The Holdovers Interview: Paul Giamatti On The Ballyhoo Of Reuniting With Alexander Payne

At a prestigious boarding school in New England, not everyone gets to go home for Christmas vacation. Those left behind are the namesake of The Holdovers, the new film from director Alexander Payne and writer David Hemingson. Paul Giamatti stars as Professor Paul Hunham, a well-meaning, uptight, and generally disliked by both students and fellow faculty. It’s no surprise, then, that he’s stuck with a handful of students who wind up having to remain on campus for winter break. However, as he strikes up an unlikely friendship with a troubled student named Angus (Dominic Sessa), his own emotional armor begins to unravel, revealing the vulnerable, funny, and empathetic man underneath.