In The ones who stay by Alexander Payne (The descendants), Paul Giamatti transforms into an unpopular teacher responsible for looking after students who cannot return to their families for the Christmas holidays.
Twenty years after his collaboration on Adrift, Alexander Payne reunited with Paul Giamatti and cast him in the role of Paul Hunham, an ancient history professor at a New England boarding school. We are approaching Christmas break in 1970 and few students do not spend the holiday with their families. The unfortunate ones who remain are, to their great regret, entrusted to this particularly strict teacher.
But one thing leads to another and Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa, a freshman) is left alone with Hunham and Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), the school cook whose son died in Vietnam. A friendly relationship then develops between the three protagonists.
Dominic Sessa plays the role of Angus Tully, Da’Vine Joy Randolph plays the role of Mary Lamb and Paul Giamatti plays the role of Paul Hunham in the film “Those Who Remain”, which will be in cinemas from November 10, 2023. Photo credit: Seacia Pavao / © 2023 FOCUS FEATURES LLC
Aside from directing, what is Alexander Payne’s favorite part of his job? “The location scouting and the editing,” he told reporters last week at a press conference attended by the QMI agency. “It’s not just about finding the right locations for the time period the film is set in or the places the characters will be, it also allows me to get to know the communities I’m filming in.” We visit about 20 locations before we find one that we see on the screen. »
“Meeting the owners of the places, building relationships, getting involved in the community… all of this has an impact and is reflected in the rhythm of my film. It was especially important here because I knew nothing about Massachusetts. The same thing was true with The Descendants when we shot in Hawaii. Finding locations is a very rewarding part of the process for me. » In fact, five schools were chosen, each of which represents part of the boarding school seen in Those Who Remain.
Director Alexander Payne and actor Dan Aid on the set of the film “Those Who Remain”, in cinemas from November 10, 2023. Photo credit: Seacia Pavao / © 2023 FOCUS FEATURES LLC
Another advantage of Massachusetts, in addition to the tax credits, is the fact that “time passes more slowly there,” emphasizes Alexander Payne. “Many of the filming locations have not changed, such as the bowling alley or the café where Lydia Crane works [une employée de l’école qui a des emplois supplémentaires pendant les vacances, incarnée par Carrie Preston, vue dans la série Une femme exemplaire et son dérivé Une lutte exemplaire, NDLR]that has remained that way since the 1940s.”
Dominic Sessa, an unknown person, was found by chance among “800 young actors, whether known or not.”
“Of all the auditions submitted via video, I watched about 70 and didn’t find the actor I wanted. Finally, we called the schools where we wanted to film and I asked the drama teachers if they had any students who wanted to audition. »
“And in one of them I took two actors with me. The first only has one or two lines, but the second, Dominic Sessa, had never acted in his life, neither in the cinema nor on television! »
Dominic Sessa and Paul Giamatti in the film “Those Who Remain” by Alexander Payne, in cinemas from November 10, 2023. Photo credit: Seacia Pavao / © 2023 FOCUS FEATURES LLC
Disappointed that he couldn’t “share this press conference with the actors” due to the strike, Alexander Payne insisted on his reunion with Paul Giamatti, two decades after Adrift.
“He is a product of the world I portray in the film. Paul told me he could play this character because he met him as a teenager at Yale, and I totally let him play it. Paul Giamatti is like Meryl Streep or Laurence Olivier, we chose him for this role because we are excited to see what he will do with it. And we know it will be wonderful. »
Those Who Remain will be in cinemas across Quebec starting November 10th.