This article contains spoilers forThe Holdovers.
Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be.
How did that happen?
Hunham also disdains the ugly politics of his workplace.
The most resentful holdover of the group is Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa in his film debut).
Angus and his attitude arent well-liked by most other students either.
Hes especially surly after getting ditched by his mom, who would rather spend Christmas with her new husband.
Hes also prone to getting expelled from school despite being the only student able to pass Hunhams class.
It therefore seems underneath his sneering is a kid genuinely empathetic to other outcasts.
Just not Professor Hunham.
Circumstances soon unfold to make Angus the sole student left behind, forcing him and Hunham into closer proximity.
Even then, Hunhams still fixed on rules and established order.
Hunham talks to Angus a lot about the platonic ideal of a Barton man.
Barton men are supposed to be destined for greatness.
But that was untrue during Hunhams school days and is painfully false in 1970.
Take for example Calvin Lamb.
Bill upon his return.
Only he was killed in action.
Randolph turns the problematic trope of a Black female matron figure on its head.
Angus soon edges closer to these older holdovers, seeing them separately from their official Barton roles.
They are not hypocritical, entitled Barton men, but they are, by and large, good people.
They want desperately to feel safe and loved and welcome.
Its the little connections and common grounds that can keep the Have-nots going.
Woodrup assumes that Angus outsmarted or bullied Hunham into the unauthorized field trip.
Will he at last go to Greece?
Will he write his book?
Will he maybe find love in romantic forms?
These holdovers arent healed entirely, but theyre on the right path.
Not for ourselves alone are we born.
And isnt that a message we can celebrate all year round?
The Holdovers is streaming now on Peacock.
