TELLURIDE – Considering the success and adoration of “Sideways,” it’s surprising it took Alexander Payne and Paul Giamatti this long to find another film to make together. Almost 20 years later, the director and actor have reteamed for “The Holdovers,” which debuted at this year’s Telluride Film Festival. And, if you liked their pairing the first time around, you’ll likely find lots to love in this one.
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An original screenplay by David Hemingson, the film is set at Barton Academy, a fictional New England prep school in 1970. The Christmas break is imminent, and Angus (newcomer Dominic Sessa), an excellent student with questionable social skills, is excited to meet up with his mother for a relaxing trip to the sun-swept beaches of St. Kitts. And boy, does he let all his dormmates know it. However, one of his professors, Mr. Hunham (Giamatti), isn’t keen on letting his students enjoy their time off. After dropping mostly failing test scores on their laps, he assigns a whole new chapter for them to read over the holiday. Mr. Hunham isn’t just disliked; the student body practically hates him. And his peers on the faculty aren’t big fans either. In fact, Hunham is so low on the totem pole the school’s dean easily coerces him into taking the unenviable job of babysitting the students who are unable to go home for the break. Hence, the holdovers in question.
As Angus watches his classmates get picked up by their parents, he gets a last-minute call from his mother. Much to his dismay, she’s ditching him from the trip so she and his new stepfather can enjoy some honeymoon time. Distraught, Angus arrives at the initial holdover meeting with his tail between his legs, now stuck for another two weeks at a school he despises. Hunham, who was also the subject of Angus’ bravado over his Caribbean vacation, is visibly amused.
Joining Hunham and his small cavalcade of unloved teenagers is Mary (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), the school’s head cook. She’s still mourning her son’s death, a former Barton student, in Vietnam. Despite an open invitation to spend Christmas with her younger sister, she decides to reminisce at one of her son’s favorite places, the Barton campus. 
To be frank, the storyline isn’t groundbreaking. It’s obvious quite early on that Angus, Hunham, and Mary are all going to bond in some manner eventually. Secrets will be revealed (nothing scandalous, of course), and the trio will all return to school in January changed in some manner. A student will grow up a little; a professor will find his heart, and a mother will find some peace. The characters will go on an emotional rollercoaster before the laughs return to the forefront. But Payne and Hemingson are well aware you know where this is going. They are much more interested in entertaining you along the way and dipping into a pool of spot-on ’70s nostalgia. 
Payne has publicly stated he was inspired to make the movie almost a decade ago after first watching the 1935 French film “Merlusse.” That setup is the basis for “The Holdovers,” but this endeavor is heavily influenced by the early work of Hal Ashby and other films of the era. In fact, Payne and cinematographer Eigil Bryld might cringe at this, but the snowy Barton campus even evokes a little bit of 1970’s “Love Story” (in the best way possible). The aesthetic collaboration is so well done that “The Holdovers” looks more like a ’70s film than some of the landmark movies of the time.
In many ways, though, “The Holdovers” is prestige film comfort food. And that’s meant as a compliment. The movie is genuinely funny. The characters are well-rounded. Giamatti inhabits Hunham so well he could crack zingers in his sleep. Randolph knows exactly what she’s doing, and Sessa is just green enough to avoid the affected young actor syndrome. It’s a welcome little comeback for Payne, who made a regrettable misfire six years ago. Chances are you’ll watch it at your local art house and be glad you didn’t wait for it to hit streaming. And who would argue with that? Well, probably Angus, but he’ll enjoy it when he’s older. [B-]
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