Film Review: THE HOLDOVERS

Dominic Tessa as Angus, being miserable.

One of those sappy-but-instructive tales about how the connection between two lost souls can improve both lives, director Alex Payne's The Holdovers has one major thing going for it: A brand new star in the Hollywood sky is unveiled. Dominic Tessa, 21 years old, steals every scene, even from Paul Giamatti, a seasoned pro whose performance is at the top of his impressive game here. I was reminded of the world's reaction to then-unknown Dustin Hoffman's debut in The Graduate, after which he was everywhere all at once. This kid is that good, exposing an emotional depth far beyond his years.

The film's title refers to students with nowhere else to go who are stuck at a New England prep school over the two-week Christmas break. It's 1971, with the music, hairstyles, cars and technology of the era adding to the fun. Set in winter, there are lots of pretty snow scenes of the campus and the surrounding areas. With everyone else gone a chaperone is needed, and history professor Paul Dunham  (Giamatti) draws the short straw. He's a bitter, lonely and crotchety man straight out of a Dickens novel who has no time for niceties with his miserable charges. One of them is Angus Tully (Cessna), whose heartless mother has dumped him from a planned trip to St. Kitt's to instead go alone with her new husband. 

Angus is distraught, depressed and near-suicidal over the fact that he's locked in with this sorry group of losers, especially since he despises Professor Dunham. Ultimately their relationship is the crux of the film, and as expected they end up all warm and fuzzy with one another, although it's a long and bumpy road getting there. Along the way they are propped up, cajoled and counseled by the school's resident cook (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), a loving and wise woman who is mourning the loss of her only son recently killed in Vietnam. The fact that she is black and hugely obese will delight fans of diversity, equity and inclusion, although honestly I found her size distracting.

Still showing in theaters, The Holdovers is currently rentable on Peacock only, but you can pay $20 to see it on other streaming services until January 26 when it will be rentable for $3.99. If you're looking for a pleasant way to pass some time right now, it's definitely worth the 20 bucks.