The Savages (2007) User Reviews

Good acting but a Sad and Depressing Story: Spoilers

[[e-mail] · 8/10 · 24 December 2009]

Any film that features Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman is certainly worth seeing, and the acting in "The Savages" is excellent, not only by Linney and Hoffman but by Philip Bosco who plays their father, Lenny, an elderly man suffering from dementia. The story line - - two grown children facing the task of caring for a failing parent -- is all too familiar in real life, and anyone who's been through it knows how emotionally wrenching it can be. The complication here is that both children feel that they were mistreated by their father during childhood.

Jon, Hoffman's character, a drama professor is less devastated by the reality, though perhaps not by the memory. Wendy, Linney's character, is torn apart by both. There's another story line as well. Jon has just been separated from his long time girl friend, a Polish drama teacher whose visa has expired. Wendy, who's been trying to write a play about her childhood trauma and seeking a grant to permit her to do so, is having sex with an older married man (more at his convenience than hers).

But the story is mainly about their search for a nursing home that will have their father. (Wendy would prefer a beautiful space that offers "assisted living" which her father can no longer manage.) And after they've found the nursing home, they have to cope with their father's demented behavior and their own emotional states. After Lenny dies, the script seeks a hopeful but unconvincing resolution. The brief, uncertain up-tick at the end does not make this film any less of a downer. But the acting is superb. It's to be expected of Linney and Hoffman. Though it's not likely that many viewers will have noticed Bosco before, he's been an excellent stage actor and, in some ways, his may be the most impressive performance of the three.

Getting Even with Dad

[Benedict_Cumberbatch · 23 January 2008]

"The Savages" has been terribly mismarketed. I'm sure plenty of people who went to watch it having seen only the previews, thought it was a comedy, and were disappointed. If anything, this is a "dramedy" - it will make you smile a few times, but never laugh out loud. But that's not a bad thing, the other way around.

This is a story about two siblings, Wendy (Laura Linney, who earned a surprise - and much deserved - Oscar nomination for this performance) and Jon Savage (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who have to take care of their ailing, estranged father, Lenny (Philip Bosco). Fathers and kids relationships have been discussed in tons of movies, but Tamara Jenkins (real life wife of Jim Taylor, co-author of Alexander Payne's scripts - they both produced this movie, by the way) managed to create something fresh and beautiful in its own simplicity (and, at the same time, so complex and painfully real, for all of those who've had difficult family relationships - and who hasn't?). "The Savages" reminds me of Noah Baumbach's "The Squid and the Whale", also starring Laura Linney - but with a little less humor, and perhaps even more heart. Hoffman and Bosco are also great, as usual. Jenkins proves that she's a very sensitive writer/director, and I'm excited to check whatever she does next. I'm rooting for either her or Diablo Cody ("Juno") to win the Oscar for best original screenplay next month (coincidentally, both movies have The Velvet Underground's "I'm Sticking With You" in the soundtrack). 10/10.

Well done!

[wisewebwoman · 9/10 · 10 January 2008]

This film, along with "Away from Her" are the best elder-films I've seen all year (2007).

There is an honesty to the movie about a brother and sister relationship that is genuine and heart warming. Philip Seymour Hoffman (Jon, the professor) and Laura Linney (as Wendy, aspiring playwright)are perfectly cast in the roles of the sister and brother who have to deal with their obnoxious, foul-mouthed elderly father, Lenny, played by Philip Bosco in a riveting performance.

Their childhoods have been difficult, abuse is hinted at along with a runaway mother. They are now confronted with the care and responsibility of their father who has been deemed incompetent (and penniless). The effects of their childhood on these now adult children is played out well. They are incapable of intimacy with potential partners and even with each other.

How they slowly gain an understanding of themselves and each other is an ongoing major thread of the movie and is beautifully depicted. A one of a kind sibling movie. 9 out of 10. Recommended.

A humane film about human experiences.

[billybobwashere · 10/10 · 12 November 2007]

To put it simply, "The Savages" is the most human look at life I've seen in theaters this year. It's incredibly easy to relate to if you have ever ever seen some relative or family friend of yours get old and then forget who you are due to some sort of elder person's disease. It features three of the year's finest performances from Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Phillip Brosco, all of whom radiate on the screen as real, ordinary but complex, people. Linney and Hoffman play brother and sister, two writers who have an argumentative but loving way of getting along. Brosco plays their father, who has done something really, well, "dirty," and has drawn the attention of the family that had been caring for him, who no longer wish to do so.

From there, Linney and Hoffman's characters meet up with the father whom they haven't seen in years, and who was never very compassionate towards them. However, their father has dementia, and slowly begins to forget who they are. Instead of their main concern being whether or not he's kind to them, the kids are afraid they won't be able to communicate with him at all. The way Tamara Jenkins handles this, from both the perspective of the kids and the perspective of the father, is brilliant. She really understands the way family relations work, as her film is spot-on in that aspect.

The three performances are all great for their own reasons. Linney plays a woman who is really confused with her life: she's having an affair with a married man who's ten years older than her, she lies to everyone she knows about things that aren't worth it, and she is having a lot of trouble getting produced as a writer. Hoffman, her older brother, has a really relaxed humanistic side to him, always countering Linney's loud worrisome actions with a calm, mind-processing technique. The chemistry between this brother-sister duo - probably the only opposite-sex-adult-aged-duo that doesn't have any romantic elements (for obvious reasons) - is one of the most realistic works of chemistry you'll find in a theater this year. Throw in Phillip Brosco - who absolutely conquers the dementia that his character has (my aunt has dementia, so I see her all the time and know that his face and way of talking and mannerisms are all spot on) - and you've got three characters who are so strong alone that they're enough reason to see this movie, funny-touching script and story aside.

While all three performances were incredible, I'd have to say that my favorite performance came from Hoffman. Linney played the confused-wreck card very well, but it's not like she's the first actress to confront or conquer that territory. Brosco was astoundingly realistic as a man with dementia, but his role doesn't carry very far beyond that. Hoffman's performance, while not "loud" in any way, is simply the best portrayal of an ordinary human being I've seen in years, if that makes any sense. Everything, from the way he reacts to what people say, to the way he talks, to the way he expresses emotion when he's feeling it - all of it is executed so well that I can't believe that he was actually acting.

The ending of the film is very humane. It doesn't have any major twists or bangs, but it doesn't end on a nothing-note either. It teaches us that the lessons we learn from one experience can help us deal with the next, and it's the many small messages like this and the very life-like feel of the film's craft that make it one of the most special films I had the experience of seeing at a theater this year.

Not what the DVD package leads you to expect

[rooprect · 7/10 · 20 December 2010]

This is a great movie, but pay no attention to the DVD packaging calling it "darkly funny", "singularly funny" and so on. While it does have a few good gags that made me laugh out loud once or twice, it's only about 25% comedy and the rest is a heavy, emotional drama about the painful subject of slow, lingering death.

Two siblings (played by Laura Linney & Philip Seymour Hoffman) are burdened with the task of taking care of their estranged father who they learn is suffering from dementia. The comedy is just enough to keep it from getting too depressing but not so much that it upstages the gravity of the situation.

The pacing is appropriately slow. You'll find no car chases, shootouts, contrived romances or M-Night-Shyamalanian twists; the story is not even very significant. Instead, pay attention to the relationships between the characters, their emotional disconnection from each other & the world, and their efforts to confront their lack of intimacy. What's interesting about this movie is that it begins with no details about the characters, but slowly the past emerges and is only fully explained in the final scene.

If you like movies about real life, I think you'll enjoy this. And if you're interested in films about families/people dealing with illnesses & disorders, also check out "Away From Her", "Autumn Hearts", and "Phoebe in Wonderland" ...all good movies without the standard Hollywood cheese.

Little Gem

[rddj05 · 9/10 · 16 January 2008]

If you look for honesty portrayed in film, you can't do much better than The Savages. This is an example of the type of film that rarely sees the light of day, simply because it refuses to compromise. Despite it's grim subject matter, there is plenty of humor in this film, which mainly arises from the absurdity of situations that feel so genuinely familiar. All the performances across the board are fantastic, and Ms. Jenkins was miraculously able to get funding for a film that didn't include the casting of a single "pretty young thing". Every single person in the the film genuinely looks like the real article (note: for equally impressive casting, check out Sarah Polly's "Away From Her".) There are numerous places where this film could've taken a turn into typical Hollywood schmaltz and portrayed situations in a less-than-honest way, but it's director and actors refused to go there. Thank goodness they didn't.

well crafted, but long

[xtrsmith-1 · 6/10 · 30 November 2007]

The things I didn't like about the film are a bit picky. I really enjoyed this movie though it was so depressing it made me want to kill myself at the end. I have had to deal with the loss of both my parents and The Savages is a very deft depiction worthy of acclaim. Yet at the same time there is something that happens when writers become directors: they fall in love with every word they write.

There are many scenes that should have ended earlier or been taken out. The movie is less than two hours but it feels like it goes on for four. Editors are usually too afraid to give their directors the truth when something needs to be cut.

While the performances were very strong from both PSH and LL. Laura Linney was at times a bit shrill and it didn't help her character who was walking a tightrope with the audience anyway. The chemistry as brother and sister on screen between the actors is wonderfully played and my hats go off to them. Strong performance from Philip Bosco as well.

Worth your time, if you have it to spare.

Best independent film of 2007!

[Red-125 · 10/10 · 6 January 2008]

The Savages (2007) was written and directed by Tamara Jenkins. Jenkins gets everything right in this film about three family members who barely connect with each other. Laura Linney plays Wendy Savage--a NYC playwright who works as a temp and waits for an artistic breakthrough. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays her brother Jon, who teaches drama at a college in Buffalo. Although the siblings aren't particularly hostile towards each other, they clearly don't have a close or affectionate relationship.

A health crisis makes it necessary for the two to travel to Sun City, Arizona, to care for their father. We only see Lenny Savage as an old man with dementia. He's not exactly a warm and loving person as the film opens. Moreover, we learn that he wasn't a great parent before the dementia, either. Both his son and his daughter don't keep in touch with him, nor he with them. Now they have to deal with a crisis that forces them together.

Hoffman and Linney are two of he finest actors on the screen today, and, when they play off against each other, the result is movie magic. Everything rings true--their love/hate relationship, their professional jealousy, and their disapproval of each other's love life. They aren't exactly the two people best suited to make life and death decisions about their father, but that's the reality they face, and they have to deal with it as best they can.

I've written almost 200 reviews for IMDb, and I've never even considered mentioning the casting director. This review is the exception. My compliments to Jeanne McCarthy, who has filled this movie with an extraordinary set of actors in small roles. Everyone Wendy and Jon meet looks right for the role--nurses, psychologists, administrators, aides, students, etc., etc. It would be worth seeing the movie again just to watch the actors who aren't stars.

There's also an excellent supporting actor. Peter Friedman plays Larry, the married man with whom Wendy is having an affair. Their scene in a motel room is short but both powerful and poignant. (Actually, every scene in which Linney appears is powerful and poignant, but Friedman holds his own in this one.)

We saw the movie in a theater, but an intimate film of this type should do well on DVD. Incidentally, most of the movie takes place in Buffalo, New York, and director Jenkins obviously has a real feel for the city and its people.

This may be the best independent film of 2007. Don't miss it!

finally, a movie with some realism

[MLDinTN · 6/10 · 4 November 2008]

This story was a real life family drama. It's about 2 middle aged kids whom are estranged from their father. He lives across the country and is slowly developing dementia. His girlfriend dies and they must come get him and take him home. They place him in a nursing home. It's stressful on everyone. His daughter, Wendy, is having an affair with a married man and is not that successful at writing plays. His son, Jon, is not married and seems not to care that his girlfriend must leave because her green card ran out. Both kids must rely on each other to deal with their father.

The movie has a humorous tone to it. It's not a hard nosed drama. Also the acting was good. But Linney and Hoffman usually deliver good performances.

FINAL VERDICT: The acting and story make it entertaining enough to watch.

Meet the Savages

[Chrysanthepop · 20 April 2008]

'The Savages' is a humble humane look at a part of life. Tamara Jenkins tells a powerful comedic story of two siblings struggle with their estranged, demented and dying father. For me, the characters are easy to relate to as in Wendy, Jon and Lenny, I recognize many people I know. The story does not have much of an eventful plot. It's more a study of characters and relationship and, as I mentioned earlier, a look at part of life.

The portrayal of the brother-sister relationship by Linney and Hoffman is genuine and strong thanks to the real chemistry. I was reminded of another beautiful movie, 'You Can Count On Me' which also focused on sibling relationships (and also starred Laura Linney but in a completely different role) and it was interesting to compare the older brother-younger sister bond with the older sister-younger brother bond. Both Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman are accomplished actors and it is not surprising that they were great and very natural. Philip Bosco too is brilliant as the demented father but we don't see anything of his character beyond that. The father-children is the third angle of the film and this too is authentically portrayed. The children are in a state of ambivalence about their father who was mean and abusive but whom they also want to help. Among the other performances, relative newcomer Gbenga Akinnagbe stands out.

What i liked most about it is the chemistry between the brothers but even the small moments between the main characters and the supporting ones was quite well shown within a limited screen-time, like the moment between Jon and Cara did display their true feelings and the few moments between Jimmy and Wendy show the impact it has on Wendy. Jenkins shows her good understanding of family relations and brings some of her own experience into the film. The struggle of the two siblings to get noticed, to deal with their own problems and that of their family is one many of us can associate with and it is cleverly shown with a touch of comedy in this genuine funny little film. i wanted to watch this movie at a theatre with a friend but she didn't seem too enthusiastic but I'm glad that I finally caught it. I'm looking forward to watching it on DVD again.

A Pointless, Unpleasant and Bitter Drama of Dementia, Family Responsibilities and End of Life

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 10 November 2010]

In Sun City, Arizona, the grumpy Lenny Savage (Philip Bosco) has dementia and lives with his mate Doris Metzger (Rosemary Murphy). His son Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is a professor of drama in Buffalo that is writing a book about Bertold Brecht. His daughter Wendy (Laura Linney) is a thirty-nine year-old freelancer and aspirant writer of screenplays for theater that lives in New York and has an affair with the middle-aged married man Larry (Peter Friedman). Wendy and Jon are estranged from their abusive father but when Doris dies, the siblings travel to the funeral and are surprised by her family that informs that Lenny must leave the house. Wendy and Jon bring Lenny to Buffalo and leave him in a nursing home. Along the days, they visit their father and try to improve his life.

"The Savages" is a pointless, unpleasant and bitter drama of dementia, family responsibilities and end of life. The performance of the charming Laura Linney and the outstanding Philip Seymour Hoffman are top-notch but the subject of this film is not attractive and Philip Bosco performs a non-charismatic character and when he dies in the end, the viewer feels absolute indifference. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "A Família Savage" ("The Savage Family")

Excellent Movie

[jannett · 10/10 · 30 January 2008]

I would say this is one of the most underrated movies of 2007.This movie has it all,acting,directing,comedy,true life etc.So many of us baby boomers can really identify with this movie and what the characters are going through.I had the opportunity of seeing this movie at the Toronto Film Festival in September 2007,and when the tickets went on sale to the public for the two showings they were both sold out within 30 minutes.This is a must see movie that just doesn't get the ravings that so many other movies are getting.Now that it has had two nominations for this year's Academy Awards let's hope that it gets its rightful recognition.

Like life

[karl_consiglio · 7/10 · 31 July 2008]

This film has a soft quality to it, like that of when one takes a pain killer amidst his day to day troubles. Great performances as expected by our two main actors. Its a tight film too, remains faithful to its concept. If I did not give it a higher rating its due to the lack of originality really, the end is just so plain and obvious. It has this hey what do you wanna do thats life and this is New York, you move on. Actually the most impressive role is that of the father from the beginning to the end he is the star if you ask me. I like the issues of projection regarding the two siblings. And like in life we laugh and cry almost simultaneously, well inside. Many films have been made like this, I don't know how true it is that this has what it takes to start a new genre, the coming of middle age story. Except for the fact that these two are plucked out of their separate unsettled lives to take care of their parent who never really cared for them.

Terrific!

[snzing_online · 10/10 · 7 November 2007]

I saw this at an early screening last night in LA, with Philip Seymour-Hoffman in attendance. It is a first-rate movie. The acting is impeccable, the story is subtle and engaging, the camera work is lifelike and natural.

The most impressive part of the movie for me was it's attention to detail. It is a story about three people's lives as they intersect, and while the film spotlights the interactions that ensue, it is not at the expense of other stories that are occurring in the background.

I loved it. And while the subject matter can be emotional, it has a very smart humor as well.

These actors could never fail, but this solid film falls a bit short of being something exceptional

[trekhyon5 · 7/10 · 5 June 2017]

With Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman leading, a movie is guaranteed to have some real exceptional acting in it. Such is the case with "The Savages," a quiet drama about two siblings who have to face their father's rapidly deteriorating health.

The movie handles various themes, the foremost being human fragility at different parts of one's life. Fragility is also present in both the main characters' struggle to be writers and create a legacy.

"The Savages" has a well maintained story that has an easily accessible thematic fabric to it, even if it can be called gloomy, even hopeless at times. The film did feel a tad too safe and familiar though, not really taking the kinds of risks that could have made it something truly special.

Really Great Film! Great Cast!

[margaret-175 · 9/10 · 7 November 2007]

I saw this last night at the Sedona Film Festival. This is a great movie. Although it may be a depressing subject, no one can deny that it is real life. It's one of those odd comforting type movies in that it allows the viewer to relate on a personal level.

The acting is superb. Hoffman and Linny draw you right into their lonely worlds. They deliver a poignant realistic view of adult life after being abandoned as a child. They really compliment each other. I would be happy to see some nominations in the future for this one. I also hope they get to work together again.

It's definitely a must see. Put it on your list.

Outstanding movie about a bad dad and his damaged children

[dierregi · 7/10 · 13 August 2014]

The Savages is a tough movie. It deals with unpleasant themes such as mediocrity, failed relationships and taking care of aging relatives who did not do a good job at parenting. The results are excellent, thanks to the outstanding cast and script.

It starts on a sarcastic note, with dad Lenny Savage (a great Philip Bosco) behaving badly in sunny Arizona. Lenny is an unpleasant old man, spending his retirement in a senior-only community. When his female companion dies suddenly, we learn that they were not married and that the house belonged to her. The woman's children want Lenny out ASAP, so his two estranged children, Wendy and Jon (equally great Linney and Seymour Hoffman) must come and take him back to the East Coast, where they live.

Also due to their difficult childhood – only hinted at - Wendy and Jon have issues of their own, such as being unable to have healthy, long terms relationships. Wendy is involved in a dispassionate affair with a married man and Jon cannot commit to his long-term Polish girlfriend who must leave the US before being deported. The siblings have a strained relationship of their own, fed on the frustration of having both literary ambitions, but holding mundane jobs.

The movie develops their relationship nicely, as the only metaphorical ray of sunshine in an otherwise frosty and desolate landscape. Despite the abuse they suffered at the hands of Lenny and a mother who just "left", they try to do their best to care for their hostile, demented dad, who does not show a shred of gratitude. The movie has a sort of melancholic humour and even manages to end with a much needed uplifting note. Definitely top-class film-making for discerning audiences.

We All Get Old and Die

[jzappa · 9/10 · 27 May 2008]

The advantage of writer/director Tamara Jenkins's deadpan cynicism is that it cools the audience into being completely comfortable with the story even during its least comfortable moments. Her dry-as-cardboard attitude is the key to the film's succeeding without alienating any kind of broad audience. The film is set in Buffalo, with some brief moments in the retirement communities of Florida's superficially charming waiting room of death. The two main characters, played by two of the greatest actors working right now, are not only everyday sorts in terms of their occupations as unsuccessful playwright and theater professor drudging through a book on a forgotten literary icon, but are also similar enough in their occupations to infer the sharing of interests and pursuits that fueled the by-gone good times of their sibling relationship they might've had in the past.

While the movie is quite funny, it doesn't spare the viewer anything, something that is incredibly admirable, especially for a breakthrough film for its filmmaker. The two siblings, begrudging each other, come together for the questionable but accepted task of putting their father, who is going senile, in the most suitable nursing home. But neither of them are close with him because he was quite a terrible father. There is no real sunny side to their lives, which they must painstakingly reevaluate because of what they face. Yet we delight in the comfort of a film so down to earth, disillusioned, and mature and alive enough through its wryness to find congruence with humor.

The oustanding highlights of The Savages are the two lead performances by Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman, who are so self-aware and realistic that one can't help but directly connect them with the characters they are playing. The sibling relationship they portray is one of the most endearing and natural that I've seen since Raging Bull, yet with Linney and Hoffman, there are times when something is funny but not initially designed for the audience to laugh, but for the two of them to unexpectedly laugh together despite whatever may have been happening seconds before, and thus we laugh, not out of the same situational amusement because of what we as the audience are in on that the character are not, but out of the teary sweetness and relation we feel.

Truthful Filmaking

[RockPortReview · 7/10 · 6 April 2015]

Not to be confused with the 2013 Oliver Stone movie "Savages", 2007's "The Savages" stars Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney as brother and sister dealing with their aging father. The story is all too familiar to some as the baby boomers continue to age it's up to their children to care for them. The film is written and directed by Tamara Jenkins in a very honest and sincere way that will resonate with many people.

We start out in the warm and sunny senior utopia of Sun City, Arizona. Lenny Savage, played by Philip Bosco, is the elderly antagonist in a story that starts out with a "bathroom incident". Not to long after that his girlfriend of many years literally drops dead. Since he was living with her and her kids can't stand him he is kicked out to fend for himself. His daughter Wendy Savage lives and works in New York City as a struggling author and playwright who is having an affair with an older, balding, and more importantly married man. Her older brother John Savage lives in Buffalo, he writes, teaches, and has PhD in philosophy. Both sibling are single and muddled in mid life crisis territory when they receive a call to come and do something about there estranged father. Lenny was a terrible father and their mother left the family when they were little, so it is quite amazing to see how relatively normal Wendy and John turned out. They meet at Wendy's place, then board a plane to Sun City.

Lenny has dementia and is pretty dependent on others so they make the big decision most people dread. They have to choose a nursing home were they prey on peoples guilt. Wendy asks John "Are we horrible people?" They each deal with things in their own way. Wendy feels enormous guilt, while John can only think of what his father did to him as a child. Can he forgive the abuse? Are they doing the right thing?

"The Savages" is also darkly comedic. The indignities of getting old and the many awkward moments that ensue. While bringing Lenny back to New York, they have quite the embarrassing moment on the plane. Later on at a coffee shop they have a very tough and awkward conversation about what to do with him when he eventually dies. The film is a rare and realistic approach to death and how it affects the living. It forces Wendy and John to get together and work out there problems which eventually brings them closer together. Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance earned him the Award for Best Male Lead at the Spirit Awards, while Laura Linney nabbed a Oscar Nom for best supporting actor. Tamara Jenkins also got a nod for best screenplay.

When children become the parents

[Buddy-51 · 8/10 · 24 May 2008]

As we move ever further into the 21st Century, more and more Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers are finding themselves thrust into the role of primary caregiver to their ailing and aging parents. Such a situation is challenging enough even under the best of circumstances, but what if the person who needs taking care of was never a loving and nurturing parent to begin with, or the middle-aged child has more than enough problems on his own plate to deal with? This is the dilemma faced by John and Wendy Savage, a brother and sister who have long been estranged from the father who left them when they were youngsters but who has now come back into their lives after he can no longer take care of himself. Despite the fact that the siblings feel little emotional attachment to their father, they agree to do the decent thing by caring for him in his final days, even though his dementia makes it nearly impossible for them to heal old wounds or build a filial bridge between them.

Meanwhile, John and Wendy, both unmarried and childless, aren't exactly what one would call models of highly functional and successful adults in their own right. John is a theater professor and part-time author who lives in a shabby Buffalo apartment with a girl from Poland who is being deported because John, commitment-phobic that he is, can't bring himself to marry her. Wendy is an unsuccessful playwright who pays the bills with temp jobs and has been carrying on a dead-end affair with a married man for years.

"The Savages" works on a dual level, exposing the grim realities of aging, while at the same time exploring the complexities of familial (i.e. parent-child and sibling) relationships. The strain on everyone caught in this type of a predicament can be devastating and overwhelming, and writer/director Tamara Jenkins examines the situation from all angles. John and Wendy have an understandable urge to live their own lives, and they feel ill-equipped to cope with this new burden that has been suddenly placed upon them. The situation also opens up old wounds related to their upbringing and heightens their own feelings of inadequacy and failure. John and Wendy are also not above turning against one another when the world gets to be a bit too much for them to handle, wounding each other with verbal thrusts and jabs carefully aimed at their various weaknesses and vulnerabilities.

The subject matter is obviously dark and brooding, but the filmmakers inject a surprising amount of biting, whistling-past-the-graveyard humor to help lighten the load. They are also helped in this regard by the rich and engaging performances of its three leading actors. Philip Seymour Hoffman is remarkably quiet and subdued in his role of John, the more cynical of the two children who feels a little less guilt-ridden about doing the minimum for a man who never took on the very role of paternal caregiver to his children that they are assuming for him. As the father, Philip Bosco rises to the difficult challenge of portraying a man who's lost much of his ability to connect with the world around him. But it is Laura Linney who provides the warm human center that lifts the movie above the dreary nature of its material. It is Wendy who struggles most with doing what is right by trying to make the last days of a man who abandoned her as comfortable as possible. In her every word and gesture, Linney shows that she understands the paradoxical nature of the character she is being called on to play, revealing her weaknesses and vulnerabilities, while, at the same time, showing her to be a woman of strength and character, even if she has trouble displaying much of either of those qualities in her own life. In fact, we sense that Wendy does quite a bit of growing up in the course of her struggles. Wendy may hate her father for never being there for her and her brother, but she knows maturity means moving beyond one's bitterness over the past and responding to the basic humanity of even the most undeserving among us.

What I like about "The Savages" is that it doesn't devolve into angst-ridden hand-wringing or self-aggrandizing melodramatics in dealing with its topic. Instead, in this her fifth film as a director, Jenkins illuminates a difficult subject with subtlety, insight and compassion. Definitely one worth seeing.

very well made human drama - highly recommend it

[rupie · 7/10 · 7 May 2008]

There is not a whole lot of "story" here - just a very true-to-life study of very human, very flawed people dealing with a family crisis, i.e. the debilitation of their father. Wendy and John Savage are siblings who have been none too close over the years and who were largely abandoned by their cruel father, who left them to shack up with another woman on the opposite coast. When they receive word that dad's housemate has died and dad is entering into dementia, they must face how they are going to deal with the situation, and with their very conflicted feelings toward him and each other. Again, "plot" is not the point here; we have instead a very richly textured portrait of human interrelationship, of striving and failing, of bitterness and underlying familial devotion. The movie completely held my interest through a combination of an excellent script and fine acting by all involved. It sounds like a downer (hey, not every movie can be Mary Poppins) but in the end it is uplifting, as Wendy and John discover new strengths in themselves through the experience.

Worth seeing

[mikezexcel · 9/10 · 19 January 2007]

I saw an advance screening in Los Angeles. It's not a National Geographic Special as the title might suggest, rather a family drama about the Savage family. I was curious about a project that attracted the talent of Laura Linney and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, even though I knew nothing of the movie. At first, I was turned off by an early scene involving human excrement, which I assumed was included to hook anyone who might think poo is always funny. But I warmed to the movie overall, and it actually left a deep and lasting impression on me. It is mostly dramatic, but there is enough humor for a nice balance. A particular moment I liked was when the sister (Linney) gets a plant for her dad's bedroom, and the supermarket sticker is still visible on the plastic pot. To me it represents good intentions compounded by a lack of time or focus in attention to the details, and this scene has stuck with me for some reason. This is a great movie for anyone who has, or will have, aging parents in their lives. See it.

Solid sweet and sour movie

[christophe92300 · 7/10 · 3 March 2013]

The Savages relies on a sweet and sour story, not free from flaws but very touching, and a real sense of sincerity emerges from the movie at every level.

The script, shot in a very simple and intimate way, is pretty tough but genuine and anyone can identify with the situation of the characters, played with nuance by an excellent duo, special mention to Philip Seymour Hoffman who is brilliant as always.

However, one can deplore the lack of development of Jon and Wendy's characters, because even though they kind of rediscovered each other, ultimately they didn't evolve much throughout the film despite many possibilities to explore.

The potential of the movie therefore doesn't seem to have been fully exploited and it's too bad because the end result is already solid.

Viewer discretion is advised

[bandw · 9/10 · 13 November 2008]

This is the story of a brother and sister dealing with the mental deterioration of their father. Tamara Jenkins (who wrote the screenplay) must certainly have gone through such an experience; you are spared no details. If seeing a man writing on a bathroom wall with his own excrement is more than you want to see, then perhaps this movie is not for you.

But the main thrust of the story involves the relationship between the siblings. Such an intense situation is bound to bring out raw emotions dating back to childhood, and we see that here.

This is maybe the most realistic movie I have ever seen. As in life, when experiencing such highly charged moments you tend to notice the most insignificant things and "The Savages" emphasizes that. Things like the rustle of a nurse's skirt or the sound of a door closing.

Be aware that if you have ever gone through something like what is detailed here, then the movie will provoke painful memories. That my be cathartic or it may be of comfort to realize the commonality of such experiences, but it may just leave you with difficult memories.

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney both turn in quality performances.

Another movie with a similar theme that is equally as good, or better, is "I Never Sang for My Father," with Gene Hackman and Melvyn Douglas.

Siblings Caring for Aging Parents - Hoffman Being Pure Hoffman

[iquine · 6/10 · 1 July 2022]

Found another PS Hoffman film I hadn't seen. Always, happy to get a chance to see him act with fresh eyes. This is a small little picture about an middle age brother and sister who come together as they navigate an aging father with dementia and finding him a place that'll care for him. They haven't been super close to him so the film also exposes the low-points in their relationships and personal lives that sparks sibling reactions. Finally connecting emotionally again, draws them a bit closer together. But will they see eye to eye on what to do with their father in his condition with an ounce of compassion? This is basically a film to watch P. S. Hoffman and Laura Linney act with genuine realism. This is a straight-shootin' drama with a focused story and little energy. Just a couple siblings getting through rough patches in life. Watch it for PS Hoffman and Linney.