"The Holdovers" (2023), directed by Alexander Payne, is a heartwarming drama set at a New England prep school during Christmas break. Paul Giamatti stars as a grumpy instructor, stuck overseeing a small group of students stranded on campus. Through unexpected friendships, he connects with a troubled, intelligent student played by newcomer Dominic Sessa, and with the school's grieving head cook, portrayed by Da'Vine Joy Randolph, who recently lost her son in Vietnam.
This touching tale explores the power of human connection and the bonds that form in the unlikeliest of places.