Alexander Payne and Paul Giamatti reunite in comedy drama ‘The Holdovers’
The Holdovers is a comedy drama film directed by Alexander Payne. Payne is a multi-award winning director whose work includes Nebraska, Downsizing and About Schmidt. Payne directs The Holdovers from a screenplay by David Hemingson, with the film set in the early 1970s. The Holdovers made its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2023. It was also selected for the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, and the 2023 Busan International Film Festival.
Paul Giamatti stars as unpopular teacher Paul Hunham, who is forced to spend the holidays looking after students. Payne and Giamatti first worked together on the 2004 comedy drama Sideways. Dominic Sessa plays Angus Tully, a smart student known for causing trouble and for his dislike of Paul. Angus is staying at school over Christmas, and is grieving the death of his father. Da’Vine Joy Randolph plays the school’s head cook, Mary, who’s son recently died in Vietnam during the war. Carrie Preston plays school office administrator, Lydia Crane.