Rating: 3/5
Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) is a stiff-necked history teacher at a private school for rich idiots. He holds no leeway for his students. So, when he’s put in charge of the kids with nowhere to go for the holiday break — the titular holdovers — he brings with him his ironclad rulings.
Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa) is on his last chance with this school, or his mom will send him to military school. His mom took a last-minute vacation, so he’s forced to stay behind.
Also staying behind is kitchen cook Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), whose only known trait is that her son went to war and died.
With rich kids, plots can helicopter in — literally! One of the holdover’s dads comes in his helicopter to whisk the kids away on a ski trip. Those with guardian permission, at least. Wouldn’t you know it? They can’t get a hold of Angus’ mom.
So it’s Angus, Paul, and Mary all holiday break. Talk about an odd throuple!
David Hemingson didn’t leave out a single ounce of backstory in the script for Paul and Angus, padding this movie to a rough-going two hours and thirteen.
Mary? Well, Mary has a dead son.
Paul Giamatti is perfect for this role — it’s a slightly more curmudgeonly version of his character from Sideways. He gets the best jokes by pulling out the thesaurus for every insult imaginable for his students.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph breathed as much life as possible into her single-paragraph character. She deserves better.
Dominic Sessa will probably receive a best supporting nomination.
This movie is tame and mildly charming.