What’s Up With Paul Giamatti’s Eye In The Holdovers? Mr. Hunham’s Lazy Eye Detail Explained

Mr. Hunham’s lazy eye is a distinctive characteristic of Paul Giamatti’s character in The Holdovers, but there is more to be seen behind the curious detail. Giamatti recently won a Golden Globe for his performance as Mr. Hunham, the strict, sometimes even cruel, and strange ancient history teacher at an all-boys boarding school in 1970. When troubled student Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa in his acting debut) has to stay on campus for the winter holidays, a reluctant Mr. Hunham has to watch over him. The teacher-student duo butt heads often, with Sessa and Giamatti’s chemistry becoming the true star of The Holdovers.

Mr. Hunham and Angus are joined by Mary (Golden Globe winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph), the cafeteria administrator who is grieving the loss of her son. The Alexander Payne-directed movie is a holiday comedy-drama, with plenty of heartwarming and heartbreaking moments as the trio form their own little dysfunctional family and learn to accept and even enjoy each other’s company. The movie also reunited Payne and Giamatti, almost 20 years since they worked together in 2004’s Sideways, earning the actor one of his six Golden Globe nominations. The Holdovers proved the success of their partnership and earned Giamatti his first Golden Globe in over a decade.

Paul Giamatti’s Lazy Eye Isn’t Real In The Holdovers

Though Mr. Hunham’s lazy eye was noticeable throughout The Holdovers, it was barely commented on in the entire film. At times, it may be distracting, partially because if viewers look closely enough, they may realize that the lazy eye switches between his left and right. For those familiar with Paul Giamatti’s films, his character’s lazy eye in The Holdovers may be distracting because of the knowledge that he doesn’t have one in real life. Rather, it was a choice made for Mr. Munham’s character specifically.

As a character actor, The Holdovers isn’t the first time that Giamatti’s altered his physical appearance for a movie. To play the villainous Rhino in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Giamatti sported a tattoo on his forehead. In 2002’s Big Fat Liar, a prank dyes his character’s body and his hair orange in a comedic moment. Giamatti’s lazy eye in The Holdovers may be a more subtle detail, but it’s an important one as well.

The Holdovers Cast & Crew Won’t Reveal How They Created Mr. Hunham’s Lazy Eye

While it’s been confirmed that Paul Giamatti doesn’t have a lazy eye, he won’t reveal how they achieved the effect for Mr. Hunham in The Holdovers. When asked about his character’s lazy eye, Giamatti told People, “I’m not allowed to tell you,” referring to it as a ”state secret.” The actor claimed that director Payne had given him these orders because he’s enjoying seeing people wonder how they managed to give Mr. Hunham a lazy eye for the film. Payne and Giamatti call it “the magic of acting in cinema.”

Their reluctance to reveal what effects were actually used for Mr. Hunham’s lazy eye in The Holdovers only makes viewers more curious. Even star Cessa told The Daily Beast that he has questions about the lazy eye, as he wasn’t let it on the secret either. When he asked Giamatti about it, he received the same answer that press outlets have, “it’s acting.” Cessa also confirmed that Giamatti had a lazy eye during filming ruling out any visual effects done in editing. The secret behind Mr. Hunham’s lazy eye in The Holdovers may never be revealed, but it was most likely achieved by a practical off-center contact lens.

What’s The Point Of Mr. Hunham’s Eye Detail In The Holdovers

As aforementioned, Mr. Hunham’s lazy eye is present throughout The Holdovers, but it’s rarely commented on by the characters within the movie. At one point, Angus tells him that he’s not sure which eye he should be looking at, suggesting a metaphor about them struggling to see eye to eye as student and teacher. At the end of The Holdovers, Mr. Hunham finally tells Angus which eye he should be looking at, showing just how much they’ve grown in their relationship and the newfound understanding between the two of them.

Additionally, Mr. Hunham’s lazy eye is another offbeat detail in The Holdovers that makes him an easy target for the students to joke about and judge him for. This goes hand in hand with his trimethylaminuria, a rare genetic condition also known as Fish Odor Syndrome that, as the name suggests, makes him smell like fish. These details about Mr. Hunham in The Holdovers make him an odd character, but like Angus, once you get to know him more, they become less strange and more a part of what makes him interesting and unique.

Sources: People, The Daily Beast

Where To Watch The Holdovers