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Although it may appear in searches alongside documentary titles because of its historical setting and period detail, The Holdovers is a scripted feature film, not a documentary. Its appeal comes from the way it uses a confined school setting, an unlikely trio, and an unhappy Christmas to examine grief, loneliness, class, and the bonds formed between people who have nowhere else to go.
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The Holdovers - Collector's Edition Blu-ray + DVD + Digital | $13.79 | Buy on Amazon |
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The Holdovers - Collector's Edition 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray | $27.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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The Holdovers [Blu-ray] | $20.09 | Buy on Amazon |
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The Holdovers - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray | $44.99 | Buy on Amazon |
What is The Holdovers about?
At the fictional Barton Academy, most students leave campus for Christmas. A small number remain because they cannot return home. Professor Paul Hunham is assigned to supervise them, a task he approaches with the same strictness and resentment that define his relationship with the school’s students.
The group of remaining pupils eventually narrows to Angus Tully. Angus is intelligent, unhappy, and unwilling to accept Hunham’s authority. Their enforced proximity creates the film’s central conflict: an inflexible teacher and a teenager who feels abandoned are trapped together during a holiday that is supposed to represent warmth and family.
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Mary Lamb, Barton’s head cook, completes the main trio. She is mourning her son, who was killed in Vietnam. Her grief gives the film a second emotional center and prevents the story from becoming only a clash between an irritable teacher and a rebellious student.
The title refers to the students who remain at boarding school over the holidays. It also works more broadly: Hunham, Angus, and Mary are all “holdovers” in different ways, carrying old pain and unresolved disappointments into the present.
Key details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Title | The Holdovers |
| Release year | 2023 |
| Director | Alexander Payne |
| Writer | David Hemingson |
| Main cast | Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa |
| Setting | Barton Academy, December 1970 |
| Genre | Comedy-drama and holiday film |
| Runtime | 133 minutes |
| U.S. rating | R for some drug use, language, and brief sexual material |
The three central performances
Paul Hunham — Paul Giamatti
Paul Giamatti plays Hunham as a man whose professional authority has become inseparable from his personal bitterness. The character is not simply a strict teacher. His hostility, routines, and intellectual pride suggest someone who has built a defensive system around disappointment.
Giamatti’s performance gives the film much of its dry humor, but the comedy does not erase Hunham’s loneliness. His relationship with Angus gradually reveals the cost of treating discipline as a substitute for human connection.
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Angus was played by Dominic Sessa in his feature-film debut. He is not presented as a passive child waiting to be rescued. Angus is combative, observant, and capable of provoking Hunham, but his behavior also reflects the instability of being left behind during a family holiday.
The film’s emotional movement depends on the changing relationship between Angus and Hunham. Their connection develops through conflict rather than instant affection, which keeps the story grounded in the uncomfortable reality of two people who would not normally choose each other’s company.
Mary Lamb — Da’Vine Joy Randolph
Mary’s grief over her son’s death in Vietnam gives the film its most direct connection to the wider world beyond Barton Academy. She is part of the school’s staff rather than its privileged student or faculty class, adding another dimension to the film’s examination of status and exclusion.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s performance was widely recognized during awards season. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, as well as the equivalent supporting-actress prizes at the 2024 Golden Globes and BAFTA Film Awards.
Where was The Holdovers filmed?
The film was shot entirely in Massachusetts in 2021. Barton Academy is fictional, but the production assembled its New England school environment from real Massachusetts locations, including Deerfield Academy.
The Massachusetts Film Office lists filming communities including Berlin, Boston, Buckland, Cambridge, Clinton, Deerfield, Fairhaven, Gill, Gloucester, Groton, Medfield, Milton, New Bedford, Saugus, Shelburne Falls, Somerville, Southborough, Wakefield, Waltham, and Worcester.
That location strategy matters to the film’s atmosphere. Rather than creating an entirely artificial version of an old boarding school, the production used existing architecture and landscapes to support its 1970 setting. The result is a campus that feels institutional, isolated, and lived-in—an important part of the story because the school becomes both refuge and confinement.
The film’s New England inspiration
Screenwriter David Hemingson drew on his experiences at the Watkinson School, a New England preparatory school, as well as family experiences. The screenplay’s boarding-school details therefore come from more than a general idea of an elite academy; they are rooted in memories of the culture, rules, and social pressures associated with that environment.
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Alexander Payne’s initial concept was connected to the 1935 French film Merlusse. Hemingson then supplied the screenplay and the personal New England prep-school material that shaped the finished film. The collaboration combines a classic holiday setup—people stranded together—with a more specific American setting marked by class, education, and the Vietnam War.
Release and distribution
The Holdovers premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2023. Its final U.S. theatrical rollout began in select theaters on October 27, followed by a broader release on November 10, 2023.
Some early announcements listed a November 10 limited release and a November 22 wide release. Those dates were later changed. The October 27 and November 10 schedule describes the film’s actual U.S. rollout, while the earlier dates should be treated as preliminary release information.
Focus Features handled U.S. distribution, with Universal Pictures International handling international distribution. At the time of the supplied availability check, Peacock listed the film for viewing in the United States. Streaming, rental, and purchase options can change by country and over time.
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The film received five nominations at the 96th Academy Awards, held on March 10, 2024:
- Best Picture
- Best Actor for Paul Giamatti
- Best Supporting Actress for Da’Vine Joy Randolph
- Film Editing
- Original Screenplay
Randolph won Best Supporting Actress. The film also performed strongly at other major awards:
| Awards body | Recognition |
|---|---|
| Golden Globes, 2024 | Three nominations; wins for Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph |
| BAFTA Film Awards, 2024 | Seven nominations; wins for Supporting Actress and Casting |
| Academy Awards, 2024 | Five nominations; win for Supporting Actress |
Giamatti’s Golden Globe win was for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy. The BAFTA casting award went to Susan Shopmaker.
Plagiarism allegation: what has been reported?
In March 2024, screenwriter Simon Stephenson accused The Holdovers of copying his unproduced 2013 screenplay Frisco, describing the alleged similarities as “line-by-line.” The allegation was reported as a claim, not as an established fact.
The Writers Guild of America did not adjudicate the accusation. Reporting on the correspondence indicated that the WGA considered plagiarism and copyright-infringement claims outside its arbitration process and directed Stephenson toward legal action. It is therefore inaccurate to describe the film as proven plagiarized or to say that the WGA cleared it. The responsible description is that a plagiarism allegation was made and was not adjudicated by the WGA.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is The Holdovers a documentary?
No. The Holdovers is a scripted comedy-drama. Its 1970 setting, Massachusetts locations, and attention to boarding-school culture may give it a documentary-like sense of place, but the characters and story are presented through a fictional screenplay and performances.
For viewers who usually watch documentaries, the film may still be relevant as a carefully researched period character study. It offers a dramatized look at a particular social world rather than a factual account of Barton Academy or the people shown in it.
Who should watch it?
The Holdovers suits viewers looking for a slower, character-led holiday film rather than a conventional feel-good Christmas story. Its humor is dry, its rating reflects adult language and content, and its emotional focus is grief rather than spectacle.
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Best Value
- The Holdovers
It is especially strong for audiences interested in films about schools, difficult teacher-student relationships, New England settings, and ensemble performances. The 133-minute runtime gives the three leads room to change gradually instead of resolving their conflicts through a quick holiday epiphany.
FAQ
Is The Holdovers based on a true story?
No. It is a scripted fictional film. David Hemingson drew on experiences at the Watkinson School and on family experiences, while Alexander Payne’s initial idea was connected to the 1935 French film Merlusse.
Where can I watch The Holdovers?
At the time of the supplied U.S. availability check, Peacock listed the film. Streaming and rental availability varies by country and can change, so viewers should check current listings in their territory.
Who won an Oscar for The Holdovers?
Da’Vine Joy Randolph won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 96th Academy Awards. The film also received nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor, Film Editing, and Original Screenplay.
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What does the title The Holdovers mean?
It directly refers to students who remain at Barton Academy during the Christmas break because they cannot go home. More broadly, the title describes the emotional position of Hunham, Angus, and Mary as people carrying loneliness, grief, or unresolved problems.
The Bottom Line
The Holdovers is a fictional 2023 Christmas comedy-drama about an isolated teacher, a stranded student, and a grieving cook at a Massachusetts boarding school in December 1970. Its strongest features are the three lead performances, the carefully constructed New England setting, and a story that treats the holidays as a time of difficult honesty rather than automatic happiness. It is not a documentary, but it is a substantial period character film with a strong connection to real regional and educational influences.
Quick Recap
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