The Holdovers, a film directed by Alexander Payne and written by David Hemingson, has come under scrutiny for alleged similarities to another screenplay titled Frisco. The Holdovers stars Paul Giamatti as a teacher who ends up caring for a teenage boy during Christmas break. The controversy arose when Simon Stephenson, the writer of Frisco, claimed that The Holdovers' script bears striking resemblances to his own unproduced screenplay.
Stephenson provided documents comparing scenes and overall structure of both scripts, pointing out significant parallels. He alleged that key elements such as story, characters, dialogue, and themes were copied from Frisco to create The Holdovers. One specific example highlighted was a scene where the protagonist faces repercussions for wronging a prominent figure, a scenario present in both scripts albeit with different characters.
Variety published one of the documents where Stephenson raised concerns about the similarities between the two scripts. He reportedly reached out to the Writers Guild of America (WGA) for assistance in addressing the issue. The WGA, along with representatives for Payne, Hemingson, and Stephenson, have been contacted for comments on the matter.
The Holdovers is nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the upcoming Oscars, competing against other films in the category. Payne and Hemingson previously discussed the film's origins, with Payne expressing his long-standing desire to create a story set in a boarding school. Hemingson's background in writing a school-themed TV pilot caught Payne's attention, leading to their collaboration on The Holdovers.
The controversy surrounding the alleged similarities between The Holdovers and Frisco has cast a shadow over the film's Oscar nomination. As the industry awaits further developments on this issue, the integrity of originality in screenplay writing remains a focal point of discussion in Hollywood.
