Focus Features’ The Holdovers, which reunites Sideways‘ Alexander Payne and Paul Giamatti in a holiday story of three lonely, shipwrecked people at a New England boarding school over winter break in 1970, streams exclusively on Peacock on December 29.
The Holdovers is the latest addition to Peacock’s film collection, including Blumhouse’s The Exorcist: Believer and box-office success Five Nights at Freddy’s, Focus Features’ My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, and Universal Pictures’ Strays and Fast X.
Paul Giamatti stars as Paul Hunham, an adjunct professor of ancient history – universally disliked by students and faculty – who gets stuck holding over at Barton Academy with the kids who can’t go home for the holidays.
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It’s his punishment and penance for failing a high-profile student whose father recently endowed the school’s gymnasium. Thanks to a holiday miracle – in the form of one father’s change of heart – the motley crew of boys under Hunham’s care is soon whittled down to just one: Angus Tully, played by Dominic Sessa in his film debut.
Angus is a smart but damaged junior who is trying his best to navigate a host of complicated family dynamics. Also holding over is Mary Lamb, portrayed by Da’Vine Joy Randolph, the head cook of the school whose only child Curtis, a recent graduate of Barton, was killed in Vietnam.
Still deep in grief, Mary chooses to stay at Barton because it is the last place she was with her son. Left to their own devices in the empty school, this unlikely trio finds adventure, calamity, and, finally, some semblance of family.
The Holdovers was directed by Academy Award winner Alexander Payne (Sideways, The Descendants) from a script by David Hemingson (Kitchen Confidential).
The producers included Mark Johnson (Rain Man, Breaking Bad), Emmy nominee Bill Block (Halloween), and Hemingson. The executive producers were Chris Stinson, Tom Williams, Andrew Golov, and Thom Zadra.
Kevin Tent (The Descendants) served as editor, Ryan Warren Smith (Wendy and Lucy, True Detective) as production designer, and the costume designer was Wendy Chuck (About Schmidt, The Descendants).
The director of photography was Emmy Award winner Eigil Bryld (In Bruges), and the music was by Mark Orton (Nebraska).
In case you missed it, you can watch the official trailer for The Holdovers on YouTube.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills in 2018 to cover the latest news on streaming, movies, TV, and video games.