On October 18, Deerfield Academy hosted an exclusive pre-view screening of The Holdovers, a Miramax film. This film, released to the public on November 10, details the extraordinary and emotional adventures of Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa ’22) and his Ancient History teacher, Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), over their time alone at Barton Academy during Christmas break. Angus and Hunham butt heads at first, but the two bond and learn to cope with abandonment and betrayal. In addition to being shot on Deerfield’s campus, the film also featured multiple DA students and faculty members, including Sessa as the lead, Will Sussbauer ’23 as a featured student in a classroom scene, and Robbie Hua ’24 as a featured student in the choir. Sussbauer said that it was “strange” to see themselves and Sessa on screen as characters. They added, “Deerfield became Barton with only the signs changing; Shelburne Falls, a town I played baseball and went to bookstores as a kid, became the downtown for Paul and Angus. I was just really struck [by] the straddling of my reality with the fiction of the film.” MacGregor Hynds ’25 was an extra for the dining room scene at the beginning of the film. This scene, shot at St. Mark’s School, features hundreds of Barton students all eating together before being sent home for break. Hynds said about his filming experience, “It was incredible to be on a professional movie set.” The extras first were outfitted in era-appropriate costumes and had their hair styled appropriately. The tech crew set up silverware, and the prop department of the movie provided a selection of food for the tablescape. As with any movie, there were multiple takes to supply the director, Alexander Payne, with enough usable footage. Hynds said, “I had to eat my sausage and then directly spit it out in preparation for the next shot.” The result of all of this combined effort is a dynamic and lively dining hall shot. Hua echoed Hynds’ sentiment about participating in The Holdovers: “It was really cool seeing where the cameras were because you don’t see them in the movie.” Hua emphasized his gratitude for meeting Paul Giamatti, and having the opportunity to interact with other actors on set. Hua also shared that for his day of participation on set, he was paid $1,000. Costume Designer Karen St.Pierre is another Deerfield community member who participated in The Holdovers. Ms. St. Pierre is a professional costume designer who has worked on high-budget TV shows and movies. Ms. St. Pierre was not initially supposed to work on the film; she was only going to tour the current crew around the DA costume department. However, the crew immediately realized how her knowledge and talent, and quickly invited her to join the team. Ms. St. Pierre found a unique community with the team, saying, “The team can really add or detract from a filming experience, and I had the time of my life working with these wonderful artists.” Joe Berman ’25, who watched the movie premiere, said that “to be able to view a film shot at Deerfield, starring Deerfield students, and about Deerfield, truly is a once in a lifetime experience.”