Savage Grace

Released May 30, 2008

1 hr. 37 min.

Drama

LGBTQ+

List

38%

96 Reviews

Tomatometer

38%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

This examination of a famous scandal from the 1970s explores the relationship between Barbara Baekeland (Julianne Moore) and her only son, Antony (Eddie Redmayne). Barbara, a lonely social climber unhappily married to the wealthy but remote plastics heir Brooks Baekeland (Stephen Dillane), dotes on Antony, who is homosexual. As Barbara tries to "cure" Antony of his sexuality -- sometimes by seducing him herself -- the groundwork is laid for a murderous tragedy.

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Critics Consensus

Though visually compelling, the lamentable characters in Savage Grace make for difficult viewing.

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Fong Kok Hoong F

This adaptation of the book of the same name by Natalie Robins and Steven M.L. Aronson is repulsively tantalizing and terrifically acted (both leads would win Oscars for their respective leading roles in 2015) and the distaste of the incestuous relationship between American socialite Barbara Daly Baekeland and her son, Antony, lingers like tobacco smoke in a sickroom left vacant.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

10/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Julianne Moore was incredible as always. I don't like Eddie Redmayne. Its not like he is a bad actor. Its just his face. He is a very odd looking boy. He is always playing fruity guys . The movie was warped but watchable. I liked the way Julianne never seem to age even when the time frame moved forward in years. I read the story is fabricated to a degree but it still makes it more interesting that is it true. Not to bad. Mother/Son sex scene was a little uncomfortable to watch

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

you're tired of everything.. Savage Grace When there is an unusual plot or indigestible track like this, it becomes very essential for the feature to be character driven to justify the nature of it which fails on all levels in here. Not only is Tom Kalin, a weak link in this project but also the writer Howard A. Rodman whose adaptation is too thin to possess any logical reasoning. Whilst on the other side, performance is what factors and favors in as Julianne Moore and Eddie Redmayne both are in their A game. Savage Grace fails to deliver in any level due to lack of proper and experienced supervising of the makers and also for it never had enough material in the first place.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

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Audience Member

It was good. I liked it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

ari s

What a tornado in a oddly chaos works way but only because of the the performances lead by Julianne Moore who played this to a T reminded me of a mix of her previous work on map to the stars behavior mixed with don Jon just highly unpredictable and like a car crash you can't stop watching. The script was too loose with the childhood redmayne had because in order to get to that last scene I felt like he needed a bit more reason in his early years. Either way I didn't expect the ending but wow it stuck with me. Worth watching if you like these actors and appreciate something you really don't see in film all too often.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

THIS IS A REBOOT OF A REVIEW I WROTE BACK IN 2007 I had heard good things about this little movie from several friends what with its gay undertones and the fact that it stars Julianne Moore, so when I saw it pop up on Movie Central I was excited to see it. Unfortunately that excitement was quickly washed away by a film that is heavy handed, self indulgent and only adequately acted. Based on truth, it's the story of the murder of socialite Barbara Daly Baekeland. I was unfamiliar with this bit of history which apparently caused quite a stir in the early 1970's and to be honest, this production didn't make me feel much more enlightened. There's a strong performance from Julianne Moore, who is always great, but she's been much better in other films with homoerotic under themes such as "Far from Heaven", which is one of my favs. Unfortunately, she's surrounded by actors who really can't stand up to her screen presence and she easily out paces the other thesps such as young Eddie Redmayne who plays the gay, psychotic son, Anthony. The movie unfolds a bit like a Greek tragedy, what with it's themes of incest, betrayal, homosexuality and murder. But for me it was like eating a Greek salad without the feta cheese and olives...it looks good but it doesn't have any flavor.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

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Tom Kalin

Director

Julianne Moore

Barbara Daly Baekeland

Stephen Dillane

Brooks Baekeland

Eddie Redmayne

Tony Baekeland

Elena Anaya

Blanca

Hugh Dancy

Simon

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Ben Kenigsberg

Time Out

Rated: 3/5

Nov 18, 2011

Full Review

Melissa Anderson

Time Out

Rated: 2/5

Nov 17, 2011

Full Review

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

A sick-room torpor hangs heavily about this masterfully controlled, elegantly composed movie by Tom Kalin.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 18, 2008

Full Review

David Walsh

World Socialist Web Site

The film doesn't resonate with much or any of this, to its cost. It is too dry, too isolating, too passive. All in all, the makers of Savage Grace settled for far too little.

Feb 13, 2021

Full Review

Carlos Marañón

Cinemanía (Spain)

One of those classic morbid but elegant Vanity Fair articles. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 2/5

Nov 2, 2020

Full Review

Debbie Lynn Elias

Behind The Lens

Visually stunning and performance driven, Savage Grace has a carnal savagery that will ravage sensibilities and senses.

Nov 15, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

This examination of a famous scandal from the 1970s explores the relationship between Barbara Baekeland (Julianne Moore) and her only son, Antony (Eddie Redmayne). Barbara, a lonely social climber unhappily married to the wealthy but remote plastics heir Brooks Baekeland (Stephen Dillane), dotes on Antony, who is homosexual. As Barbara tries to "cure" Antony of his sexuality -- sometimes by seducing him herself -- the groundwork is laid for a murderous tragedy.

Director: Tom Kalin
Executive Producer: John Wells, Temple Fennell, Johnathan Dorfman, Hengameh Panahi, Stephen Hays, Peter M. Graham II, Howard Morales
Screenwriter: Howard A. Rodman
Distributor: IFC First Take
Production Co: Killer Films, Videntia Frames Producciones S.L., Monfort Producciones S.L.
Genre: Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 30, 2008, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 8, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $434.4K

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