, I landed on The Holdovers. I absolutely loved this movie and thought it was a fantastic take on the melancholy feelings that follow during the holiday season. If you’re searching for a movie that isn’t the stereotypical Christmas movie that everyone is so used to seeing, The Holdovers is for you. It’s a film with the perfect mix of holiday cheer and devastating reality.
The Holdovers, released in 2023, is a story about eccentric teacher Mr. Hunham (Paul Giamatti), rebellious student Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa), and grieving mother and head chef Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph). They were all held over during winter break at Barton, an all-boys boarding school in New England. Mr Hunham is known around the school as an uptight, hardcore teacher, heavily disliked by the staff and students. When Tully finds out he is staying with him for the entirety of winter break, needless to say he is enraged. What starts off as tension-filled dinners and icy arguments turn into a growing bond of companionship among all three.
A unique reason why I love this movie so much is because it tackles hard conversations. Your typical Christmas movie involves funny jokes, bright colors, and catchy songs. However, while this movie does have funny jokes, it also contains a much deeper look at how holidays are celebrated. Tully struggles with depression and self worth when his mom celebrates the holidays with her new husband instead of him. Mary is struggling with celebrating her first Christmas with her son in the military. Even though the holidays are times of joy, they also serve as a reminder of what you’ve lost.
Although this film discusses heavy topics such as losing a loved one over the holidays and mental health it also provides a sense of comfort in seeing the characters’ relationships with each other grow. This scene is full of warmth and understanding when Tully finds happiness in attending a holiday party with Mr. Hunham and Mary. These characters offer two cherished connections, and two shoulders to cry on when the holidays are tough.
The Holdovers is a heavy movie that could also be played mindlessly in the background during the holidays. A different aspect of the holidays is revealed in this movie. Not only do I believe it could become a holiday movie classic, I believe that it should be one.
