Da’Vine Joy Randolph & Paul Giamatti Forged A Dynamic Dramatic Shorthand For Alexander Payne’s ‘The Holdovers’ – Contenders Film: The Nominees

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“It genuinely feels like things are happening in real time.” That’s Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s take on how her wise-beyond-years private school cafeteria lady Mary was able to forge a solid chemistry with Paul Giamatti‘s curmudgeon ancient civilizations instructor Paul Hunham in Focus Features’ The Holdovers. “You’re genuinely seeing their relationship authentically develop,” says Randolph. “I’ve never seen that in a movie like that before.” Pin it to rehearsals led by director Alexander Payne that got the thespians “a deep performance,” she added during Deadline’s Contenders Film: The Nominees session that also included Giamatti, director Alexander Payne, screenwriter David Hemingson and producer Mark Johnson.

Randolph detailed the scene where Giamatti’s Paul meets up with Mary to watch an episode of The Newlywed Game; the two are stranded over the Christmas break as the only adults in charge at a Massachusetts private school of a band of misfit students who’ve been left behind by their parents.

The scene was a nice mirror: Here are two opposites in Mary and Paul, getting to know each other on a deeper level as married couples are trying to maneuver their blind spots. RELATED: Contenders Film: The Nominees — Deadline’s Complete Coverage Talking about her character Randolph says, “Though she was highly skeptical, she felt … if there’s any form of a connection, this guy will be the one.” Adds Randolph, “She creates space for him,” about her character opening up to the stodgy history teacher. “He recognizes there’s another marginal person there,” explains Giamatti. “I think he’s the only faculty member who knows her name.” Hemingson says he sparked to the idea for the script based on his time at a New England prep school in