The Savages (2007)

A sister and brother face the realities of familial responsibility as they begin to care for their ailing father.

Director:

Tamara Jenkins

Writer:

Tamara Jenkins

Stars:

Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Philip Bosco

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 17 wins & 31 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Laura Linney	...	Wendy Savage
Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Jon Savage
Philip Bosco	...	Lenny Savage
Peter Friedman	...	Larry
David Zayas	...	Eduardo
Gbenga Akinnagbe	...	Jimmy
Cara Seymour	...	Kasia
Tonye Patano	...	Ms. Robinson
Guy Boyd	...	Bill Lachman
Debra Monk	...	Nancy Lachman
Rosemary Murphy	...	Doris Metzger
Hal Blankenship	...	Burt
Joan Jaffe	...	Lizzie
Sage Kirkpatrick	...	Real Estate Agent (as Laura Palmer)
Salem Ludwig	...	Mr. Sperry

Storyline

Jon and Wendy Savage are two siblings who have spent their adult years trying to recover from the abuse of their abusive father, Lenny Savage. Suddenly, a call comes in that his girlfriend has died, he cannot care for himself with his dementia and her family is dumping him on his children. Despite the fact Jon and Wendy have not spoken to Lenny for twenty years and he is even more loathsome than ever, the Savage siblings feel obliged to take care of him. Now together, brother and sister must come to terms with the new and painful responsibilities with their father now affecting their lives even as they struggle with their own personal demons Lenny helped create.

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Plot Keywords:

dementia | theater for the new city | voice mail | hug | federal emergency management agency | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some sexuality and language

Details

Official Sites:

Fox Searchlight [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English German Cantonese

Release Date:

1 February 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

La famille Savage

Filming Locations:

Buffalo, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$151,859, 2 December 2007, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$6,610,326, 27 April 2008

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Searchlight Pictures, Lone Star Film Group, This Is That Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Philip Bosco previously appeared in Nobody's Fool (1994).

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Goofs

When Larry drives to Buffalo to pick-up Wendy for the day, he brings his dog, the cat, and the house-plant. They all leave together and when they end up in the hotel room, the dog is gone. Then when Larry drops off Wendy back at John's house, she has her cat and house-plant but Larry's dog is still missing.

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Quotes

Wendy Savage: Dad has been writing on the walls with his shit!
Jon Savage: [half asleep] Wen, what the fuck are you talking about?

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Connections

Features The Jazz Singer (1927)

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Soundtracks

You Make Me Feel So Young
Written by Mack Gordon and Josef Myrow
Performed by Hal Blankenship and Joan Jaffe with Timo Elliston on piano and Saadi Zain on bass

User Reviews

Best independent film of 2007!

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!