Best Movies of 2023 – The Holdovers

One of the most underrated movies of the year 2023, The Holdovers is reminiscent of the old 90s flicks. Setup in a secluded snowy environment and entirely character-driven, this movie is a testament to humanity and human relationships. Covered in snow from head to toe sometimes the screen looks whiter than your favorite actress’s teeth.

Starring Paul Giamatti, the Holdovers is a festival-themed movie setup in a far-flung boarding school. During the Christmas break, when all students and faculty leave for their home to spend Christmas and New Year with their loved ones, a stubborn teacher and a headstrong student are stuck with each other. With nowhere to go, the two protagonists grow out of their existential rut while growing fond of each other.

Synopsis

Mr. Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), a history teacher who is disliked by everyone -students and teachers alike- has to take care of a bunch of students during the winter break because they have nowhere else to go. While his habit of pissing off everyone around him lands him in this unfortunate situation, it is that very habit that leads to his bonding with the smartest yet most rebellious student in his class. 

His student Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa) who has a similar nature and a penchant for getting into trouble has to stay at the school he hates because his mother and stepfather decide to go on an impromptu honeymoon. Stuck with these two losers is a mother who has lost his young son to the war. 

What Does the Movie Holdovers Say?

What this soup of human emotions brings out is a brilliant plot covering the most existential question of them all – “How do we live in a world that doesn’t care a bit about lonely people?” While the movie is based in the 1970s, it applies perfectly to the 21st century as well. The weird father-son relationship between the teacher and the student represents the relationship between the past and present of any human being. 

We live in a world where students are expected to outperform everyone in their class but be ready for unemployment and ridicule in return for hard work. Teachers are expected to impart world-class knowledge to their students while working for peanuts and always looking over their shoulders for the layoff. The marginal communities of the society which are represented by an African American woman, have to play the role of sineaters for the rest of the society who hate them for even existing. 

In between these dynamics, the two protagonists represent a son who thinks he will end up like his father and a man who couldn’t live up to his father’s standard.

My Verdict

I will give this movie 4.5 out of 5. While it may just get a couple of nominations including Best Picture at the Oscars, it is poised to catch a few awards at the Golden Globes due to its stellar cast and slow burning plot.

Quote from the Movie – “History is not simply the study of the past. It is an explanation of the present.”