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The Savages

R Released Nov 28, 2007 1h 53m Drama Comedy List
90% Tomatometer 173 Reviews 75% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Wendy Savage (Laura Linney), a struggling playwright, has little to do with her brother, Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a college professor and author. However, the siblings must find a way to work together when their father, Lenny (Philip Bosco), slides into senility and must be placed in a nursing home.
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The Savages

The Savages

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Critics Consensus

Thanks to a tender, funny script from director Tamara Jenkins, and fine performances from Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney, this film delivers a nuanced, beautifully three-dimensional look at the struggles and comforts of family bonds.

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Critics Reviews

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Joshua Rothkopf Time Out Rated: 4/5 Nov 17, 2011 Full Review Roger Moore Orlando Sentinel Rated: 4/5 May 13, 2009 Full Review Christopher Orr The 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. Sep 22, 2008 Full Review Mitchell Beaupre Paste Magazine Scabrously funny at times, but even the humor comes from its reckoning with the ugliness of life. Rated: 8/10 Nov 30, 2022 Full Review Joanne Laurier World Socialist Web Site The Savages underscores in a humane manner how disposable the elderly are in America and how burdened and neglected their caregivers. Mar 5, 2021 Full Review Nando Salvá Cinemanía (Spain) [Director and screenwriter Tamara Jenkins'] great dramatic achievement is in the continuous and subtle changes of tone. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 4/5 Nov 5, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Geke g Tamara jenkins is top tier director right there Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/11/24 Full Review Munkhchimeg T Really good mixture about bonding, family and struggles. Good to see deal with them. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/11/24 Full Review Bahad j The costumes of the actors seemed to be very real, as if they were in their roles. The dress is really beautiful. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/11/24 Full Review Alec C Sometimes your familial connections are your greatest burdens, but also your best support! Siblings Jon and Wendy Savage learn that their estranged father is slowly slipping into senility, so they reluctantly reunite to care for him, where they must confront their currently dysfunctional present while growing more mature in the process. A darkly comic yet emotionally provocative film that explores the chemistry between the two siblings as they grapple with their own insecurities and move forward! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/17/24 Full Review Jeff M The beauty of art is that your appreciation is inevitably affected by your life experience. I moved my grandmother into my house for many months before she passed away. When my mother unexpectedly died in 2014, I moved in with my dad to help care for him. These events led me to a much deeper appreciation for this movie than I likely would ever have known. I will never know if I have made the right decision in doing what I have done - I question it almost daily. But you do what you think is the right thing to do at the time you have to do it. And that is what the Savage children do here. There is something almost magical watching two artists at the peak of their powers join forces, and the combination of Linney and Hoffman doesn't disappoint - it's impossible to imagine anyone else in these roles. They are sublime! I think it was the late great Mike Nichols who said he liked to make movies that were hard to categorize at the video store. And this is a perfect example - is it comedy? Is it drama? It's life. And director Jenkins captures the absurdly fine line between tragedy and farce in which you often laugh and cry within the same scene. But she does it without being manipulative. My heart was so heavy during this film as I related to what was happening, but the simultaneous humor and levity evened the playing field. Is it comedy? Is it drama? It's life. And it's also one of the best movies of 2007. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/10/24 Full Review My N It is always rich to watch two masters at work, especially when one of them won't be making any more movies. Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman deliver fine performances in a story that is all too mundane--finding a nursing/rehab home for their father. Laura Linney plays the less successful younger sister, one whose emotional depth will help guide her brother in a realm that's obviously foreign to him: the world of feelings. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Savages

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Wendy Savage (Laura Linney), a struggling playwright, has little to do with her brother, Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a college professor and author. However, the siblings must find a way to work together when their father, Lenny (Philip Bosco), slides into senility and must be placed in a nursing home.
Director
Tamara Jenkins
Producer
Ted Hope, Anne Carey, Erica Westheimer
Screenwriter
Tamara Jenkins
Distributor
Fox
Production Co
This Is That Productions
Rating
R (Some Sensuality|Language)
Genre
Drama, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 28, 2007, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 15, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$6.6M
Runtime
1h 53m
Sound Mix
SDDS, DTS
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