'The Holdovers' is a classic story shot in perfect 1970s fashion, yet it still feels fresh

“The Holdovers” is one of those movies that make you feel like you’re visiting an old friend even when you’re seeing it for the first time.

Part of that is the retro vibe director Alexander Payne is going for in his latest film, which is a triumph. Payne, the director of movies like “Sideways,” “Nebraska” and “The Descendants,”  achieves it, and then some. And part of it is the trio of performances at the center of the movie, each essential to its success — and each perfectly executed.

The film is set mostly in 1970 at Barton Academy, an all-male boarding school in New England. Christmas break is about to start, though Paul Hunham (a brilliant Paul Giamatti), an arrogant hangnail of an ancient civilizations teacher, is determined to make the day as miserable as possible for everyone.

What is 'The Holdovers' about?

Thanks to not inflating the grades of an important donor’s son, Paul finds himself the one faculty member who will have to stay behind during the holidays to supervise the students who can’t go home. This interferes with his plans to drink alone while reading crime novels.

A handful of boys have to stay behind, including a late addition — Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa, in a stunning debut), a troublemaker whose mother calls at the last minute to let him know that she will be traveling with her new husband instead.

Payne, working with a script from David Hemingson, effectively goes for comedy with the holdovers at first, as Paul treats a supposed vacation like academic boot camp. But soon it’s just Paul and Angus left behind, along with Mary (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), the no-nonsense cook.

'The Holdovers' is more than a coming of age comedy

All are damaged in some way. Mary’s son was an excellent student at Barton, but couldn’t afford the college he wanted to go to. He was drafted and without a deferment, he went to Vietnam and was killed. This is her first Christmas without him.

Angus has sabotaged his academic career, getting kicked out of other private schools — for him it’s next stop, Fork Union Military Academy. Losing his father has scarred him, particularly after his mother remarried a rich guy.

Paul, as far as we know, suffers from wounds that are mostly self-inflicted. A "Barton man” himself — this is also his highest compliment — he has seemingly devoted his life to becoming the biggest curmudgeon possible. He doesn’t suffer fools, which makes for an unhappy existence since he thinks everyone else is one. If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail, as the saying goes. Paul’s hammer is bitterness, and he wields it often.

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Paul Giamatti is great. So is everyone else in 'The Holdovers'

If this sounds like a trip in the serious car down misery lane, it is anything but. Many scenes are moving — Randolph in particular convincingly portrays someone who has suffered great loss and, try as she might, can’t quite shake her grief.

But the film is also funny, particularly when Paul and Angus fail at their attempts at bonding.

Of course those, attempts won’t fail forever — in some respects, you’ve seen this kind of movie before, probably. The genius here is not in the originality of the story, though there are some surprises. It’s in how genuine the performances are, the depth the actors give to their characters.

Giamatti finds some humanity in a broken man, while Sessa is equally convincing as the annoying pest who angers other students and the heartbroken kid whose life is confusing. Randolph is funny, but she is also crushing when she can’t put up a tough front forever.

The familiarity is given a new spin, in other words. If one definition of art is seeing what everyone else does, only in a different way, “The Holdovers” fits that bill. It’s a delight.

'The Holdovers' 4.5 stars

Great ★★★★★ Good ★★★★

Fair ★★★ Bad ★★ Bomb ★

Director: Alexander Payne.

Cast: Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, Da’Vine Joy Randolph.

Rating: R for language, some drug use and brief sexual material.

How to watch: In theaters Friday, Nov 3.

Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. X, formerly known as Twitter: @goodyk.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'The Holdovers' movie review: It'll make you laugh, break your heart