The Holdovers
Summary
monition : this article contains spoilers for The HoldoversNot much is love about what really happened to Angus Tully ( Dominic Sessa ) ’s father for most ofThe Holdovers , but eventually , all becomes exonerated . Directed by Alexander Payne , The Holdoversfollows a teacher ( Paul Giamatti ) , scholarly person ( Sessa ) , and cafeteria administrator ( Da’Vine Joy Randolph ) at a New England embarkation school who are stuck on campus over Christmas break in 1970.The Holdoversreceived five nominating address at the2024 Oscars , including Giamatti for Best Actor and Randolph for Best Supporting Actress . However , the breakout star ofThe Holdoverscastis 21 - year - older Sessa , who made his moving picture first appearance asteenagetroublemakerAngus .
There are small cluesabout Angus ' family situation throughoutThe Holdovers . The film paints a percipient moving-picture show of Angus ' mother , who abandons him at the last minute to go on a belated honeymoon with her young husband . Angus ' father is also touch to several times in vague terms , like whenAngus ' female parent accent how much they both miss his founder . At one breaker point , Angus seemingly confirmswhat the film ’s been hinting about his forefather ’s fate , butby the end ofThe Holdovers , the truth about Angus ' father is eventually revealed .
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The Holdovers Reveals Angus' Father Is In A Mental Health Facility
Angus previously told Mr. Hunham that his dad was dead
Although he order Mr. Hunham ( Giamatti ) on Christmas Eve that his Father-God is all in , it is later give away thatAngus ' father is really in a mental health installation in Boston . During their visit , Angus ' dad appears confused and does not seem to recognize his son . Angus Og assay to captivate his dad up on his school life and activities , but he fails to recognize these updates at all . He also exhibits paranoia when he tellsAngus that he thinks the faculty are putting something in his intellectual nourishment .
After the visit , Angus tells Mr. Hunham that four years ago , his dad " start acting strange , wandering , unmindful , and saying all this uncanny sh*t . " Medication only worsened his symptoms and made him angry and physically violent , which lead Angus ' mother to admit him to a genial health deftness before divorcing him and later remarrying . Near the end ofThe Holdovers , she designate thatAngus ' father suffers from paranoid dementia praecox and other - oncoming dementia , conditions she describes as " debilitate . "
Why Angus Lied About His Father’s Death
Angus is afraid of ending up like his father
In retrospect , it might seem funny that Angus lied to Mr. Hunham about his begetter being dead , since he on the face of it had no reason to do so . ThroughoutThe Holdovers , Mr. Hunham only nonchalantly mentions Angus ' dad a few times , having assumed Angus ' stepfather , Stanley , was his material Church Father . Angus Og never corrects him or tells him about his real father until Mr. Hunham wishes Angus ' dad would come cull him up , to which Angus replies that his father is dead . It ’s not until by and by inThe Holdoversthat the audience and Mr. Hunham find oneself out he was lying .
It ’s potential thatAngus sound out his father was dead because he feels like he ’s already lose him to mental unwellness . After he chaffer his pa , Angus reminisces about the man he used to experience . He order Mr. Hunham that his father " used to be okay … better than all right . He was great , " until his behavior begin to alter . It ’s clear Angus misses his father as if he were already go , since he does n’t seem to remember Angus and ca n’t connect with him anymore .
He also may have lie about his forefather ’s condition becauseAngus is afraid the same thing will happen to him one day . Despite choose medicament for depression and pick up a healer , Angus admit he still " ca n’t keep it together . " He ’s already been kicked out of three schools for behavioural problem and is certain he ’ll eventually get complain out of Barton Academy , which he almost is .
The Holdovers ' endingshows Aengus face extrusion for stealing a snow Earth and giving it to his founding father at the adeptness . Angus ' mother decides it ’s finally time to broadcast him to military school ( though he ends up staying at Barton ) , claiming he has a hang for defiance and " manipulat[ing ] sympathy . " However , Angus believeshis mother only " squirrel away [ him ] away " at boarding school because he cue her too much of his dad . For Angus inThe Holdovers , it might be easier to secern people his father is dead than to front his very actual fears of terminate up just like him .
Cast
