The Holdovers: Why This Film Has A Hold Over Me

“You can’t even dream a whole dream, can you?”

This is not a film review! Just my honest thoughts on a movie that moved me so deeply. There are no spoilers ahead, so read freely.

A warm hug in a cold winter. That, to me, is the perfect phrase to describe The Holdovers (2023) by Alexander Payne. It’s a film that feels so simply put together. Yet, as the credits rolled, I couldn’t help but let a couple of tears roll too.

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It’s not an emotionally-charged film that leaves you sobbing for hours; rather, it’s a touching story that feels so real and true. The authenticity of the story and the script fills you with such warmth, but also a sense of emptiness. It confused me and left me pondering for minutes, hours and days. When a film starts to live within you, its themes and motifs spiral down your mind. It leaves you with answers, but also countless questions. It changes your perspective on the intricacies of life; it keeps you curious and hopeful.

That was when I knew this film was a special one — it began to live within me.

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Before I dive deeper into the film, I also wish to preface that by no means am I a massive film junkie or critic — all my movie reviews are limited to an audience of my close circle of friends, and an even smaller subset of people who follow me on Letterboxd. And these reviews are neither long nor particularly thoughtful, just jots of notes. And despite my lack of expertise, I still feel extremely compelled to share my lengthy feelings about The Holdovers. I first watched it in the Christmas of 2024, and I immediately knew it was going to join the ranks of my top five films of all time. As you read on, you’ll hopefully realise why.

The Beauty Of A Shared Loneliness

To give a little context, the film follows three main characters — Paul Hunman (played by Paul Giamatti), Angus Tully (played by Dominic Sessa) and Mary Lamb (played by Da’Vine Joy Randolph). Mr Hunman is an uptight History professor who has spent most of his life at Barton boarding school. He is tasked to take care of Angus Tully, a student at Barton, over the Christmas break. The rebellious teenager was supposed to return home, but his parents had gone on vacation without him, leaving him to stay in school. Meanwhile, Mary Lamb, the head cook at Barton, decides to stay in school over the holidays as she mourns the loss of her son at war.

Instantly, Mr Hunman and Angus come off as characters that clash. You can literally feel the repressed anger Angus holds within. Not to mention, Mr Hunman is a character who follows strictly by the books. Their hatred for each other is evident. While Mary Lamb doesn’t interact with them as frequently, she too is dealing with her own personal trauma. They come off as an extremely unlikely trio, and their cold differences challenge the warmth and homeliness that comes with typical Christmas movies.

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Yet, despite their differences, they all share the same experience of loneliness. As Billy Joel once sang, “Yes, they’re sharing a drink they call loneliness, but it’s better than drinkin’ alone”. Mr Hunman with no loved one to return home to, Angus with parents who chose a vacation over spending time with their child, and Mary Lamb with a hole in her heart as she deals with the loss of her son. In a strange sense, their intertwined lives become a source of comfort for the three individuals. While they may not love being in each other’s presence, you can sense how grateful they are to at least be spending the Christmas season together. It is not ideal, but it is better than what they are used to.

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Slowly but surely, the characters start to warm up to each other. The character development is impeccable, and I was marvelled by the timing of the film. The thing that’s difficult to nail with such “slice of life” films is ensuring that it doesn’t move too slowly. I must admit, this was done perfectly in The Holdovers. The three characters broke each others’ shells without even realising — it felt like a real journey of friendship.

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As the story develops, the audience starts to see the characters beyond their archetypes. I really liked that the film had set the characters up in a certain way, but their true backgrounds break that stereotype society has moulded for them, and we start to see the characters for who they truly are. This was especially moving for me, as I came to understand how quickly we tend to judge others for what they appear to be. Beyond the surface are cracks of our quirks and challenges that make us whole and human. That’s what I liked about The Holdovers. They weren’t just characters, but human; souls I could find myself relating to.

What I particularly enjoyed as well was the sustained use of juxtaposition throughout the film. The cold experience of loneliness versus the warmth of sharing that loneliness with others who understand your sorrow. The perfectly curated aesthetic of the film’s shots against the raw script and authenticity of the story. This, in my opinion, brought the film to heightened level. Besides the character development, the film itself moved with the characters, developing and unravelling in its own way.

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In essence, The Holdovers moulds itself into a Christmas film, yet breaks the conventional stereotypes of what one expects from such movies. You’re left with a warm fuzzy feeling inside, but it comes unknowingly. There is comfort and sadness all at once; but there is also hope — a hope that keeps us living.

A Melancomic Masterclass

The ‘melancomic’ “arouses a distinct recognition of the peculiar, developed partly because of the playful use of comic irony, which veers off sharp-edged satire, and also incorporates the whimsical and poignant” (Thomas, 2012).

The Holdovers is a great example of this — impeccable comedic and satirical timing, yet producing the effect of a strange sadness that plagues you. Honing on that notion of juxtaposition, the film uses this contrast of comedy and melancholy to undercut the supposed warmth of Christmas films. It almost reminds me of The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) by Wes Anderson, another one of my favourite films.

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This is what puts this film above others for me. It appears so simply designed and written. Yet, there are so many layers to it that are worth appreciating and applauding.

Dream A Whole Dream

If there’s anything that really stuck with me from The Holdovers, it would be this one particular dialogue:

“[Mary Lamb] Let me ask you something. If you could go anywhere on Earth, where would you go?

[Paul Hunham] (chuckling): Oh. Greece. Italy. Egypt, Peru. Carthage. Tunisia now, of course. In college, I started a monograph on Carthage. I’d like to finish that someday. (Sighs.) A monograph is like a book, only shorter.

[Mary Lamb] I know what a monograph is.

[Angus Tully] Why not just write a book?

[Paul Hunham] I’m not sure I have an entire book in me.

[Mary Lamb] You can’t even dream a whole dream, can you?”

“You can’t even dream a whole dream, can you?” This one line defined the entire film for me. The Holdovers starts off with such hopelessness and despair. The characters set their own limits for their potential in life, which is what leaves them empty inside. However, once they started to let loose and live a little, their hope and dreams perk up. In sharing their loneliness, they learnt that life doesn’t have to be bounded or defined by your past and the people in your life. What truly matters is your own person and soul; the core of your hopes and dreams.

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Perhaps this is why The Holdovers means so much to me. For the longest time, I had always been held back by imposter syndrome. There were many things I wanted to pursue but couldn’t even think of embarking on before shrugging it off as a goal that couldn’t be achieved.

But when you start to let go of these preconceived notions, when you start living and believing in your soul, perhaps that is when life truly begins. After all, a life worth living is a life that you truly believe in.

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So, I guess what The Holdovers showed me was that you can dream a whole dream. We are our own biggest critic, and we often fail to recognise our greatest potential. I think we often forget that each and every one of us are extremely capable individuals.

Mr Hunman, Angus and Mary Lamb all saw something special in each other that they each couldn’t see in themselves. In a strange way, watching them find their spark helped me uncover mine too.

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And like I mentioned, this film continued to live within me even after I had watched it so long ago. I was lucky enough to find myself living alone in London for the first half of this year. With this newfound solitude and a refreshed perspective on life, I gained clarity on my true interests and what I wish to pursue. Thanks to The Holdovers, I learnt that I too was limiting myself from the whole dream. And now, I have much more strength and belief in my person to even chase, and hopefully fulfil, the whole dream.

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A Film That Lives Within You

Well, I hope this little entry of mine convinced you, at the very least, to put The Holdovers on your rather long watchlist. It’s a film that moved me deeply, and I hope it moves you too.

Even if you don’t plan on watching it, I’m grateful that you made it this far down. If there’s one thing that I’d like you to take away from my writing, it’d be to have faith in yourself — and I don’t want you to treat that loosely. I hope you stop letting other people get to your head. I hope you find joy in whatever you pursue. I hope you live a life that makes you feel alive.

I hope you dream the whole dream.