Heartwarming / The Holdovers

• Although he is abrasive to almost everyone, Hunham has nothing but respect for Mary from the beginning. He regards her as an equal and when Kountze insults her cooking, Hunham explodes, saying that he has no idea what Mary has been through since losing her son.
• Hunham, Mary, and Angus' little Christmas morning together, where Angus says he has never had a real Christmas meal before and thanks Mary for her cooking.
• Angus comforting Ye-Joon after he has a nightmare and wets the bed.
• When Jason talks about how his father flew in in a helicopter with some Christmas presents, the younger Alex excitedly compares it to Santa and his sleigh, which makes it all the nicer when he and the others (besides Angus, who they still say a fond goodbye to) get permission to fly in the chopper for a proper winter vacation after Jason and his father get over their little feud.
• Angus and Hunham end up having an absolutely lovely Christmas together in Boston, at least before it turns sad with the visit to Angus' dad. They go to a museum, book shopping, bowling, and ice skating, and Angus is clearly having a great time. So is Hunham, almost in spite of himself.
• Despite Hunham's past disgrace, one of his old Harvard classmates he runs into is happy to see him and to hear that he is supposedly still doing well in academia.
• A sweet detail: when lying about how he dislocated his shoulder, Angus claims Hunham is his dad, and Angus begged him to take him ice skating. Later, the two go to an ice rink in Boston, and Hunham watches happily while Angus skates, looking very much like a father and son.
• Near the end of the film, on the first day back of classes after the winter break, it's clear that Hunham is still quite a bit on the snobby and abrasive side, it does seem like that the experience with Angus and Mary mellowed him out even just a bit as a teacher. Offers a glimpse as to what might have been for a slightly changed man had he not gotten fired minutes later.
• While Angus is waiting outside the office while Hunham is talking with the headmaster at the end of the film, Mary comes by to comfort him, and the two hold hands.
  • Hunham standing up for Angus, calling his mother and the headmaster out, and taking the fall for Angus due to how deeply he believes in the student's bright future, even if he does find him obnoxious at times.
• Angus and Hunham's "goodbye," and the understanding that Angus won't forget what Hunham did for him or take this second chance for granted. And Hunham's finally out of the job he hates, on his own terms, ready to write a book—in the notebook Mary gifted him. You get the sense they'll be okay, even if it's bittersweet.