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Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Philip Bosco, Peter Friedman, David Zayas ... see more see more... , Gbenga Akinnagbe , Cara Seymour , Tonye Patano , Guy Boyd , Debra Monk , Rosemary Murphy , Hal Blankenship , Joan Jaffe , Laura Palmer , Salem Ludwig , Sandy Daley , Peter Frechette , Jennifer Lim , Kristine Nielsen , Christopher Durham , Maddie Corman , Cynthia Darlow , Carmen Roman , Nancy Lenehan , Michael Higgins , Madeleine Lee Gilford , Tijuana Ricks , Margo Martindale , Erica Berg , Michael Blackson , Sidne Anderson , Patti Karr , Johnny Bolton , Zoe Kazan , Lee Sellars , Marianne Weems , Tobin Tyler , Debbie Fuhrman , Lili Liu , Max Jenkins-Goetz

A pair of siblings are forced to set aside their discomfort with one another for the sake of their father in this low-key comedy drama from writer/director Tamara Jenkins. Wendy Savage (Laura Linney) ... read more read more...is a struggling playwright living in New York City who works a day job to support herself and can't shake the feeling that she's failed as an artist. Wendy isn't especially happy about her love life either, gaining little self-esteem from her on-and-off affair with oversexed, married neighbor Larry (Peter Friedman). Wendy's anxieties about her writing career are intensified by the success of her brother, Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who teaches theater history at a college in Buffalo, NY, and has published a number of books. While Jon's life seems fine on the surface, a case of writer's block has stalled work on his latest project, and he's deeply upset that his girlfriend is soon to leave the United States to return to her native Poland. Wendy and Jon don't get along and prefer not to see one another, but an unfortunate circumstance brings them together -- their father, Lenny Savage (Philip Bosco). Elderly Lenny has began showing signs of dementia, and shortly after he takes to smearing his feces on the walls of his Arizona home, his ailing long-term girlfriend suddenly dies. Wendy and Jon have little choice but to fly to Arizona and see what can be done for Lenny, but their long-simmering animosity makes it hard for them to deal with the realities of Lenny's condition. The Savages received its world premiere at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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72% liked it

132,793 ratings

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89% liked it

167 critics

R, 1 hr. 53 min.

Directed by: Tamara Jenkins

Release Date: November 28, 2007

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DVD Release Date: April 22, 2008

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Stats: 6,251 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (6,251)

  • Tomassgringo
    June 27, 2011
    Tomassgringo
    Even with a father with dementia, I could not connect with the story or the characters.
  • MrMarakai
    April 10, 2011
    MrMarakai
    Having not experienced any of director Tamara Jenkins' films before, I went into this film expecting something along the lines of "Little Miss Sunshine" in it's supposedly humourous take on a dysfunctional family. That's not what I got but there was still plenty to enjoy from the... read more emotionally impaired characters.
    As their estranged father Lenny Savage (Philip Bosco) sinks into senility in an Arizona retirement village, Wendy (Laura Linney) and Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman) are forced to figure out how to care for the dad who never cared for them.
    This is not a comedy as some of the critics would have you believe. Yes, there are moments of comedy but no more than the humour that accompanies life and it's irony. This is a heartfelt drama, dealing with the painful responsibility that families face in our modern day, injected with humour and pathos and wonderfully acted by Linney and Hoffman - who are two of the best in the business. The relationship between the siblings is entirely believable. There is not a lot of communication between them but what's not said, is just as important. There's also not a lot going on in these peoples lives. They seem to think so but we are able to sit back and observe the avoidance they are trying to make. It also never fully discloses why the two of them have such contempt for their ailing father. It's hinted that he never had much time for them but as the film draws to a close and Wendy's creative writing and aspiration to be a successful playwright comes to fruition, a bit more is revealed as she uses her experiences as inspiration for her writing.
    A good family drama, dealing with the stuggles that are becoming ever more present in our current times, helped by subtle and very real performances. If you have the patience to invest, you'll be rewarded.
  • YLOWBSTARDreturns
    January 9, 2011
    YLOWBSTARDreturns
    Wow, finally got around to seeing this (after years of the dvd collecting dust on my shelf). A superb family drama ripe with the perfect blend of drama, comedy, and sadness. Some of the best work in both the careers of Linney and Hoffman.
  • hunterjt13
    November 12, 2010
    hunterjt13
    Technically, this is a strong film, but technicality often doesn't cut it. What it lacks is a character. or characters, to whom we can attach ourselves. At the end, I didn't think that I got to know anybody, and the scenes to which I could connect were scenes for which I did al... read morel the work; that is I connected to Jon's monologue about the emotional manipulation of nursing homes because I've been in emotionally manipulating nursing homes, not because the film showed me the gruesome details that Jon and Lenny are privy to.
    Also, I wonder if the film bites off more that it can chew. It opens the doors of an abusive father/son relationship, a failed/failing playwright, a researcher wondering if his career is worthwhile, the "dying process" as hospice workers insensitively call it, and reconnecting with a long-lost relative. Each of these themes have had its own film, and the result of shoving all of those themes into this film creates a lack of focus and a feeling of uncomfortable detachment for the audience.
    That said, Hoffman, Linney, and Bosco are fantastic. These are actors at or near the top of their game, and I can only wish that the script would've given them a greater chance to shine.
  • guaybanex
    July 12, 2010
    guaybanex
    Great performances? Check. Overwrought, angsty writing? Check. Probably a bit more self-important than it should be? Check.
  • FiLmCrAzY
    May 23, 2010
    FiLmCrAzY
    I Actually really enjoyed this movie, it is a really good dark comedy which is actually really funny!!
    its a nice story thats interestin and you get to distinguish the different personalities of the characters!
    its funnny, sad, and a cute movie that is well acted and just a ver... read morey enjoyable movie to enjoy!
    it is just a dark comedy drama that doesnt have much to the story apart from estranged family brought back together by their dying father who they've not seen in a while, through this they discover whats right and wrong in their life!
    Its a good movie and worth the watch!!
  • lewiskendell
    February 22, 2010
    lewiskendell
    There are endless variations that can be done with the family drama, which is why I tend to like this kind of movie so much. The Savages brushes against death, possible child abuse, and their effects of those things on an elderly man and his two middleaged children. I say brushes... read more, becaused the story never really delved into these issues as deeply as I hoped it would.

    Despite the fact that the plot seemed to chase its own tale a bit, I did enjoy the performances from Linney and Hoffman. The material wasn't amazing, but the two actors are so likeable that it made the movie better than it would have been, otherwise. I would have enjoyed a more focused narrative (and an ending that left more of an impression), but The Savages was still enjoyable enough for me to consider it "ok".
  • ScoopOnline
    December 11, 2009
    ScoopOnline
    I like Laura Linney Movies. A warm and touching Movie just like I expected.
  • ythelastman89
    November 17, 2009
    ythelastman89
    I liked how this movie didn't try too hard to be a comedy like it could've. There was some funny things but it was mostly a real story. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney were absolutely perfect together, their acting alone makes this movie a necessity. The dysfunctional nat... read moreure of the family was just priceless, being compatible and decent was like an Olympic challenge for them.
  • SirPant
    October 1, 2009
    SirPant
    A simple, honest and moving drama with some great performances. Having cared for dying relatives, I could relate to it a lot. I liked the fact that without being preachy, it gives us the most important lessons of all, Don't give up and it will probably all be all right in the end... read more. Loved the last scene, I think I'm going soft!

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Critic Reviews

Christopher Orr
September 22, 2008
Christopher Orr, New Republic

Linney and Hoffman are both terrific, and Jenkins's script is pointed and perceptive, but the film's arc is a little flat. Full Review

Jonathan F. Richards
February 7, 2008
Jonathan F. Richards, Film.com

It's billed as a comedy. You may or may not find much to laugh at. Full Review

Tom Long
December 26, 2007
Tom Long, Detroit News

Powerful, painful and yet unerringly funny as it points out our emotional and physical vulnerabilities, this is a film that finds the humor in tragedy while keeping both omnipresent. Full Review

John Monaghan
December 26, 2007
John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press

The Savages not only boasts Oscar-worthy performances from Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney as a self-absorbed brother and sister, its attention to detail makes it sweetly funny and genuine. Full Review

Colin Covert
December 26, 2007
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

The film is savagely funny about the indignities of old age, yet optimistic that it's never too late to have a happy childhood. Full Review

Joe Baltake
December 25, 2007
Joe Baltake, Passionate Moviegoer

Tamara Jenkins' 'The Savages': Laura Linney, The Most Overlooked Great Gctress of Her Generation, Soars with Authenticity Full Review

Susan Walker
December 21, 2007
Susan Walker, Toronto Star

The dynamic that operates throughout this film is fantasy versus reality, not just in the lives of the characters but in American life in general. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
December 21, 2007
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Tamara Jenkins has made a movie about something that lots of people are going through but nobody wants to deal with, not even in life, much less in entertainment. And she's done it fearlessly, with th... Full Review

Ty Burr
December 21, 2007
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

Smartly written and beautifully played. Full Review

Roger Ebert
December 21, 2007
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Both Linney and Hoffman are so specific in creating these characters that we see them as people, not elements in a plot. Full Review

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The Savages Trivia

  • In what film does johnny depp narrowly escape being cooked alive by a group of savages who think he is their leader  Answer »
  • In Pocahontas, what do the two worlds think of each other in a certain song  Answer »
  • Name the movie from the tidbit: 'Daniel Stern' , who plays Glen Stevenson the father of Fred Savage's Brian Stevenson, was the man responsible for the voice over narration on "The Wonder Years" (1988) in which Fred Savage starred.   Answer »
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