The Holdovers

The Holdovers is a 2023 American comedy-drama film directed by Alexander Payne and written by David Hemingson. The film stars Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and Dominic Sessa.

The Holdovers
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAlexander Payne
Written byDavid Hemingson
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyEigil Bryld
Edited byKevin Tent
Music byMark Orton
Production
companies
Distributed byFocus Features
Release dates
  • August 31, 2023 (2023-08-31) (Telluride)
  • October 27, 2023 (2023-10-27) (United States)
Running time
133 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Holdovers premiered at the 50th Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2023, and was for a limited theatrical release in the United States on October 27, 2023, followed by a wide release on November 10, 2023, by Focus Features. It received critical acclaim from critics.

Premise

Set in the early 1970s, the film follows Paul Hunham, a disliked teacher at Barton Academy, who's responsible for supervising students who are unable to return home for the Christmas holidays. During this process, Hunham is forced to deal with one particularly rebellious but troubled student, Angus, who is grieving the loss of his father.

Cast

Production

The Holdovers is the second collaboration between director Alexander Payne and actor Paul Giamatti after Sideways (2004). Payne conceived the film's concept after watching a 1930s French film and contacted David Hemingson to write the screenplay, which was originally a writing sample for a television pilot.[2] In June 2021, Miramax acquired the distribution rights.[3] In early 2022, Da'Vine Joy Randolph and Carrie Preston joined the cast.[4][5] Filming began in Massachusetts on January 27, 2022.[6][7] [8]

Release

On September 11, 2022, a special screening of the film was held for buyers; the following day, it was reported that Focus Features had acquired the distribution rights for $30 million.[9] The film was originally scheduled to have a limited theatrical release on November 10, 2023, followed by an expansion to wide release on November 22.[10] However, it was pushed up to a limited release on October 27, 2023 followed by a wide release on November 10, 2023.[11]

The film's world premiere was held at the 50th Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2023.[12][13] It also screened at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2023, where it was runner-up for the People's Choice Award.[1][14] It was also invited at the 28th Busan International Film Festival in 'Icon' section and was screened on 7 October 2023.[15]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 96% of 95 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "Beautifully bittersweet, The Holdovers marks a satisfying return to form for director Alexander Payne."[16] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 82 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[17]

Accolades
Award Date of ceremony Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
Toronto International Film Festival September 17, 2023 People's Choice Award The Holdovers Runner-up [14]
Gotham Independent Film Awards November 27, 2023 Outstanding Supporting Performance Da'Vine Joy Randolph Pending [18]

References
  1. "The Holdovers". Toronto International Film Festival. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  2. Fleming, Mike Jr. (June 14, 2021). "Alexander Payne Taps His Sideways Star Paul Giamatti For The Holdovers: Hot Cannes Package". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  3. Fleming, Mike Jr. (June 28, 2021). "Miramax Lands World Rights On Alexander Payne-Directed The Holdovers With Paul Giamatti: Cannes Market". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  4. Kroll, Justin (January 26, 2022). "Da'Vine Joy Randolph Joins Paul Giamatti In Alexander Payne and Miramax's The Holdovers". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  5. Grobar, Matt (March 31, 2022). "The Holdovers: Carrie Preston Boards Alexander Payne's Film For Miramax". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  6. Slane, Kevin (February 4, 2022). "Paul Giamatti is in Massachusetts to film The Holdovers". Boston.com. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  7. Chitwood, Seth (February 26, 2022). "Paul Giamatti reunites with Alexander Payne to film The Holdovers at Fairhaven High". The Standard-Times. Archived from the original on February 28, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  8. https://www.masslive.com/entertainment/2023/07/the-holdovers-set-and-shot-in-mass-unveils-its-first-movie-trailer.html
  9. Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 12, 2022). "In Whopping $30 Million Deal, Focus Features Lands Miramax Alexander Payne-Paul Giamatti Reteam The Holdovers After Toronto Buyers Screening". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  10. D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 23, 2023). "Alexander Payne's Reteam With Paul Giamatti 'The Holdovers' Gets Fall Release Date From Focus Features". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  11. "Theatrical Release Changes for the Week Ending June 25, 2023". the-numbers.com. Nash Information Services, LLC.
  12. "50th Telluride Film Festival - Program Guide" (PDF). Telluride Film Festival. p. 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 30, 2023. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  13. Ford, Rebecca (August 30, 2023). "Telluride Film Festival Lands World Premieres From Emerald Fennell, Alexander Payne, Andrew Haigh". Vanity Fair. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  14. Lang, Brent (September 17, 2023). "Cord Jefferson's 'American Fiction' Wins Toronto Film Festival Audience Award". Variety. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  15. "The 28th Busan International Film Festival: Selection List". Busan International Film Festival. September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  16. "The Holdovers". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  17. "The Holdovers". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  18. Lewis, Hilary (October 24, 2023). "'Past Lives,' 'A Thousand and One' and 'All of Us Strangers' Top Gotham Awards Film Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
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