“The Holdovers” is comfort cinema.

The comedy-drama has an interesting storyline, excellent performances and a winning take-away.

“The Holdovers” is like cozying up to a good book with a cup of hot green tea, or warming your feet by the fireplace in a ski lodge during winter, or seeing a movie directed by Alexander Payne and starring Paul Giamatti.

And that’s what we have here.

Alexander Payne directs Paul Giamatti in “The Holdovers,” a charming film that is as wise as it is wistful, as gentle as it is harsh and as satisfying a time as you could hope to have at the movies as the Hollywood awards season gets underway.

“The Holdovers” is the second collaboration for director Alexander Payne and actor Paul Giamatti after “Sideways” (2004), which Payne directed and which stars Giamatti.

Look for multiple Oscar nominations for “The Holdovers,” for original screenplay (David Hemingson), director (Alexander Payne), actor (Paul Giamatti), supporting actor (Dominic Sessa) and actress (Da’Vine Joy Randolph).

In “The Holdovers,” it’s 1970 and Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) is the curmudgeon of curmudgeons as a teacher of the classics at Barton Academy, a fictional New England boarding school. It’s Christmas break and Hunham is assigned to supervise students who are not going home for the holidays.

When the wealthy father of one of the students helicopter-parents, yes, literally, in a helicopter he whisks most of the holdovers to vacation at a ski resort, Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa) stays behind at the prep school.

What unfolds is a battle of wills between Tully and Hunham. The school’s cafeteria administrator Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) looks on, shaking her cigarette in disbelief.

Alexander Payne, born Alexander Constantine Papadopoulos in Omaha, Neb., is a two-time Oscar recipient, adapted screenplay, “The Descendants,” 2012; adapted screenplay, “Sideways,” 2005, and seven-time Oscar nominee, including director, “Nebraska,” 2014; adapted screenplay, “Election,” 2005; also, director, “About Schmidt,” 2002, and “Citizen Ruth,” 1996.

Payne conscientiously, methodically and with an exquisite grace directs “The Holdovers.” He derives authentic performances with a screenplay that is involving, entertaining and bittersweet.

The screenplay by David Hemingson (creator, writer, TV’s “Whiskey Cavalier,” 2019; “Kitchen Confidential, 2005-2006) has the specificity of dialogue, personality and behavior.

The Cinematography by Eigil Bryld (“In Bruges,” 2008) is wonderfully unobtrusive.

The Production Design by Ryan Warren Smith, Art Direction by Jeremy Woolsey, Set Decoration by Markus Wittmann and Costume Design by Wendy Chuck recreates the era down to the ugly sweaters.

The music by Mark Orton provides a Simon and Garfunkel-esque soundtrack of folk songs, and guitar instrumentals with snippets of hits of the era (The Chambers Brothers’ “Time Has Come Today,” 1967).

Few could embody the role of curmudgeon better than Paul Giamatti (Oscar nominee, supporting actor, “Cinderella Man”). He has the gruffness of Bart Simpson and the cuddliness of a teddy bear. He’s a sad-eyed marvel of an actor.

Dominic Sessa in his first acting role is phenomenal.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“Dolemite Is My Name,” 2020; TV’s “Only Murders in the Building,” 2021-2023) is capricious and fun.

Memorable in supporting roles are Carrie Preston (Lydia Crane, a Barton faculty member; Gillian Vigman (Judy, Angus’s mother), Tate Donovan (Stanley, Angus’s stepfather), Brady Hepner (Teddy, one of the five holdovers), Ian Dolley (Alex Ollerman, a holdover), Jim Kaplan (Ye-Joon Park, a holdover), Michael Provost (Jason, a holdover), Andrew Garman (Barton headmaster), Natheem Garcia (Barton janitor), Stephen Thorne (Angus’s father) and Darby Lily Lee-Stack (Elise, Angus romantic interest).

“The Holdovers” has a certain nostalgia for school days, old friends and conflicts with a nod to the how everything’s different after school vacation breaks. They’re not called breaks for nothing.

“The Holdovers” is a film that will stay with you.

“The Holdovers,”

MPAA rated R (Restricted: Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.) for language, some drug use and brief sexual material. Genre: Comedy, Drama; Run Time: 2 hours, 13 minutes. Distributed by Focus Features.

Credit Readers Anonymous:

“The Holdovers” was filmed on location in and around Fairhaven, Groton and Deerfield, Mass. The soundtrack includes “Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying,” written and performed by Labi Siffre.

At The Movies:

“The Holdovers” was seen in the standard format at AMC Center Valley 16.

Theatrical Movie Domestic Weekend Box Office,

Dec. 1-3: “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé,” the documentary film about Beyoncé’s 2023 concert tour, opened at No. 1 with $21 million in 2,539 theaters, unseating “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” from its two-week run at No. 1, dropping one place to No. 2 with $14.5 million in 3,691 theaters, $121.2 million, three weeks, as “Godzilla Minus One” opened at No. 3 with $11 million in 2,308 theaters.

4. Trolls Band Together” stayed in place, $7.6 million in 3,613 theaters, $74.8 million, three weeks. 5. “Wish” dropped two places, $7.4 million in 3,900 theaters, $41.9 million, two weeks. 6. “Napoleon” dropped four places, $7.1 million in 3,500 theaters, $45.7 million, two weeks. 7. “Animal,” opening, $6.1 million in 700 theaters. 8. “The Shift,” opening, $4.3 million in 2,450 theaters. 9. “Silent Night,” opening, $3 million in 1,870 theaters. 10. “Thanksgiving” dropped five places, $2.6 million in 2.506 theaters, $28.3 million, three weeks. 14. “The Holdovers” dropped seven places, $1.1 million in 1,311 theaters, $15 million, six weeks.

Movie box office information from Box Office Mojo as of Dec. 3 is subject to change.

Unreel,

Dec. 8:

“Waitress: The Musical,”

No MPAA rating: Diane Paulus and Brett Sullivan direct Sara Bareiles, Drew Gehling and Charity Dawson in the movie musical comedy. The movie was filmed during a live Broadway performance of the musical.

“Poor Things,”

R: Yorgos Lanthimos directs Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe in the Romance, Science-Fiction. A young woman is brought back to life.

Movie opening dates from Internet Movie Database as of Dec. 3 may change.

Five Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes