The Holdovers (2023)

[aghst]

Alexander Payne reunites with Paul Giamatti (previously worked on Sideways).  Getting strong reviews.

Quote

A curmudgeonly instructor at a New England prep school remains on campus during Christmas break to babysit a handful of students with nowhere to go. He soon forms an unlikely bond with a brainy but damaged troublemaker, and with the school's head cook, a woman who just lost a son in the Vietnam War.

I would guess that the curmudgeonly character is still way more interesting than Chuck Rhoads.

 

[AngieBee1]

Very engaging film. Solid, enjoyable -very breezy. Great performances by Giamatti and Randolph and especially newcomer Dominic Sessa.

[StatisticalOutlier]

This looks like it's right up my alley.  I think I'm going to love the cook.

I can never keep Wes Anderson, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Alexander Payne straight.  Fortunately, I like all three so I just go without trying to figure out exactly who directed it.

[StatisticalOutlier]

I realized while I was watching and enjoying this that I'm a sucker for stories where people of different stripes are thrown together. 

Even though they were there for only a little bit, I was quite interested in the two little boys, who were thrown in with the three older ones--just the dynamics of how everybody navigates that situation.  And the matter-of-factness of how the father of one of the older boys was some muckety muck with Pratt & Whitney--I'm a sucker for boarding school movies, too.

But of course the main story is Angus, Paul, and Mary, and it was one of those cases where I want to hang out with those people, sitting on the couch while watching The Newlywed game. 

But they had me at the opening credits--those popping sounds might be my favorite sound on the planet.

Edited November 12, 2023 by StatisticalOutlier

[methodwriter85]

I liked it a lot. Slice of life movies about people that act like real people are my jam. I especially like how you see the three become a defacto family for those few days before real life resumes. I bought that Paul was willing to sacrifice himself to save Angus, because at the end of the day he wasn't happy with his job. I loved that Angus didn't get some love story plot because his real story was about accepting that his father is never getting any better. We also didn't get a sappy moment where Angus's mother and stepfather assure a crying Angus that they love him. Finally the scene where Mary starts putting her son's baby clothes in her niece/nephew to be's dresser, clothes she had likely packed away for grandchildren she will never have, was so touching. All these people were dealing with grief in some way- the searing loss of a child, the loss of a parent to mental illness, and the loss of an impressive academic career due to a cheating scandal decades earlier. You get to see all three finally move forward. 

[aghst]

So is Giamatti's character in this movie better than Chuck Rhoads in Billions?

[Sarah 103]

I thought this movie was excellent. I loved seeing the relationships between the characters develop, grow, and change. 

Did anyone else think that Dominic Sessa (he played Angus Tully) looked like young Donald Sutherland? It isn't just the hair, it's his build, the shape of the face and some of his features.

The movie looked and felt 1970s. It wasn't just hair, clothes, and music. There was something about the way it was shot (camera angles?) or how it was filmed that was pure 1970s. If anyone can provide insight into this, it would be greatly appreciated. 

[StatisticalOutlier]

39 minutes ago, Sarah 103 said:

The movie looked and felt 1970s. It wasn't just hair, clothes, and music. There was something about the way it was shot (camera angles?) or how it was filmed that was pure 1970s. If anyone can provide insight into this, it would be greatly appreciated. 

I was surprised to learn it was shot on digital and not on film. 

This is from a cinematography podcast website that has gray text on a black background (may it go straight to hell for that abomination), so I'm quoting it instead of making you try to read it. 

"[Cinematographer Eigil Bryld] and Payne went through a testing process to find the right 1970’s look. At first, Eigil tested period lenses and cameras, but realized it was more about capturing the spirit of the time- early ’70s mid-budget movies had a kind of freedom to them, using lots of handheld shots and mostly available light. He tested 16 and 35mm cameras, but ended up shooting digital on an ARRI Alexa Mini and worked with the colorist to create a LUT with lots of yellow tonality in the highlights. Eigil shot The Holdovers with just one camera, and was also the sole operator. Camera placement was very important, with many of the shots in the movie framed portrait-style."

https://www.camnoir.com/ep239/

(For the record, they did use period lenses--the above is ambiguous.)

Bryld also said, "We built extensive LUTs with Joe Gawler at Harbor Lab, simulating curve, color, density plus aging. Furthermore, in post, we applied halation, dirt (neg and pos), gate weave, and selective grain..."

https://www.indiewire.com/gallery/2024-best-cinematography-cameras-lenses-contenders/the-holdovers_eigil-bryld_cinematographer/

I'm glad they went to the trouble, because I loved the look, which of course goes perfectly with those popping sounds.

Also, I wondered about Giamatti's eye, and noticed a credit for contact lens handler or something along those lines.

[Sarah 103]

@StatisticalOutlier Thank you for your summary/quotes/explanation. If I understand it correctly, they shot on digital, but put it through (to use a simpler less technical term) a filter in order to make it look like it was filmed/shot on film stock from the the 1970s. In addition, they also framed/set-up the shots to mimic the cinematography (especially handheld cinematography) of low-budget/mid-budget 1970s movies. Did I understand your post correctly? If I did, then this explains pretty much everything I noticed, but could not actually put into words or accurately describe. Thank you! 

[StatisticalOutlier]

9 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

If I did, then this explains pretty much everything I noticed, but could not actually put into words or accurately describe.

You definitely noticed what they intended to put on the screen.  I think they'd probably consider it a good thing that you couldn't quite put your finger on it.

I think you're using "filter" to describe all the work they did in post-production, where they chose the colors (like the "yellow tonality" that was mentioned) and added artifacts that would be present on film, especially film that was old or shown on an old projector.  Like "gate weave," which describes the unstable image you get with film because it physically wiggles as it goes through the gate on the projector.  That obviously doesn't happen with movies that are shot on digital and projected digitally.

Or dirt or scratches, which start appearing on film as the movie runs through projectors over and over.

And of course the overall slightly fuzzy look and yellow-ish hue. 

 

[voiceover]

On 11/2/2023 at 7:23 PM, StatisticalOutlier said:

I can never keep Wes Anderson, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Alexander Payne straight. 

I laughed at this bc I also have this ish — in Payne’s case, I remember his movies but not his name.

This is my (admittedly insane) system for keeping them straight:

Wes Anderson: Edward Gorey art direction 

PT Anderson: Magnolia (the only film of his I like)

Alexander Payne: Looks like Cameron Crowe 

[khyber]

On 11/2/2023 at 7:23 PM, StatisticalOutlier said:

I can never keep Wes Anderson, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Alexander Payne straight.  Fortunately, I like all three so I just go without trying to figure out exactly who directed it.

Is that like getting the Chris's mixed up?

[StatisticalOutlier]

4 hours ago, khyber said:

Is that like getting the Chris's mixed up?

No comprendo.  Which Chrises do people mix up? 

[khyber]

23 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

No comprendo.  Which Chrises do people mix up? 

Pine, Pratt, Hemsworth, Evans

[SoMuchTV]

In case anyone was waiting, this is streaming now on Peacock. 
Also, kind of tickled to see Elspeth (from The Good Wife and her own upcoming series) turn up here.

[BlackberryJam]

I watched it yesterday. It was…okay. Predictable. Well-acted. Felt a bit like Dead Poets Society fanfiction.

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 12/7/2023 at 12:55 PM, khyber said:

Pine, Pratt, Hemsworth, Evans

Star Trek guy, shoeshine guy from Parks & Rec, hunky Australian I see on Graham Norton but I might be confusing him with his brother, no clue.  Simple!

[methodwriter85]

4 hours ago, BlackberryJam said:

I watched it yesterday. It was…okay. Predictable. Well-acted. Felt a bit like Dead Poets Society fanfiction.

It kind of felt pointless to even set up the group of guys if they were going to send them off through Christmas. I kind of wish they had at least kept one of the younger guys around through the end of the storyline.

[DearEvette]

I watched this when it showed up on Peacock.  Had no real expectation but was very pleasantly surprised.  I just like little movies like this.  No big, big swings but very intimate storytelling without coming off as overly pretentious and precious.

Most surprising was Dominic Sessa.  I went to see what else he was in an learned this was his first film, he is a college student and it was filmed in the prep school he went to.  He is so assured  and a natural.  Total break out performance.

Also, Paul Giamatti is not wall-eyed!  LOL.  I've seen him in so many things and I would have sworn that was just how his eyes have always looked?  But it was movie make up/magic.  They did a great job.

My husband said he wishes we had gotten a little more time with the other boys.  I agree.  I wonder why the Mormon kid couldn't go home for Christmas? Or the Asian kid. 

Anyway, I enjoyed this. What a nice surprise.

 

[AngieBee1]

25 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

I wonder why the Mormon kid couldn't go home for Christmas? Or the Asian kid.

Ye-Joon's parents were overseas and didn't want him to travel alone. The Mormon kid parents were overseas on a mission. 

[EtheltoTillie]

Chris Evans: Captain America and sweater guy from Knives Out. 

[Cress]

I saw it on Peacock. I did like the movie overall, but was sad that most of the boys left with the helicopter Dad. Is it really realistic that all the other parents would give permission for their sons to go on vacation with a stranger?

[Sarah 103]

11 hours ago, Cress said:

I saw it on Peacock. I did like the movie overall, but was sad that most of the boys left with the helicopter Dad. Is it really realistic that all the other parents would give permission for their sons to go on vacation with a stranger?

Based on the kind of school the movie is set at, it was probably not a totally random stranger. That kind of school tends to draw from a rather insular world. It may have been starting to open up in 1970, but there was a better than average chance they may have known the parents directly or through friends of friends. The fact that the invitation came from a parent's classmate may have been all the information the parents needed in 1970 to say yes.  

Edited January 3 by Sarah 103

[EtheltoTillie]

I caught it on Peacock also, last night.  I really liked it.  Very astute observations on class and the draft and the times.  Lots of good literary references. 

I agree with @Sarah 103's take on whether kids would travel with other families. 

On 12/31/2023 at 5:22 PM, methodwriter85 said:

It kind of felt pointless to even set up the group of guys if they were going to send them off through Christmas. I kind of wish they had at least kept one of the younger guys around through the end of the storyline.

I thought this did have a point--it let his situation be set in even more relief against the other kids. 

Edited January 2 by EtheltoTillie

[snarktini]

On 1/2/2024 at 11:12 AM, Sarah 103 said:

The fact that the invitation came from a parent's classmate may have been all the information the parents needed in 1970 to say yes.  

I think this is right -- it's the 70s and a trusted school, many parents would have been fine with it (possibly because they feel guilty about the holidays). The one I'm not sure I buy is the LDS missionaries agreeing to it. That boy is more likely to be at the school simply because the parents were living out of the country not because they are part of that social set.
 

On 1/1/2024 at 4:08 PM, AngieBee1 said:

Ye-Joon's parents were overseas and didn't want him to travel alone. The Mormon kid parents were overseas on a mission. 

I believe it was Korea and Paraguay.

On 12/31/2023 at 2:22 PM, methodwriter85 said:

It kind of felt pointless to even set up the group of guys if they were going to send them off through Christmas. I kind of wish they had at least kept one of the younger guys around through the end of the storyline.

Yeah I might have preferred no other kids left behind but it did work to make Angus extra rejected when they all escape. However, once introduced, IMO the storyline wouldn't have worked with one of the young ones staying -- it would have changed the dynamic too much. Paul wouldn't have agreed to Boston, they wouldn't have had the adult conversations. Paul would have remained more closed off if there were more boys. And Angus, too.

[DearEvette]

On 1/6/2024 at 1:56 AM, snarktini said:

Yeah I might have preferred no other kids left behind but it did work to make Angus extra rejected when they all escape. However, once introduced, IMO the storyline wouldn't have worked with one of the young ones staying -- it would have changed the dynamic too much. Paul wouldn't have agreed to Boston, they wouldn't have had the adult conversations. Paul would have remained more closed off if there were more boys. And Angus, too.

Agreed.  The extra boys staying there would have been a different movie.  One that I might have also liked.  But this movie was about these three people. 

From a logistics perspective, I think they had to have the others boys there to start off.  It feels realistic to think that there are maybe a handful of boys that don't go home over the break each year.  Yeah they could've just made Angus the only one this year and get the same story, but as @snarktini points out, the story beat of making Angus doubly rejected is the engine that drives the car to the end so to speak, imo. It adds a lot of audience sympathy to Angus, it is what spurs Angus to visit his father, and it sets up that last scene in the Headmasters' office with Paul and his parents to feel earned, rather than plot convenient.

[SeanC]

In addition to a bit of realism, having the other boys around a bit longer creates more opportunities to show some additional sides of Angus' character that you wouldn't get if he was just interacting with the teachers the whole time.

[StatisticalOutlier]

6 hours ago, SeanC said:

In addition to a bit of realism, having the other boys around a bit longer creates more opportunities to show some additional sides of Angus' character that you wouldn't get if he was just interacting with the teachers the whole time.

Like when he helped the kid who wet the bed.  That gave me a glimpse into his character.

[MicheleinPhilly]

On 1/1/2024 at 6:37 PM, DearEvette said:

Also, Paul Giamatti is not wall-eyed!  LOL.  I've seen him in so many things and I would have sworn that was just how his eyes have always looked?  But it was movie make up/magic.  They did a great job.

I did not even notice this until they were in Boston and he was watching Angus skate. And even then I thought he was just plastered. 😁 

[StatisticalOutlier]

1 minute ago, MicheleinPhilly said:

I did not even notice this until they were in Boston and he was watching Angus skate.

Good heavens.  I hope you're never an eyewitness to a crime and called on to identify the perpetrator.  Or if you are, you really should let both the prosecution and defense know you didn't notice Giamatti's eye.

[kiddo82]

Did you ever see that scene from the Office where the rest of the office can't remember if Stanley has a mustache or not?  And it's all the funnier because as an audience member you're like, "Wait.  Does he?"  That was me watching Giamatti's eye during the movie.  I couldn't tell you for sure if it was or wasn't how I remember him looking prior.  

[StatisticalOutlier]

I once gave my brother a shaving mirror for Christmas.  His response?  "I have a beard." 

And I had a boyfriend once who one day asked, "Did you not notice I shaved off my beard?"  In my defense, this was before those giant woolly things people have, and he shaved his well-trimmed beard into a goatee.  But he had a point.

But even I noticed Giamatti's wonky eye.  (And off the top of my head I'd say Stanley had a mustache.)

[EtheltoTillie]

I had read about the special contact lenses in posts here before watching the movie, but weren’t the schoolboys talking about the eye also?  

And apparently they made the eye go back and forth for some existential reason known only to Alexander Payne?

Edited January 10 by EtheltoTillie

[MicheleinPhilly]

10 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I had read about the special contact lenses in posts here before watching the movie, but weren’t the schoolboys talking about the eye also?  

And apparently they made the eye go back and forth for some existential reason known only to Alexander Payne?

They were but I assumed they were just being little schoolboy shits. 🤷‍♀️

Now I kind of want to rewatch it to see how obvious it was/how oblivious I am. 

[EtheltoTillie]

On 10/28/2023 at 2:47 PM, aghst said:

Alexander Payne reunites with Paul Giamatti (previously worked on Sideways).  Getting strong reviews.

I would guess that the curmudgeonly character is still way more interesting than Chuck Rhoads.

 

Giamatti was seen at in and out burger in a tuxedo after winning his Golden Globe.  For THIS movie.  Not for Billions. 

[aghst]

4 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Giamatti was seen at in and out burger in a tuxedo after winning his Golden Globe.  For THIS movie.  Not for Billions. 

Yeah I finally watched it last week.

Obviously his character here required far more of Giamatti as an actor than the Chuck Rhoads character.

Sure it's kind of a coming of age experience for the kid but also Hunman changes for the better.

[kiddo82]

23 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

But even I noticed Giamatti's wonky eye.  (And off the top of my head I'd say Stanley had a mustache.)

Correct!

[aghst]

Giamatti sits down for interview with Fresh Air on the movie and his other roles.

https://www.npr.org/2024/01/10/1223919887/paul-giamatti-the-holdovers

 

 

[StatisticalOutlier]

23 hours ago, aghst said:

Giamatti sits down for interview with Fresh Air on the movie and his other roles.

I heard the beginning of this the other day in the car.  They played the scene from the movie where he's handing out the graded papers, and in it he says something like "my ocular limitations" and my first thought was the discussion here.  It was definitely a plot point.

In the interview, he used the word "carapace."  I think it's the first time I've ever heard that word used out loud. 

[Sarah 103]

I am pleased the movie received multiple nominations and I hope it wins something on Oscar night. 

[AheadofStraight]

We watched this the other day and enjoyed it. Did the wonky eye switch? We thought it was a different eye in the car versus later. But we didn't car enough to rewind!

The entire movie was filmed in Massachusetts and it was fun for us to recognize a whole bunch of places! (We had no idea where it was filmed.) We were like, "That looks like Deerfield Academy!" "Wait, that looks like Shelburne Falls area!" Then we googled and found it really was filmed there.

https://www.atlasofwonders.com/2023/11/where-was-the-holdovers-filmed.html

[Amethyst]

This was a really nice character study.  I wanted to see if the awards hype is justified, and while it is, Dominic Sessa really impressed me more than any other performance.  I know he wouldn't win many awards since the best supporting nominees are stacked, but he still deserved a nomination.  

I also thought it was weird to flesh out the other boys' characters only for them to leave so quickly, but I get that it made Angus having to stay behind at Barton sting that much more.  Why did the little boy throw his mitten in the lake?

Angus' mother has a right to move on, but you don't just bail on your only child during the holidays with no contact.  You could tell they didn't put any thought into the Christmas card, either.

Knowing Paul's history with Harvard and why he got kicked out explains why he's so hard on the students.  Most of them will never have to truly struggle to get where they want to be and he knows that.  

Danny (the janitor) clearly liked Mary a lot.  They would be a nice couple.  For Mary, seeing her very pregnant sister had to be a bittersweet experience.

[methodwriter85]

18 minutes ago, Amethyst said:

For Mary, seeing her very pregnant sister had to be a bittersweet experience.

I seriously, seriously, seriously loved that moment where Mary places her son's baby clothes and baby bottle in her sister's nursey. Those baby clothes and baby bottle were things that Mary had set aside not just for nostalgia, but probably for the grandchildren she was hoping her son would give her. Now that hope is gone along with her son, and so she's passing on those cherished items to her sister's baby. The sister knew that what Mary was doing, and knew just how special it was. Just beautiful.

[StatisticalOutlier]

10 hours ago, Amethyst said:

Why did the little boy throw his mitten in the lake?

One of the mean older boys had taken his other mitten and I can't remember what he did with it but the little boy wasn't going to get it back, so he had no use for the one he did have.

[Spartan Girl]

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would! Now rooting for Paul to get the Oscar!

On 1/29/2024 at 12:16 AM, Amethyst said:

Angus' mother has a right to move on, but you don't just bail on your only child during the holidays with no contact.  You could tell they didn't put any thought into the Christmas card, either.

This. And she had no right to be upset that he wanted to see his father—you left him at school for Christmas, what did you think was going to happen, lady? It was very telling that she and her new husband were ready to send him off to military school at any transgression, regardless of Vietnam going on. I’m glad Paul went off on her at the end. He was already getting fired, he had nothing to lose at that point.

[annzeepark914]

We just watched this movie on Amazon prime and really liked it. Actually, I loved it as it was a trip back to the Boston area where I lived for a few years right out of college. That section of Massachusetts is just a different world, especially beautiful in the snow. It was filmed at several different prep schools. This is my kind of movie and I wish there were more being made (as they were back in the late 60's & the 70's). While making supper, I thought about the end and wondered if he really did have a friend in Syracuse.

[Anela]

We just watched this.  I liked it, until he lost his job.  

On 2/5/2024 at 4:23 PM, Spartan Girl said:

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would! Now rooting for Paul to get the Oscar!

This. And she had no right to be upset that he wanted to see his father—you left him at school for Christmas, what did you think was going to happen, lady? It was very telling that she and her new husband were ready to send him off to military school at any transgression, regardless of Vietnam going on. I’m glad Paul went off on her at the end. He was already getting fired, he had nothing to lose at that point.

Oh, I hated her.  She wanted a honeymoon, instead of having him home for Christmas?? Horrible.  

[BetterButter]

Alexander Payne’s ‘The Holdovers’ Accused of Plagiarism by ‘Luca’ Writer

[annzeepark914]

Wow. Reading the basic comparisons, it sure does seem possible. However, I have to say I wouldn't want to watch a movie about a grumpy doc babysitting an obnoxious teen. 

[paramitch]

I absolutely loved this. Loved it.

I can be a little hit or miss with Alexander Payne but this was just wonderful. Sometimes I feel like Payne's "observational" writing crosses over from accuracy into cruelty, if that makes sense -- he did this with Election and Citizen Ruth a bit (although I loved them), and especially with About Schmidt (which I did not love). For me, Sideways is kind of his perfect film -- it's still got that Payne cruelty, but it's softer and sweeter around the edges, too. Not to mention all the actors hitting it out of the park, and Virginia Madsen giving the performance of her career. 

But this is up there with Sideways for me now in terms of my favorite Payne films. I just really loved this, and the best part was that I really didn't know how to feel about Hunham for easily the first third of the film -- he was petty, cruel, visibly checked-out from caring about his students, but his kindness and real concern for Mary made me curious, and by the midway point, I loved all the characters left in the weird sweet little holiday group.

The core group was just perfectly cast -- Giamatti has always been so underrated, and I was honestly rooting for him to win the Oscar here (although I was fine with Murphy getting it too), and Da'Vine was just wonderful as Mary (she totally did win -- and deserved it!), as was newcomer Dominic Sessa, who absolutely knocked me out as Angus. 

I'm a sucker for "found family" stories anyway, and by the time they were all allowing themselves to enjoy being marooned together, I had absolutely fallen flat for the movie. The thing that moved me the most was watching this very accurate portrait of Hunham -- someone most movies would never look twice at. A slightly chubby, late-middle-aged loner with a walleye, fishy body odor, damp hands, and a bitter, time-hardened heart. Every time someone was kind to him, you could see him struggle with his hidden loneliness, and struggle not to show himself softening up. When his school associate Lydia was kind to him, and then Angus kidded him that she liked him, Giamatti was so masterful at showing that he was allowing himself to feel a tiny bit of hope that she might actually feel romantically for him -- hopes that we can see leave his eyes when her boyfriend arrives at the party.

But still, I just loved that he ended that break by saving one young boy's soul and future, by being a friend to the grieving Mary, and a real caring teacher/parental figure, by being brave, and by rediscovering his own sense of hope. 

I'm old enough now in middle age to be moved by even the small victories, and I thought this was just a really lovely movie that saw people in all their weakness and imperfection and wonderfulness and still loved them.

On 11/26/2023 at 7:04 PM, Sarah 103 said:

The movie looked and felt 1970s. It wasn't just hair, clothes, and music. There was something about the way it was shot (camera angles?) or how it was filmed that was pure 1970s. If anyone can provide insight into this, it would be greatly appreciated. 

It really did. I got goosebumps at the crackles in the soundtrack, the audio pops, and the splotches on the "film!" And the soundtrack was fantastic.

On 11/26/2023 at 8:08 PM, StatisticalOutlier said:

I was surprised to learn it was shot on digital and not on film. 

This is from a cinematography podcast website that has gray text on a black background (may it go straight to hell for that abomination), so I'm quoting it instead of making you try to read it. 

"[Cinematographer Eigil Bryld] and Payne went through a testing process to find the right 1970’s look. At first, Eigil tested period lenses and cameras, but realized it was more about capturing the spirit of the time- early ’70s mid-budget movies had a kind of freedom to them, using lots of handheld shots and mostly available light. He tested 16 and 35mm cameras, but ended up shooting digital on an ARRI Alexa Mini and worked with the colorist to create a LUT with lots of yellow tonality in the highlights. Eigil shot The Holdovers with just one camera, and was also the sole operator. Camera placement was very important, with many of the shots in the movie framed portrait-style."

https://www.camnoir.com/ep239/

(For the record, they did use period lenses--the above is ambiguous.)

Bryld also said, "We built extensive LUTs with Joe Gawler at Harbor Lab, simulating curve, color, density plus aging. Furthermore, in post, we applied halation, dirt (neg and pos), gate weave, and selective grain..."

https://www.indiewire.com/gallery/2024-best-cinematography-cameras-lenses-contenders/the-holdovers_eigil-bryld_cinematographer/

I'm glad they went to the trouble, because I loved the look, which of course goes perfectly with those popping sounds.

Also, I wondered about Giamatti's eye, and noticed a credit for contact lens handler or something along those lines.

Thank you for sharing this -- it was really fascinating, and they did an amazing job of creating digitally the lived-in feel of a 1970s-era movie shot on film.

On 12/31/2023 at 9:23 AM, BlackberryJam said:

I watched it yesterday. It was…okay. Predictable. Well-acted. Felt a bit like Dead Poets Society fanfiction.

Honestly, I thought it was miles better than Dead Poets Society. I get why people love it (especially for the late, great Williams), but let's face it, Robin Williams never appears to actually teach the kids much of any actual poetry or English, and instead seems to want to be a kind of radical-rebel life coach who is then shocked (shocked!) that teachers and parents aren't thrilled at the result. It has some wonderful scenes, but I just don't think it's a very well-written movie overall. I know I'm in the minority on this, though. But in terms of an elite private school, and who I would buy was an actual real teacher? This movie wins over Dead Poets hands-down.

On 1/28/2024 at 9:16 PM, Amethyst said:

Angus' mother has a right to move on, but you don't just bail on your only child during the holidays with no contact.  You could tell they didn't put any thought into the Christmas card, either.

Danny (the janitor) clearly liked Mary a lot.  They would be a nice couple.  For Mary, seeing her very pregnant sister had to be a bittersweet experience.

I hated Angus's mother so much! Hated her. Her reactions were so over the top, and her desperation to please her new husband really gave me the creeps. She was willing to send her son to military school (basically, school prison) because he wanted to visit his Dad at Christmas. I mean, sheesh.

I was uncomfortable with Danny's attentions to Mary. She was visibly grieving and visibly did not want to be wooed, and he just kept trying (and touching her). I kept wishing she had spoken up because it made me really uncomfortable. 

On 1/28/2024 at 9:39 PM, methodwriter85 said:

I seriously, seriously, seriously loved that moment where Mary places her son's baby clothes and baby bottle in her sister's nursey. Those baby clothes and baby bottle were things that Mary had set aside not just for nostalgia, but probably for the grandchildren she was hoping her son would give her. Now that hope is gone along with her son, and so she's passing on those cherished items to her sister's baby. The sister knew that what Mary was doing, and knew just how special it was. Just beautiful.

That was such a beautiful moment, and it moved me a lot. I also loved that Mary is clearly struggling with alcohol as a way to get through her grief, but the movie doesn't get preachy about it, it's just part of what she's going through. The scene in the kitchen at the party broke my heart.

On 2/5/2024 at 1:23 PM, Spartan Girl said:

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would! Now rooting for Paul to get the Oscar!

This. And she had no right to be upset that he wanted to see his father—you left him at school for Christmas, what did you think was going to happen, lady? It was very telling that she and her new husband were ready to send him off to military school at any transgression, regardless of Vietnam going on. I’m glad Paul went off on her at the end. He was already getting fired, he had nothing to lose at that point.

I so wanted Paul to win! I wasn't mad that Cillian won, but I was rooting for a Giamatti-sance.

And I so agree. I loathed poor Angus's terrible mother, and loved that Hunham was brave enough to save him from her at the end.

Edited March 18 by paramitch
fixed hard return