The Holdovers

Here we go. One, two, three.

Very good.

Remember, the text is first.

"In the beginning was the Word."

So the text is what you're concentrating on.

Make it part of the music.

-Let's all breathe in. -(students inhale)

-Breathe out. -(students exhale)

Excellent. Now, let's hear the opening chord.

Good. Middle voices, a little bit more.

Higher voices are excellent.

Bass, a little more breath.

Try again.

Okay, let's run the first verse.

One...

Really great. Especially that T at the end.

All together.

Very, very good.

Excellent.

("Silver Joy" by Damien Jurado playing)

Mm...

Philistines.

Lazy, vulgar, rancid little Philistines.

-(knocking at door) -Hmm?

Mr. Hunham?

I'm busy right now.

Uh, Dr. Woodrup asked to see you.

What does he want?

Uh, I think it's about Christmas break.

I'll see him presently.

What's that?

Christmas cookies.

I made them for the faculty.

Well, not all the faculty.

-Anyway, these are for you. -Oh. (chuckles)

("Time Has Come Today" by The Chambers Brothers playing)

Tully.

What are you doing with women's underwear?

It's the same swimsuit James Bond wears

in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

It can't get more masculine than that.

Why don't you just wear cutoffs?

Because I'm going to St. Kitts.

I'm not going to be the only dickhead

on the beach wearing cutoffs.

: Oh. Look out, everyone.

Tully's going to St. Kitts.

They still look like panties.

You're right, Crandall. You caught me.

They're your mother's panties.

Tell her thanks for the good times!

Hey, Tully.

Hey, where are my cigarettes?

Your cigarettes?

You stole my fucking cigarettes.

I resent that baseless accusation.

Cut the shit.

I have no cigarettes now.

And Briggs says you suddenly had five of them

to trade for a skin mag.

I don't indulge in pornography.

I get enough of the real thing.

Especially with Crandall's mom!

Hey, Kountze.

Ten dollars for this?

Looks more like a nickel bag.

Don't buy that, Harriman. He's ripping you off.

-Plus, it's ditch weed. -Fuck you, Tully.

This shit's premium weed, all right?

And unlike you, I'm stuck here.

It's got to last me through Christmas.

Take pity on him, Harriman.

He's a poor little Christmas orphan with nowhere to go.

Little Christmas orphan needs his pot and porn.

Ten minutes, ladies.

Ten minutes.

("Silver Joy" by Damien Jurado resumes)

I can't believe you got out of it.

Luck of the Irish.

I thought this was your year.

It was.

I told Woodrup my mother has lupus.

Does she?

I don't know. Probably.

We don't talk about those things.

So, who got stuck with it?

Who do you think?

That poor walleyed bastard.

Rémy Martin. Louis XIII.

Christmas gift from the Board of Trustees.

Oh, how generous of them.

Thank you again for doing this, Hunham.

I wouldn't have asked if it weren't an emergency.

Oh, Mr. Endicott's mother, right.

What a tragedy.

It's not as though you had plans to leave campus anyway.

And, of course, there's a nice little bonus in it for you.

Well... (sighs) "Non nobis solum nati sumus," I suppose.

"Not for ourselves alone are we born."

I'm guessing that's Cicero.

Cicero, yes.

: Very good, Hardy. You remembered.

There'll be just four boys holding over this year.

Mm-hmm.

Oh, yes. I know a couple of these reprobates.

Let's be a little more elastic in our assessment, shall we?

It's hard enough for them to be away from home on the holidays.

Latitude is the last thing these boys need.

Paul, at your core, you're an excellent teacher,

but your approach to the students is rather traditional.

This school was founded in 1797.

I thought tradition was our stock in trade.

-Then let's call it hidebound. -Ah.

You know, unwavering, resistant to...

Yes, yes, yes, I know what "hidebound" means.

Uh, I get it.

You're still angry that I failed Jordan Osgood.

Senator Osgood was very upset

when Princeton rescinded Jordan's acceptance, yes.

And I've continued to have to deal with the fallout.

Hardy, are we really supposed to let these boys just skate by

as long as Daddy builds a new gymnasium?

Of course not. That's not who we are.

But we can't be ignorant to politics.

That boy is too dumb to pour piss out of a boot.

A genuine troglodyte.

Jesus Christ, Paul.

He was a legacy and the son of one of our biggest donors.

Ever think his dad might be expecting

a little consideration for his dollar?

And he got it -- a first-class education for his son.

Oh, come on, Hardy.

As Dr. Greene used to say, "Our one true purpose

is to produce young men of good character."

I don't care what Dr. Greene used to say.

"And we cannot sacrifice our integrity

on the altar of their entitlement."

I'm just trying to instill basic academic discipline.

That's my job. Isn't it yours?

It was.

Until I became headmaster

and saw that it's not so simple to keep the damn school afloat.

I begged you, begged you to give the kid a C minus.

: No.

There are instructors here who will do that.

I am not one of them.

Here's the manual and a full set of keys.

Everything you need to know is in there.

Your only task is to ensure

the boys' absolute safety and good condition.

And at least pretend to be a human being.

Please.

It's Christmas.