Featuring three superb actors — Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Dominic Sessa — The Holdovers is the hottest movie right now. The dark comedy depicts a grouchy boarding school teacher who’s forced to supervise several students who have nowhere to go over Christmas break.
It shows on a big screen with the director, Alexander Payne, on hand at the Museum of the Moving Image on Wednesday, Jan. 10, at 7 pm.
The special event is part of a week-long retrospective on the independent director whose trophy case features two Academy Awards, three Golden Globes, a BAFTA, and a Grammy nomination.
Starting on Friday, Jan. 5, the retrospective will screen eight of Payne’s best works. General admission is $15, but the final screening – the one Payne will attend – is free with RSVP. A list follows.
Citizen Ruth on Jan. 5 at 7 pm.
With Laura Dern, Kelly Preston, and Burt Reynolds, this 1996 debut follows a poor, drug-addicted mother of four who is unable to care for her children. Then, she gets arrested for inhaling paint and discovers that she’s pregnant again. She unwittingly becomes a pawn to both sides of the ideological debate over abortion, while baffling the criminal justice system.
Election on Jan. 6 at 1 pm. Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick star in this 1999 adaptation of a Tom Perrotta novel. An election for president of a suburban high school goes sour and demonstrates how everybody — teens and adults – can be petty and self-interested.
About Schmidt on Jan. 6 at 3:15 pm. Jack Nicholson and Kathy Bates are in this 2002 character study of a Midwestern actuary whose wife dies around the same time that his daughter gets engaged to a loser. The protagonist embarks on a road trip to prevent the wedding, but instead goes on a journey of self-discovery.
Sideways on Jan. 6 at 5:45 pm. This 2004 romantic comedy was Giamatti’s first collaboration with Payne. It received five Academy Award nominations, wining the one for Best Original Screenplay. Two ne’er-do-well, middle-age guys with little in common head to California wine country for one last stab at fun and romance.
The Descendants on Jan. 7 at 12:45 pm. George Clooney and Shailene Woodley add their spice to this 2011 dramatic comedy. Clooney’s character is living well as the heir of a prominent Hawaiian family. Then his wife is critically injured in a boating accident and he has to raise his two daughters, while processing news of his wife’s adultery and dealing with inheritance issues.
Nebraska on Jan. 7 at 3:15 pm. Bruce Dern, June Squibb, and Will Forte join forces in this 2013 family drama that came out in 2013. Starting to show signs of dementia, Dern’s character goes on a road trip with his resentful son, insisting that he has won a million-dollar prize in a magazine sweepstakes. Amid the drama, the two men excavate the past and try to leave their resentments behind.
Downsizing on Jan. 7 at 5:45 pm. This 2017 scifi comedy’s all-star cast includes Matt Damon, Hong Chau, Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis, Neil Patrick Harris, and Laura Dern. Paul (Damon) and his wife Audrey (Wiig) take advantage of a scientific breakthrough and reduce their size in order to afford the lifestyle they want. The result is a political message about human exploitation of labor and resources.
The Holdovers on Jan. 10 at 7 pm. Described in the opening paragraph, this film follows a grumpy teacher who bonds with students thanks to a series of unforeseen adventures. Also mentioned above, Payne will be in attendance and it’s free with RSVP for those who register on time.
Museum of the Moving Image’s entrance is at 36-01 35th Ave. in Astoria’s Kaufman Arts District.
Images from Museum of Moving Image‘s Website