The Holdovers is another potential modern classic of gentle heft from Alexander Payne. Payne has a certain quiet style and a certain type of protagonist and while I was left a bit indifferent to one his more famous works, Sideways, I did love his Nebraska and was looking forward to this one. One of his leads from Sideways takes the central role here, the understated but re-assuring and brilliant Paul Giamatti and he is a perfect fit for this film.

The story takes place around 1970 in the postcard pretty, snowy landscape of a New England boys’ boarding school, where Giamatti’s character, Mr. Hunham, is a history master; he himself was once a student here. It is Christmastime and almost all the school is going home for the holidays. But there are always a few left around, who can’t make the journey for various reasons, and someone is needed to stay back and look after these students. In this case it is the unlucky Hunham, in part because of his intransigence on standards by failing a rich benefactor’s son. An eclectic bunch of students are left behind, most prominently the cranky and unhappy Angus, brilliantly played by newcomer Dominic Sessa. There is also the cook, Miss Lamb, a wondrous Da’Vine Joy Randolph (subject of rich awards talk this season), who was recently bereaved of her son, a former student at the school and who died for his country at Vietnam. The subtext of class and privilege is evident here, with the richer students evading the draft by getting themselves admitted to prestigious colleges.  Mr. Hunham himself is a lonely old man, living at the school itself and disillusioned by a past which comes into focus gradually through the movie. His rigid imposition of discipline and standards means he isn’t exactly the most popular teacher around and the obvious friction ensues between him and his wards, especially Angus.

Soon, through a quirky set of events, a bit of deus-ex I felt to get the main characters together but still believable in the realm of the story, it is only Hunham, Angus and Miss Lamb left at the school. An unlikely road trip results in some moving set pieces and an awakening/reckoning for each of the characters. And while the initial fracas and the inevitable bonding is predictable, the journey to get there is remarkably touching and real. Most of the conflicts which arise are dealt with patience and warmth and if some may find some schmaltz in that, it is done with a genuineness of spirit that renders it lovely to watch unfold on screen.

The actors are all brilliant, especially Giamatti in a masterfully underplayed role. Dominic Sessa is excellent and shows the nous of a veteran while matching standards with Giamatti. Da’Vine Joy Randolph is a spitfire of talent and performance and is deservedly an Academy Award winner. The setting and cinematography too add to the feel of a mood piece and linger on the senses. If this wasn’t already one of the frontrunners during this awards season, it would have had all the hallmarks of one of those movies which unfolds unobtrusively as one watches it, but which stays on in the mind afterwards, as the layers of what one saw opens up in the mind. It is my personal favorite of the Oscar season.