Blu-ray Review: THE HOLDOVERS

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Dec 29, 2023 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

It’s December of 1970, and the boys at Barton’s Academy are excited to head home to spend the holidays with their families. However, for a handful of young men—the holdovers—going home isn’t an option, and they will be staying on campus, spending the next 2 weeks at the snowy New England prep/boarding school. Stuck with the task of watching over the boys is ancient civilization teacher Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), who is disliked by the students and his peers alike. Mr. Hunham is a stickler for the rules, and seems to take joy in seeing his rich, spoiled students fail. He also didn’t win any points with the administration when he refused to pass the school’s star football player just because his father donated a building. Mr. Hunham plans to follow the rule book to a T, and have the students continue their studies while they’re at Barton’s over the holidays.

Smart but rebellious and troubled junior Angus Tully (newcomer Dominic Sessa) had been excited to enjoy the sun of Saint Kitts over the holidays, but his mother canceled at the last minute so she could honeymoon with her new husband. Now Angus is stuck on campus, bored, and constantly butting heads and matching wits with Mr. Hunham. He is determined to get away or sneak off to Boston. Also staying at the school over the holidays is cafeteria manager Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Only Murders in the Building, Dolemite Is My Name). Her son had graduated Barton last year, but was recently killed in the Vietnam war, and this will be her first holiday without him. While Mr. Hunham and Angus start off at odds, as they spend the holidays together, they gain a greater understanding of one another’s lives and hardships, and start to form an unlikely bond of mutual friendship and respect for one another.

The Holdovers is a fun and heartwarming film that’s perfect viewing for the holiday season. It comes from writer David Hemingson (Whiskey Cavalier, Kitchen Confidential, Just Shoot Me!) and director Alexander Payne (Sideways, The Descendants). The film is designed to look like it is a product of the 1970s, starting with its unique 1.66:1 aspect ratio, its muted color palette, and the use of a filter to add film-like “imperfections” to the picture. Paul Giamatti is so much fun in this role that was written specifically for him, showcasing both his acting chops and physical humor. Mr. Hunham is a pompous teacher who takes joy in harassing his spoiled students. Back when he was a student, an incident with a wealthy, privileged kid nearly destroyed Paul’s life, and now he uses his position as a teacher as a way to exact revenge. Paul is a bit of a sheltered, lonely man, who has spent the majority of his past 30 years never leaving this campus. He is well-read, constantly spurting out Latin phrases and historical facts. He talks about travel and writing his book, but never does anything about it. It’s obvious even to Angus that Mr. Hunham has a crush on his colleague, Miss Lydia Crane (Carrie Preston, The Good Wife), but Paul never seems to put himself out there or pursue any kind of personal relationships. He is a bit self-conscious. Behind his back, Mr. Hunham’s students call him Walleye—he has a fishy odor to him, and big, bulging eyes. These wonky eyes lead to several hilarious moments, where Giamatti really shines.

Newcomer Dominic Sessa is amazing in his first professional acting role. This young actor is destined to be a star, holding his own in scenes with a seasoned actor like Giamatti. At first glance, Angus appears to be just another spoiled rich kid, but underneath the bravado he’s hiding a lot of darkness and emotional pain. Sessa is such a delight in this role, giving Angus a real sense of humanity, while also exuding so much charm and charisma. You can’t help but smile watching his performance—this character is so much fun. Angus and Mr. Hunham are like two peas in a pod, both taking joy in harassing the other. There’s one scene where Angus gets Mr. Hunham to angrily chase him around the abandoned school, and he turns to the camera with this childish, devilish grin. The two actors have such amazing chemistry with one another.

Rounding out the main cast is Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who also brings an excellent, layered performance. Mary is a grieving mother who is facing her first Christmas without her son, and this leads to some very emotional scenes for the actress. At the same time, Mary is like a mother to those stuck at the school over the holidays. She is a no-nonsense woman who will speak her mind when she sees someone acting disrespectful or doing something stupid, which leads to some hilarious moments. Randolph finds the perfect blend for this character, giving you the feels one moment, and making you laugh-out-loud the next, which is pretty much the M.O. for the entire film—a heartwarming and uplifting story filled with humor.

Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great. As mentioned earlier, the filmmakers have gone for a specific look, trying to make the film feel like it was actually created in the 1970s. They are quite successful in this regard, with a generally clean picture with purposeful dirt and imperfections to make it feel a bit aged. Colors are beautiful, and help to evoke the era. A 3.0 audio track is also utilized to help the film feel more like a product of the 70s. It doesn’t have the immersive feel of a more modern surround track, with the score/soundtrack primarily coming from the center channel. However, the dialogue remains clear throughout, and the use of Barton’s beautiful choir for much of the soundtrack helps to set the tone.

The Blu-ray and DVD discs come packed on either side of a standard HD keepcase, which is placed in a glossy carboard slipcover. An insert contains a code to redeem for an HD Movies Anywhere digital copy of the film. The discs also contain 5 deleted/alternate scenes, and nearly 20 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes with the cast and crew.

What’s Included:

Film: (2:13:26)

1080p / Widescreen 1.66:1
Audio: English 3.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish 3.0 DTS, French 3.0 DTS
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

DVD:

480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 1.66:1
Audio: English 3.0 Dolby Digital, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish 3.0 Dolby Digital, French 3.0 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Digital (code may not be valid after 3/31/2025):

HD Digital Copy (Movies Anywhere compatible)

Extras:
Play All, or select from:

Deleted Scenes (5:54)
Collection of 4 short deleted scenes with text introductions from director Alexander Payne, explaining each scene and why it was ultimately cut. Play All, or select from:
- Introduction by Alexander Payne (:26)
- New Room (1:15)
  The boys arrive at their new housing at the infirmary.
- Making a Scene (1:13)
  Extended scene with Tully making a scene at the candlepin bowling alley.
- The Road Back to Barton (1:49)
  Mr. Hunham watches Angus sleep.
- Ancient History (1:30)
  Mr. Hunham’s colleagues comment to one another about his dismissal.
Alternate Ending – “Mary Continues On” (2:25)
Alternate ending with a cutaway to Mary back at work. With text introduction/explanation by director Alexander Payne.
The Cast of The Holdovers (10:40)
The cast and crew discuss the characters, casting the various roles, and working with the actors. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director Alexander Payne, screenwriter/producer David Hemingson, producer Mark Johnson, and watch and stars Paul Giamatti (“Paul Hunham”), Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“Mary Lamb”), Brady Hepner (“Teddy Kountze”), Dominic Sessa (“Angus Tully”), Carrie Preston (“Miss Lydia Crane”), Michael Provost (“Jason Smith”), Ian Dolley (“Alex Ollerman”) & Jim Kaplan (“Ye-Joon Park”).
Working With Alexander (8:35)
The cast and crew talk about working with director Alexander Payne, reuniting Paul and Alexander, the filming locations, creating a 1970s movie in look and feel, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with production designer Ryan Warren Smith, director Alexander Payne, screenwriter/producer David Hemingson, producer Mark Johnson, costume designer Wendy Chuck and stars Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Paul Giamatti, Carrie Preston, Dominic Sessa, Michael Provost & Brady Hepner.

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Film:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Highly Recommended

The Holdovers is a delightful film that makes perfect viewing for the holiday season, finding a nice blend of comedy and heartwarming drama. Paul Giamatti is hilarious and has amazing chemistry with newcomer Dominic Sessa who is wonderful in his first professional acting role—I look forward to seeing more of this bright young star in the future. The filmmakers have done an excellent job of transporting the viewer back to 1970s New England, and making the film itself feel like a product of that era. I first saw this film in the theater, and I enjoyed it just as much the second time around on this disc. This release comes highly recommended for anyone looking for a fun, heartwarming film. But for those who wish to check it out first before a blind buy, the film is streaming on Peacock as of this morning.