The Holdovers: On the red carpet with Alexander Payne and David Hemingson at London Film Festival 2023

The Holdovers is a comedy-drama movie, with a screenplay by David Hemingson, that reunites the creative partnership of director Alexander Payne and actor Paul Giamatti, who previously worked together on Sideways. The film is set in the 1970s and is awash with a carefully curated and authentic palette.

The story follows history teacher Paul Hunham (Giamatti) who works at at a boarding school called Barton Academy near Boston. An unlikeable and prickly character, he is left in charge of the “holdovers” whose parents can’t take them home for their two-week Christmas break. Eventually, it turns out it is only one pupil called Angus (Dominic Sessa), a troubled 15-year-old whose mother has remarried and decided to take their honeymoon trip away without him. The school chef Mary, also remains behind after her own son died in the Vietnam War. The trio have to navigate the festivities together and inevitable clashes give way to a feeling of family and how that presents itself despite the lack of their blood ties.

The Upcoming had the pleasure of speaking to the director about bringing this film to screen, working with Giamatti again and the 70s look and feel of the feature.

Hemingson spoke to us about his screenplay, where he drew inspiration from and what it was like working in collaboration with Payne and Giamatti in the role of Hunham.

Ezelle Alblas

The Holdovers is released nationwide on 19^th January 2024.

Read more reviews and interviews from our London Film Festival 2023 coverage here.

For further information about the festival visit the official BFI website here.

Watch the trailer for The Holdovers here: