I See My Home in the Holiday Warmth of 'The Holdovers'

The holidays can often be a difficult time, whether it means making plans with family, working extra hours or being, well, present. Sometimes it's just easier to dissociate than try to make yourself feel good. The way I've often softened this yearly blow is the same way I cushion just about everything else that ails me: Christmas movies. Shocker, I know. "Jingle All the Way" usually gives me a good laugh, "Black Christmas" scratches that holiday horror itch and then there's "It's A Wonderful Life," a life-affirming masterpiece I can always count on to reduce me to tears. I've even added a new classic to the roster this year in the form of "Nobody's Fool," a sweetly melancholic dramedy starring Paul Newman. There's something inherently cozy about Christmas movies that take place in New England, especially since I've lived in this section of the US my entire life. It got me thinking about another wintery drama that I'm sure a lot are probably familiar with. Alexander Payne's "The Holdovers" was a massive success when it came out toward the end of 2023, where it racked up over five Academy Award nominations and one win (Da'Vine Joy Randolph - Best Supporting Actress). It was acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, who often found themselves laughing and crying in equal measures. Taking place in the final weeks of 1970, "The Holdovers" follows Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), a notoriously strict classics teacher at Barton Academy who's been saddled with babysitting duties for the students left behind for winter break. Most of the kids end up departing not too long afterwards, leaving only Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa) behind. Inside the halls of the New England boys boarding school are an educator and a pupil whose stubborn personalities can't help but create conflict. Important lessons are learned, however, when Paul and Angus learn that there's a lot hiding under their hardened surfaces that reveal commonalities within them both. There's also this tender subplot about Mary Lamb (Randolph), Barton's lead cafeteria manager, dealing with her relatively fresh grief that the holidays only manage to exacerbate. For these reasons, I find "The Holdovers" is one of the best new inductions to the Christmas movie canon. What really transforms it into something especially emotional on my end, however, is that it serves as a warm reminder of why I love living in Massachusetts. About halfway through the film, Paul takes Angus on a field trip of sorts around various landmarks of the Hub, many of which are routine fixtures in my day-to-day life. If you've ever found yourself around the Boston Commons area, you've most likely been in the vicinity of the Brattle Book Shop on West Street. In addition to featuring lots of used books, there's this huge open space outside that features full racks and carts of affordable reading. Even if I never get anything, it's always a joy to peruse around. Seeing Paul and Angus doing the same thing, I can't help but smile. Later, there's a moment that feels utterly surreal seeing in a major motion picture, and that's when the pair decide to go see a movie. For most people, they'll see Paul and Angus sitting in a movie theater balcony watching "Little Big Man." But I just about bundle up with joy knowing full well that they're sitting inside the historic Somerville Theater. The Somerville is the closest thing I have to a second home next to the Brattle Theater in Cambridge. I find myself there all the time because the owners, Ian Brownell and Ian Judge, do their damnedest to make it feel warm and inviting. And you won't find a more dedicated projectionist in Massachusetts than David Kornfeld up in the booth. This establishment always feels massive in scope; I'm truly spoiled. Something I always find amusing about the brief scene that takes place in the Somerville Theater is when Angus leaves. He walks down the stairs and through the building's main lobby, but the exterior is none other than the Orpheum Theater in Downtown Boston about 20 minutes away. It was for the best considering Somerville's Davis Square is usually cramped and busy, which wouldn't give Giamatti and Sessa enough space to do their scene outside. That's the power of movie magic, folks. I feel like I should also give a shout out to Boston critic/filmmaker Gerald Peary, who makes a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo as a Barton teacher in the opening. Not only is he an insightful writer, but an integral member of our movie trivia team every month at the Somerville's Crystal Ballroom. If you ever want to know about which movies Sydney Greenstreet was in or what's showing over at the Harvard Archive, Gerry is your guy. To make matters even more surreal, there's a sequence where Paul and Angus end up at the Wakefield Bowladrome, which I see almost every day. How many people can say they live within walking distance of a place that's prominently featured in a film that's been nominated for Best Picture? The Bowladrome sure didn't need to do much to revert to the early '70s, as that place looks as if it's been trapped in amber. I can't help but smile when reflecting on "The Holdovers" because these scenes remind me of the places that mean a great deal to me and the Boston community at large. I feel truly blessed to live here and am reminded of that every day. When I continue to revisit this newfound holiday classic in the following years, I will always be home for the holidays. "The Holdovers" is currently available for rental/purchase on most premium video on demand (PVOD) streaming services.