The Holdovers might be the most unsentimental holiday movie in recent memory. That’s not surprising, since director Alexander Payne goes to great lengths to avoid cheap emotion. From Election to About Schmidt, the Nebraska-born filmmaker specializes in depicting sad sacks with an absurdist’s sensibility. It’s a deceptively simple balancing act that’s been attempted by many and accomplished by few; Noah Baumbach comes close. In his latest film, Payne foregoes some of his trademark cynicism and goes straight for the heart, resulting in a touching seasonal film for people who aren’t that jazzed about the holidays.
Welcome to Barton Academy, a boys’ boarding school located in the snowy outback of New Hampshire. We’ve seen similar schools in movies such as School Ties and The Emperor’s Club, institutions that instill outdated codes while priding themselves on their academic prowess. But even with this stifling atmosphere, there’s always something charmingly antiquated about these schools. Everywhere you look, snow covers gray buildings while the campus stretches for miles. In the courtyards, students in ties and blazers sprint to their classes as if their lives depended on it, which they basically do. Within these frozen walls you’ll find Professor Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), a harried teacher of Ancient Civilizations.
Although the film takes place during the groovy Early-Seventies, Mr. Hunham missed the boat on that peace and love fad. There’s nothing peaceful or loveable about this guy. He’s a juggernaut of an instructor who marches into his class like a bull, slandering his long-haired students with terms like “vulgar philistines” and “cretins” before handing out their essays marked with D’s and F’s. “I can tell by your faces that many of you are shocked at the outcome,” he smirks. “I, on the other hand, am not, because I had the misfortune of teaching you this semester.” If you were expecting Robin Williams’s…
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