Working during the holidays is not something one would normally choose to do. But depending on your situation working around the holidays, may just be therapeutic. The new film “The Holdovers” is a story about three unlikely people who must spend the winter break together. One of those people is Mary Lamb, played by Da’Vine Joy Randolph.
Mary works as the head cook at Barton Academy, a boarding school in New England.
She has chosen to spend her holiday at the school and cook for those who had to stay behind. She makes this decision after losing her son in the Vietnam War.
The school is the last place she had her son were together.
Credit: Seacia Pavao / © 2023 FOCUS FEATURES LLC
Along with herself, there is a professor and several students staying back during the winter break. But after a while, some of those students decided to leave the campus. Leaving behind one student, the professor, and Mary Lamb.
These three characters from different backgrounds and different personalities began to take to one another and form a family-like bond.
Professor Paul Hunham, played by Paul Giamatti, is the most disliked teacher at the school. Angus Tully, the student played by Dominic Sessa, is very troubled and no one is getting along.
Mary comes in with a stoic yet inviting presence. She’s able to handle Hunham’s snarky attitude as well as connect with Angus allowing him to let his guard down. We spoke with Randolph about her role and here is what she had to say about her character.
“You’re watching throughout this movie a woman who kind of leans into her job at this time. Sometimes people get that inch and need to be busy,” said Randolph.
Working was a way for Mary to deal with her grief by being in a place where she could still feel her son’s presence. While also avoiding the realization of her loss by being around her family.
“It’s not like she doesn’t have family, she does. I think it’s too much,” added Randolph when talking about Mary’s decision to stay at the school. “Mary’s motherly presence was needed for all three of these unsettled people to be able to come together in their unlikely circumstances.”
“The Holdovers” is in theaters now!
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