Matt O’Connor
It’s Day 18 of the Beacon’s Christmas Movie Countdown! This next film we’ll be taking a look at is the newest one on this list. It isn’t exactly a Christmas film in the traditional sense, but it still checks off the necessary boxes to be considered one. Released in 2023, The Holdovers is a prime example of a recently released film that will undoubtedly become a future holiday staple.
The film follows Paul Hunham, a Barton Academy teacher who is forced to watch over five students staying on campus during the holiday break after causing the Academy to lose money over a rescinded admission. Much to the dismay of the students, Paul forces them to study over the break period. Also staying behind was Mary Lamb, the campus cafeteria manager. Mary Lamb’s son Curtis was drafted into the Vietnam War and died during the conflict. One student’s wealthy father allows the kids to join them on their family vacation, but one student named Angus is unable to go after he couldn’t get his parents permission. Angus stays behind with Mary Lamb and Paul and the trio spend the Christmas season together.
The cast of this movie is absolutely outstanding. Paul Giamatti and Dominic Sessa have great chemistry as Paul Hunham and Angus respectively. But Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Mary Lamb is the highlight of the film, as she delivers an emotional performance that’ll hit you right in the feels. She was also nominated for and took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards in 2024.
The Holdovers delivers not just as a Christmas film, but as a true blue cinematic experience that hits it out of the park in almost every category. Out of all the potentially unknown films on this list, this is the one that I think that you should watch the most. I cannot recommend it enough.
