The Holdovers

64th TIFF: Greek Premiere

A rambunctious 15-year-old boy being stuck during Christmas at his vast school with the head cook as his only company, while all of his classmates go home for the holidays, is undoubtedly an unwelcome turn of events. However, the situation becomes infinitely worse when he's called upon to endure confinement under the watchful eye of his increasingly unpopular and stern teacher. Taking up the mantle of coming-of-age nostalgia from directors like Paul Thomas Anderson (Licorice Pizza) and Steven Spielberg (The Fabelmans), Alexander Payne returns to the 1970s in full directorial form. He teams up with his beloved actor, Paul Giamatti, to create their best film yet since the days of the wonderful Sideways. A collaboration that sets sail directly for the Oscars, with exceptional co-stars, the outstanding Davina Joy Randolph and the newcomer revelation, Dominic Sessa.

Screening Schedule

No physical screenings scheduled.

Direction: Alexander Payne

Script: David Hemingson

Cinematography: Eigil Bryld

Editing: Kevin Tent

Sound: Frank Gaeta

Music: Mark Orton

Actors: Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa

Production: Miramax, Grav Via Production

Producers: Mark Johnson, Bill Block, David Hemingson

Costumes: Wendy Chuck

Production Design: Ryan Warren Smith

Executive producer: Andrew Golov, Thom Zadra, Chris Stinson, Tom Williams

Make Up: Sarah Rubano

Format: DCP

Color: Color

Production Country: United States

Production Year: 2023

Duration: 133'

Distribution in Greece: Tanweer

Contact: Focus Features

Alexander Payne

Throughout his critically acclaimed career, writer-director Alexander Payne has shown a remarkably poignant vision with his films, in which the often quirky set-up was merely a launching point for a seriocomic exploration into human foibles. With Citizen Ruth (1996), Payne examined the gravely serious issue of reproductive rights. For his next film, Election (1999), he used a seemingly inconsequential high school presidential race to plumb the darkest recesses of our mutable human nature. Payne had perhaps his greatest critical success with Sideways (2004), an excursion into wine country that explored the unlikely friendship of two men struggling with their perceived failures, which earned Payne numerous accolades, including an Academy Award for Best Screenplay. His critically acclaimed drama The Descendants (2011) also earned rave reviews and its director another Best Screenplay Oscar. He was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director for the road film Nebraska (2013).