Plot
At the end of 1970, the prestigious Barton Academy must employ one faculty member to ‘hold over’ and watch the students who are not going home.
This year, the teacher is the much disliked by students and staff, Mr Paul Hunham – who history teacher. He watches five boys; Kountze, the egotistical bully, Smith the football team’s quarterback, Ollerman, a junior Mormon, Park, whose parents are back home… and much to his disappointment Angus Tully, who is disliked by the students and staff.
Direction
Soft and subtle direction by Alexander Payne. It is simply lovely. You really believe that you are watching scenes from 1970’s, and the set designs are flawless. Mark Orton’s score that complements the film is exceptional.
Cast/Characters
Paul Giamatti plays Paul. He wears a contact lens on his left eye, so to make his character appear to have a glass eye (which is put in hilariously through the film’s narrative). This is the second collaboration between Payne and Giamatti after the dramady Sideways.
Dominic Sessa plays Tully. He is met as the ‘black sheep’ of the school, having been kicked out of three schools previously, with the promise of military school if he is kicked out of this one. He is stuck at Barton over Christmas, when he discovers his mother is going on her Honeymoon with her new husband.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph plays Mary Lamb, the academy’s kitchen manager, who stay’s behind. Randolph won an Oscar for her performance.
Carrie Preston plays Lydia Crane, a staff member of Barton Academy, who Paul has a slight crush on.
Breakdown
The film starts with a vintage Hollywood style credits (and production logos), to match the era that the film was made.
We quickly learn that the film is set in the all boys academy called Barton – where long time staff member Paul Hunham is the history teacher. He is universally despised by both the students due to his high standards, and the faculty – for not ‘bending the rules’ to suit the ‘ greater good’ (failing the son of man who donates large sums of money to the academy).
He is the staff member who is chosen to ‘hold over’ the school, and the five boys whose parents were unable to come get them over Christmas. Not long into the several month ‘stay’ one of the boys father comes to take them to his ski resort, but Tully is unable to reach his mother, which forces him to be the last one standing with Hunham.
They soon must spend the remaining months together (along with Mary), and slowly bond over life, their pasts, their families etc. Tully, having lied to Hunham about his fathers death, must try to come to terms with his fathers mental illness, something he fears will happen to him too. Their connection is strengthened by how they feel life has treated them, and have an almost father/son relationship (often joking they are either father and son, or uncle and nephew).
They also bond with Mary, the academy’s kitchen manager. She is struggling to cope with her son’s death in the Vietnam war. He had been a ‘Barton Man’ – much like Tully, and Hunham at one stage too. Despite her heartbreaking life story, and even her sister’s pregnancy – she is stoic in the way she looks at life.
The way these characters are written, you truly want to know each of them, and you are enamored by all of their resolves of life. There are plenty of heartwarming moments (Tully teaching Paul to be a better teacher, the cherry jubilee moment, their field trip to Boston,) and quite a few laughs (the dislocated shoulder moment, and the fireworks in the kitchen).
The final arc, in which Hunham sacrifices his own career and future, to save Tully’s (after taking the fall for Tully’s visit to his mentally ill father). This concludes this chapter in these characters we have been so engaged with lives.
Overall
Simply wonderful ‘Christmas adjacent’ film – with such great performances by Giamatti (who scored an Oscar nomination), and Joy (who won Best Supporting).
A sweet narrative – with a bittersweet ending – which leaves you warm hearted knowing that the characters we have spent the last couple of hours with have grown, and nurtured each other.
Simply a joy to watch.
5/5
Please also check out my Podcast on Youtube, where we review a new movie every week!
Ryan's Movie Reviews 