“The Holdovers,” which features a pivotal scene filmed on the Worcester Common, received some serious Oscar love Tuesday morning.
“The Holdovers” has been nominated for best film, best actor (Paul Giamatti), best supporting actress (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) and best original screenplay (David Hemingson).
It’s the second Academy Award nomination for Giamatti. The first nomination came in 2005 for best supporting actor in “Cinderella Man.”
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In “The Holdovers,” Giamatti plays Paul Hunham, a feared and despised teacher of ancient history at a fictitious all-boys New England prep school, Barton Academy. The film takes place during Christmas break in 1970.
It’s the first Academy Award nomination for Randolph, who in the movie portrays Mary Lamb, the school’s head cook who is grief-stricken over losing her son in Vietnam.
It’s also the first Oscar nomination for Hemingson, who, like Giamatti, is a native of New Haven, Connecticut.
While a majority of film was shot in the buildings and on the campus of St. Mark’s School in Southborough during the spring of 2022, Worcester is the spot for a crucial scene in which teacher and troubled student bond and a well-guarded secret about Hunham’s past is revealed.
Filmed Feb. 26. 2022, Worcester’s big scene in “The Holdovers” was originally intended for Boston, but director Alexander Payne, the film’s director, told the T&G in an interview that year that he liked what Worcester had to offer.
At the recent 81st annual Golden Globes, Giamatti won the award for lead comedy actor (which is his third Globe victory), while Randolph won for best supporting actress. Early critic buzz is picking Randolph (who, unfortunately, didn’t appear in a scene shot in Worcester) as the favorite for Oscar gold.
