Over the weekend, Iowa City’s FilmScene offered early-access screenings of director Alexander Payne’s newest holiday comedy-drama, “The Holdovers.” The film is highly anticipated by cinephiles across the nation and has already generated Oscar buzz.

Produced by University of Iowa alum Mark Johnson, known for his Academy Award-winning work with “Rain Man” as well as his work on “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” “The Holdovers” stars Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and newcomer Dominic Sessa, with the plot set in the 1970s New England.

The cast’s performance was especially impressive, but special praise should be directed towards Giamatti and Randolph who both delivered incredibly candid performances, as well as Sessa, making his feature film debut with “The Holdovers.”

With her heart-wrenching and hilarious performance as a mother grieving the loss of her son to war, I believe Da’Vine Joy Randolph will win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for “The Holdovers.”

From a story standpoint, “The Holdovers” knocks it out of the park. The emphasis is moved away from visuals (though the film does look incredible) and placed on character. Writer David Hemingson developed his characters in a way most modern films neglect, and the result could not have been more rewarding.

In this career resurgence, Payne righted the wrongs committed with his 2017 film, the critically-panned “Downsizing.” Payne’s direction of “The Holdovers” reminds me of his hilarious 2004 film “Sideways,” also starring Paul Giamatti.

With this film, Payne has certainly proved he’s still highly capable of producing quality work, and, with the holiday season right around the corner, “The Holdovers” is a wonderful way to celebrate with the family — if your kids are old enough.

I firmly believe that “The Holdovers” will be seen as a holiday classic for decades to come.