The Holdovers
dir. Alexander Payne · 2023
Life is about finding connection and understanding in unexpected places, even amidst loneliness and hardship.
Plot
A curmudgeonly instructor at a New England prep school is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually, he forms an unlikely bond with one of them — a damaged, brainy troublemaker — and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam.
Why watch
"The Holdovers" is a heartfelt exploration of connection and healing set against the backdrop of a lonely Christmas at a New England prep school. Through the unexpected bonds formed between an irascible teacher and his students, it beautifully illustrates how shared grief can lead to profound understanding and warmth.