From the sprawling array of films to come out in 2023, none were as surprisingly memorable or endearing as director Alexander Payne’s comedy-drama The Holdovers.

Set against the somber backdrop of a New England boarding school during the Christmas break of 1970, the film draws inspiration from such coming-of-age classics as The Dead Poet’s Society and The Breakfast Club, navigating the intricate landscapes of loneliness, redemption, and unexpected camaraderie.

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Paul Giamatti, who previously worked with Payne on Sideways (2008), reunites with the director to play a strikingly similar role. Instead of a divorced wine snob with a penchant for pinot, Giamatti plays Paul Hunham, a mopey and irritable history teacher at the prep school. Despite his erudite grasp of ancient civilizations, he lacks any of the passion or charisma to captivate his classroom. Perched at his desk like a corduroy-clad tyrant, he snidely remarks, “Don’t sell yourself short, Mr. Kountze. I truly believe that you can [fail this class].” A far cry from the sort of charm that inspired, “O captain, my captain!”

But Hunham’s cynicism isn’t entirely unwarranted. He views his efforts as wasted on a group of spoiled and privileged prep school boys, whom he sees as being molded into hollow shells by wealth and connections. However, as the story progresses, it becomes clear that such broad brushstrokes of “privilege,” often coupled with the contemporary label of “white male,” can mistakenly overlook the individual hardships and horrors beneath. Hunham's perspective begins to shift through his interactions, particularly with one student, Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa).

Tasked with supervising the "holdovers," students left behind during Christmas break, for his refusal to bump the grade of some senator's son, Hunham finds himself in the company of Tully and the school's cook, Mary (Da'Vine Joy Randolph). Each of them, cloaked in their own cynicism and grief, embarks on a transformative journey. As they navigate this unexpected Christmas together, their shared experiences gradually peel back layers of misjudgment and misunderstanding. This journey reveals the deeper human experiences of pain and longing that lie beneath the superficial facades of entitlement or stoicism.

In filmmaking, nostalgia can be akin to CGI — when overused, it risks stripping a film of its originality, rendering it a diluted pastiche of its influences. The Holdovers, however, employs nostalgia not as a mere aesthetic embellishment but as a powerful narrative device that echoes an era of character-driven cinema.

A moment of reflection from Hunham encapsulates this, as he admits, “I used to think I could prepare them for the world even a little — provide standards and grounding. But the world doesn’t make sense anymore.” This realization speaks to the broader theme of the film: the sentiment that each generation perceives the world as disintegrating, underscored by nostalgia for the values and norms of their youth.

The Holdovers taps into this sentiment not as a lament for the past but as a medium to explore how people, each with their unique struggles and backgrounds, adapt to an ever-evolving world. And the more we understand and communicate with one another as individuals, as opposed to disparate homogeneous tribes, whether racial or socioeconomical, the more we foster a sense of empathy and connection. This film underscores the importance of looking beyond surface labels to the human stories beneath.

While many Christmas movies often focus on contrived serendipity, The Holdovers paints an honest portrait of the holiday season, marked by genuine human connections and poignant self-reflection. It was a misfortune of marketing that saw the film prematurely released in October, an awkward choice for a narrative so deeply rooted in the Christmas spirit. However, The Holdovers is poised to become a cult classic, especially for those who crave depth and authenticity beyond the usual holiday fare.

In a cinematic landscape often dominated by grand spectacles and formulaic plots, a film that astutely captures the trivial and mundane facets of the human experience emerges as a rare gem. Whether celebrated for its stellar performances, insightful direction, or meaningful narrative, Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers stands as a testament to the enduring impact of thoughtful, character-driven storytelling.

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Harry Khachatrian (@Harry1T6) is a film critic for the Washington Examiner's Beltway Confidential blog and a computer engineer in Toronto pursuing his MBA.