The Holdovers vs. Dead Poets Society
By Alex McArver

Don’t be fooled by the TikToks calling Angus Tully “just a little guy,” he is a far step from
the introverted and quiet coming-of-age protagonist audiences have become accustomed to.
The Holdovers works hard to separate itself from what audiences have come to expect, yet
even before its official release it has been constantly compared to the 80’s classic Dead Poets
Society. This comparison was likely inevitable as both movies follow an adolescent boy in a
strict New England boarding school whose life is changed by learning a new perspective thanks
to his teacher, however, those who have seen both movies understand that this is where the
similarities end.

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      Dominic Sessa as Angus Tully and Paul Giamatti as Paul Hunham (Source: Miramax)                                                            

 

Be warned going forward there will be minor spoilers for both movies! The Holdovers’ first act tricks the audience into believing that this will be a similar story following a group ofmisfit boys, even the name of the movie itself implies that there is a group of students that will be integral to the plot. This assumption is validated at first when Angus (played by Dominic Sessa), while still clearly being framed as the story’s main protagonist, is forced to stay at school with a group of 4 other boys. It becomes clear not long after, however, that the title of the movie refers instead to Angus and his teacher Mr. Hunham (played by Paul Giamatti).

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Part of the charm of Dead Poets Society is watching the dynamics between the group of boys as they each navigate challenges in their lives over the course of the school year, adynamic that is all but nonexistent in The Holdovers. Unlike Todd Anderson (played by Ethan Hawke), the protagonist of Dead Poets Society, Angus is not the one outlier who doesn’t fit within the preexistent group; none of the boys who are forced to stay at school like each otherand before they are able to bond over their circumstances the 4 other boys get whisked away in a private helicopter while Angus is forced to stay.

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         Paul Giamatti as Paul Hunham (Source: IGN)                 Robin Williams as John Keating (Source: Creativity Wake Up)

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The most drastic difference between the two movies, however, is of course the teachers.The iconic “Oh Captain, My Captain” of Robin Williams’ Mr. Keating is sorely lacking from The Holdovers, but Mr. Hunham is not completely without guidance to pass on. Mr. Hunham shows disregard for his students overall, but especially for their feelings or lives outside of school, while simultaneously failing to live any life for himself. Mr. Keating would never dream of leaving a student behind while Mr. Hunham would never dream of being the one to lift a student up, but Angus’ frank and excitable personality helps him eventually open up, with the help of the school’s head chef Mary Lamb (played by Da’Vine Joy Randolph). Once Argus and Mr. Hunham bond they both learn from each other about not judging a book by its cover and help lead one another into a new chapter in their lives.

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