The Holdovers explained

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What is The Holdovers about?

The Holdovers explores the intricate, ever-evolving tapestry of human relationships against the backdrop of a New England prep school during a period of social unrest and insecurity in 1970s America. With the festive Christmas season ironically serving as a melancholic backdrop, the film explores human connection between three people amid their search for a place to fit in. It weaves themes of loneliness, the eternal search for belonging we all feel, and a nuanced definition of family that gains shape as we connect with more and more people. Unlike many contemporary films, The Holdovers does not settle for easy answers or cliched resolutions we typically expect from the genre—family transcends blood in this bittersweet tale.

At its heart, The Holdovers details the emotional odysseys of three characters as they challenge accepted norms and wrestle with inner conflicts during a season that’s ripe for change and prompts introspection and growth. The story delves into the true essence of family, unmasking how our bonds are woven with threads of sorrow and a deep-seated yearning to be part of something bigger. Our journey through the film’s narrative digs deeper than just the emotional ties among its characters, as it also tackles how society’s political framework and diverse views on privilege influence those relationships. The movie wraps up with a powerful nod to life’s hard lessons, showing how our deepest insights often come from the hardest goodbyes and the ties that bind us.

Movie Guide table of contents

Cast

• Paul Giamatti – Paul Hunham
• Dominic Sessa – Angus Tully
• Da’Vine Joy Randolph – Mary Lamb
• Carrie Preston – Miss Lydia Crane
• Brady Hepner – Teddy Kountze
• Ian Dolley – Alex Ollerman
• Jim Kaplan – Ye-Joon Park
• Michael Provost – Jason Smith
• Andrew Garman – Dr. Hardy Woodrup
• Naheem Garcia – Danny
• Stephen Thorne – Thomas Tully
• Gillian Vigman – Judy Clotfelter
• Tate Donovan – Stanley Clotfelter
• Darby Lily Lee-Stack – Elise
• David Hemingson – Writer
• Alexander Payne – Director

The ending of The Holdovers explained

We’ll start this section with a recap of the movie’s ending. Then each of the subsequent sections will observe the most impactful moments of the finale and what each signal about the movie’s ultimate message and meaning.

A quick recap of The Holdovers‘ ending

After the shared experiences over Christmas break at Barton Academy and a transformative trip to Boston, the characters are faced with the consequences of their actions and decisions. Hunham makes a selfless decision to protect Angus, the student, from being sent to a military academy by taking responsibility for a trip that was against the school’s rules, knowing it will cost him his job.

At the same time, Angus faces a tangle of emotions as he deals with his complicated family ties. His trip to Boston was a bittersweet experience. On the one hand, visiting with his estranged father left him with a helpless sense of emptiness, a realization about the unwavering cruelties of life, but on the other hand, his experience with Paul expanded his understanding of life’s complications, of the rocky path we all tread on the way to catharsis and enlightenment—a path that may never reach a satisfying conclusion. And that’s okay.

Mary, on the other hand, finally confronts the overwhelming grief that has stricken her since the loss of her son. An important part of Mary confronting her pain is bridging the gap with her remaining kin, starting her journey towards familial reconciliation. Mary’s choice to visit her sister shows that leaning on your loved ones can kickstart the healing process. Her journey shows us how confronting our history and the strength of chosen family ties can reshape our lives.

The final scene of The Holdovers , where Hunham and Angus share a goodbye, is a perfect conclusion to their shared journey and what they’ve represented to one another. Hunham, who was gifted a monograph from Mary and must now consider writing a new story in the wake of his firing, has clearly moved past his old rule-abiding persona, now prioritizing Angus’s welfare. Their farewell, steeped in both the sweetness of their time together and the sting of departure, marks a profound period of personal growth spurred by their unlikely bond. This moment in the film hits hard, capturing how deep sacrifices and fresh perspectives can reshape lives when people connect in ways they never saw coming.

How Hunham and Angus mirror one another

Hunham’s character arc in The Holdovers is intricately tied to his relationship with Angus. Hunham, initially a stern and disliked classics professor, begins to see reflections of his younger self in Angus, a student struggling with the harsh realities of life. Seeing his younger self in Angus’s tough battles, Hunham starts to shift in a major way. As he observes Angus grappling with feelings of abandonment and injustice, Hunham is reminded of his own challenges and disillusionments from his youth. This shift in Hunham’s demeanor, from strict enforcer to understanding guide, reflects his own realization of the hardships Angus faces: a world that can be harsh and unjust.

Mary’s gift of a monograph to Hunham is symbolic of a new beginning for him. Her gesture signifies his chance to turn the page and embrace fresh horizons beyond Barton Academy’s limits. This moment mirrors Max’s journey in Rushmore, where Max, too, is unable to move beyond the walls of his coming-of-age experience, of his inability to grapple with life’s great moments of unjustness. Just as Max is stuck in the nostalgia and comfort of his school life, Hunham is anchored to Barton, unable to envision a life beyond its traditional and structured environment. Mary’s encouragement was the spark Hunham needed to finally leave Barton behind and boldly write his own future.

Hunham putting his career on the line to stand up for Angus shows how much he’s grown as a person. Hunham’s willingness to risk his career for Angus not only highlights his growth but also echoes the trials he once faced himself. Seeing his own rough journey in Angus, Hunham takes a stand, shaking up the very school principles he once embraced. On the brink of something fresh and thrilling, Hunhman dares—in by far his most courageous and rebellious step in the film, partly inspired by Angus’s and Mary’s confrontation of self—to step into new experiences with the same boldness it takes to let go of what’s comfortable.

While Hunham sees a reflection of his younger self in Angus, the student, in turn, is presented with a potential glimpse into his own future through Hunham. Angus, initially portrayed as a rebellious and troubled youth, begins to see in Hunham not just an authoritarian figure, but a mentor who has navigated through a world fraught with challenges and favoritism. Hunham’s past experiences, particularly the unfair expulsion from Harvard and the resultant shift in his career trajectory, resonate with Angus. He sees in Hunham a life shaped by adversity, yet marked by resilience and adaptation.

Funny enough, it’s what Hunham doesn’t do that teaches Angus the most and allows him to become a sort of father figure. For instance, because Hunham has been unable to look beyond himself and empathize with others, Angus gains a deeper understanding of empathy for people of the world. For instance, despite his ongoing feud with Teddy, Angus feels no need to argue by the movie’s end, instead choosing to accept their differences and Teddy’s flaws. Through Hunham, Angus also learns that staying true to one’s values requires courage in hard times. Armed with this newfound wisdom, Angus now faces the road ahead equipped to tackle it with a deeper sense of purpose and insight.

Hunham’s biggest impact on Angus comes through a particularly insightful quote:

There’s nothing new in human experience, Mr. Tully. Each generation thinks it invented debauchery or suffering or rebellion, but man’s every impulse and appetite from the disgusting to the sublime is on display right here all around you. So, before you dismiss something as boring or irrelevant, remember, if you truly want to understand the present or yourself, you must begin in the past. You see, history is not simply the study of the past. It is an explanation of the present.

This mutual reflection culminates in the film’s resolution, where the decisions of both Hunham and Angus are influenced by their evolved understanding of each other and themselves. Hunham’s choice to protect Angus, at the risk of his own career, demonstrates to Angus the power of sacrifice and standing up for what is right. Guided by Hunham’s example, Angus masters the art of confronting life’s tough spots with valor, empathy, and a steadfast ethical compass. Angus learns from his mentor how to move forward with courage, care, and integrity. Ultimately, because of their selfless reflections, the two forge an eternal friendship.

Spitting out the cognac

Early on, Woodrup’s cognac emerges as a symbol of the high-flying life at Barton Academy, mirroring the deep-seated hierarchy that defines the institution. It is closely associated with the school’s headmaster and the privileged environment of the academy. For Hunham, the expensive alcohol comes to represent the inflexible structures and values he has long adhered to as part of the Barton faculty.

As the film unfolds, we witness Hunham’s internal battle and eventual shift away from the school’s rigid traditions that cognac so starkly symbolizes. As he begins to empathize with Angus’s struggles and sees reflections of his younger self in the boy, Hunham starts to question the norms and values he once upheld. When Mary handed Hunham the monograph, she wasn’t just giving him a book—she was nudging him toward a fresh start, away from Barton’s old-fashioned grip.

The climax of this transformation is powerfully captured in the scene where Hunham spits out the cognac. Hunham’s bold move to spit out the cognac starkly throws away his past steeped in privilege and narrow-minded values. By spitting out the cognac, Hunham is not only physically discarding the drink but also metaphorically rejecting the constraints of his former life at Barton. At this critical juncture, Hunham must choose to let go of his old self to step confidently into a new chapter.

Mary is reborn as a mother

Mary’s transformation from being shrouded in the pain of her son’s death to slowly piecing together her life again captures the personal journey of healing. As a character who has experienced the profound loss of her son in the Vietnam War, Mary starts the film engulfed in her grief, feeling disconnected from the world around her. Her decision to stay at Barton Academy during the Christmas break, despite having a family she could visit, reflects her struggle to move beyond her past and the memories tied to her son.

Mary forms a close bond with Hunham and Angus that helps her move forward. Both characters, dealing with their own forms of loneliness and displacement, create an unlikely but supportive trio with Mary. Mary’s warmth and motherly touch bring solace to them, allowing her own sorrow to heal bit by bit. Mary’s role is pivotal as she and the others exchange comfort, showing how shared pain can foster communal healing.

The end of the movie shows Mary starting to heal. The small Christmas gathering, her interactions with Hunham and Angus, and the discussions about their individual struggles and insecurities allow her to view her grief from a different perspective. Mary realizes she could move forward while still honoring her son.

At the film’s end, Mary finds herself at a crossroads, ready to step into tomorrow with her son’s memory cradled in her heart, unburdened yet unchanged by the past. Mary’s arc in the movie highlights how to carry on after loss—not by erasing the past but through a delicate dance of treasuring old moments while stepping boldly into now. Mary’s choice to reconnect with her sister marks a turning point where she steps closer to her family and away from the shadows of past sorrows. Mary’s journey wraps up on an uplifting note, showcasing the film’s deep dive into themes of recovery and human bonds while reminding us that even in our lowest moments, we can still find glimmers of hope.

The themes and meaning of The Holdovers

The social unrest of the 1970s

While the characters and their stories are front and center inThe Holdovers, perhaps the most important undercurrent of the film is the time period in which it takes place. The film ultimately captures the spirit and social unrest of the 1970s—particularly, through Marry, the Vietnam war—using its turmoil to enrich the narrative with both individual struggles and shared communal shifts.

The strife of the ’70s, epitomized by what is often observed as the most pointless and catastrophic war in United States history, deeply colors Mary’s story with a mix of societal upheaval and her own stark grief. Mary’s world was irrevocably shaken by her son’s death in the war, a stark testament to the era’s grim reality. The era’s harsh realities don’t just serve as a backdrop—they actively shape the lives and choices of those caught in its tide. Mary’s heartache mirrors a nation’s collective wound, the kind that tells of homes shattered by war and seats left empty at dinner tables. Through Mary’s story, the film digs deep into how sweeping political choices can leave scars on our personal lives, echoing history’s weight long after events have passed.

Moving beyond Mary, the school embodies the staunch old guard as characters like Angus are caught in the tide of change that’s reshaping their era. Throughout the story, Angus and his peers are vividly portrayed as they wrestle with their identities against a backdrop of staunch traditionalism, embodying the tension between age-old values and modern sensibilities. Hunham, who has been crippled by his own past, seems unable to grasp how the social unrest has disrupted the youth of his class.

The theme of history and time also plays out in the personal histories of the characters. Hunham’s backstory, including his unjust expulsion from Harvard by the school’s board and his subsequent career at Barton Academy, is a narrative shaped by his past. The fallout from Hunham’s unfair Harvard dismissal and his journey at Barton Academy deeply influences his perspective and how he mentors students—Angus included. Angus’s quest to carve out his own identity is tangled up in the expectations laid down by his family and society’s norms of that era.

The movie cleverly reflects on how our histories can dictate our destinies, showing that the echoes of our past ripple forward to shape what’s yet to come. This idea reflects that, although our backgrounds and history shape us, we’ve still got the power to carve out unique journeys for ourselves. At the film’s turning point, we see characters deliberately stepping out of their historical shadows to carve new paths for themselves.

Reconciling with our pasts

Reconciling with bygone days is a recurring theme that shapes the narratives of its central figures. Hunham, Angus, and Mary untangle their histories with one another, confronting and mending old wounds along the way Every character battles their own haunting memories, which heavily shape their new perspectives on the world at the movie’s end.

Hunham’s trajectory took a sharp turn when Harvard wrongly kicked him out, reshaping not just his career path but his personal world too. His expulsion looms over him like a shadow, molding him into the strict and uncompromising educator we see at Barton Academy. Hunham’s unwavering discipline and stern persona in the classroom are likely a toughened response to the unfair blow that once knocked his own ambitions off track. Kicked out before his career took off, Hunham’s been wrestling with a lingering bitterness and a nagging sense that he never quite hit his stride.

Angus’s struggles are rooted in the loss of his father’s sanity. Haunted by his father’s mental collapse, Angus lets this deep personal loss steer his actions and color his view of the world. The loss he feels is not just about the absence of a paternal figure but also about grappling with the unpredictability of life. His rebelliousness and his challenges at school are, in many ways, a response to the emotional turmoil he faces at home. Angus grapples with his home life’s raw deal, works through how it shapes him, and strives to carve out a new future that isn’t shadowed by past sorrow.

Mary continues to grieve for her son well after his death, lost to the unforgiving tragedy of war. Mary’s enduring sorrow over her son’s untimely passing mirrors the tumultuous societal and political strife of the Vietnam War era. Mary’s sorrow lingers, a silent partner in her every interaction, casting a long shadow over her hopes for the days to come. Mary slowly finds a way forward over the course of the film, coming to terms with her grief while still honoring her son’s memory. She navigates the delicate act of cherishing her son’s memory while wholeheartedly engaging with the present and those who are still by her side.

Why is the movie called The Holdovers?

The title The Holdovers not only refers to the group of young men staying at Barton Academy over winter break but also echoes the deeper themes and personal growth of Hunham, Angus, and Mary throughout the movie.

Literally, “the holdovers” refers to the group of students, including Angus, who remain at Barton Academy during the Christmas holiday. These kids, for various reasons, are not going home and thus are “held over” at the school. The film thrusts our three main characters into the hollow silence of an empty school during a season when most are surrounded by loved ones.

Thus, the title symbolizes how Hunham, Angus, and Mary remain haunted by their pasts, unable to break free and move forward. Each character is, in essence, “holding over” unresolved issues and traumas that influence their current lives. Hunham is held over by his past, particularly his unfair expulsion from Harvard, which stunts his emotional and professional growth. Angus grapples with his dad’s mental breakdown, feeling deserted, and this haunts his actions and outlook. Mary is similarly held over by her grief for her son, lost in the Vietnam War, which keeps her anchored in the past and unable to fully embrace the present.

So, the title really nails how we can get snagged by our history, caught in a “held over” state that makes moving on tough. It suggests a state of limbo, where the characters are unable to move forward due to the weight of what they have endured or lost. The movie unfolds as each character embarks on a quest for peace, grappling with the shadows of their past to carve out a path toward healing and embrace what lies ahead.

Important motifs in The Holdovers

Christmas

In The Holdovers, Christmas transcends its usual festive role, serving instead as a stark counterpoint to the characters’ isolation. Hunham, Angus, and Mary are all physically present at the school during the holidays, but emotionally, they are each ensconced in their personal battles and grief. Despite the film’s grim tone, and despite the holiday’s melancholic juxtaposition, the Christmas season ironically casts these characters’ inner turmoil into stark relief, forcing them to confront their sorrows amid the season’s cheer.

Amidst the cheer, Christmas acts as a catalyst for Hunham, Angus, and Mary to introspect and ponder deeply on their lives. The holiday season leads Hunham to reevaluate his strict teaching methods, ultimately allowing him to understand Angus more empathetically. For Angus, the holiday season, which was disrupted after his vacation to Saint Kitts was cancelled for his mother and stepfather’s overdue honeymoon, becomes a period of grappling with his family dynamics and understanding the impact of his father’s absence. For Mary, the holiday season sharpens the ache of her son’s death, yet it carves out a moment for her to grapple with her sorrow and ponder mending ties with those she still has left.

Ultimately, Christmas catalyzed introspection and reconciliation for the characters. The traditional themes of forgiveness, renewal, and hope associated with the season are reflected in their journeys. Amid the festive backdrop, Hunham, Angus, and Mary forge a surprising kinship that steers them towards confronting and mending their individual wounds.

Christmas serves not just as a backdrop for celebration but also as the glue that mends Hunham, Angus, and Mary’s fractured lives with its spirit of forgiveness and hope. It reflects how we can craft fresh traditions and discover kinship in the most unexpected of places. The holiday dinner scene, where the three main characters share a meal in the otherwise empty school, is emblematic of this theme. The three find connection through sharing a humble meal, creating their own version of family in the moment.

Questions & answers about The Holdovers

What is the significance of Hunham’s lazy eye?

In public, Giamatti has refused to explain how the filmmakers achieved his lazy eye in The Holdovers. “It’s a state secret,” he says. “I’ve been sworn to secrecy.” But that doesn’t mean we can’t discuss the thematic significance of this bizarre character choice. For Hunham’s lazy eye isn’t just a quirky trait—it embodies the film’s deeper messages about perception and personal growth, and accentuates the mutual growth Hunham and Angus trigger in one another.

Firstly, as a purely characterizing choice, Hunham’s lazy eye symbolizes his skewed perception of the world and the people around him. Initially, he views his students through a lens of strict discipline and rigid academic standards, failing to see their individual struggles or the nuances of their personalities. This one-dimensional view parallels his physical limitation, suggesting a metaphorical “blind spot” in his understanding and empathy towards others. As the film progresses and Hunham begins to connect with Angus and Mary, his perspective broadens, indicating a metaphorical correction of his vision and understanding.

Hunham’s lazy eye not only clouds his judgment but also mirrors the deeper insecurities gnawing at him. Characters often bear physical flaws that mirror their deeper emotional battles and insecurities, much like Hunham’s lazy eye echoes his inner turmoil from a troubled past. Hunham’s drooping eye not only catches our gaze but also echoes his private battles, mirroring the weight of a past he can’t shake off, feelings of inadequacy, and a deep-seated solitude. It humanizes him, making him more relatable and sympathetic to the audience, despite his initially harsh exterior.

The lazy eye hints at Hunham’s inner vulnerabilities. As he becomes more self-aware and reflective, particularly in his interactions with Angus and Mary, there’s a sense of him “seeing” more clearly, not just in a literal sense but in understanding himself and his impact on others. Experiencing greater self-awareness enables his personal growth.

Which brings us to the lazy eye’s climactic moment at the end of the movie. The presence of a “good eye” and a “bad eye” brings duality to Hunham’s character, showing that there’s more to someone—and thus, ultimately, more to the world—than meets the eye. Earlier in the movie, Angus wonders aloud which eye he’s supposed to look at. And Hunham doesn’t answer. But at the end of the movie, Hunham points to his good eye and says to Angus, “It’s this one. This is the one you should look at.” This signals that there’s always more to someone than meets the eye, that you must get to know someone and their struggles to see their true, complicated self.

Now it’s your turn

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