Save the Tiger

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Save the Tiger

R

1973

1h 40m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

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32 Reviews

74%

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1,000+ Ratings

Clothing manufacturer Harry Stoner (Jack Lemmon) mourns the loss of his youthful idealism even as he seals his fate by arranging to have an arsonist (Thayer David) torch his faltering factory for the insurance settlement. Stoner's conflicts with himself, his business partner (Jack Gilford), his distant wife (Patricia Smith) and a demanding client (Norman Burton) boil over during a nightmarish presentation at a fashion show, while a free-spirited hippie girl (Laurie Heineman) offers escape.

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Critics Consensus

Jack Lemmon's outstanding performance helps Save the Tiger grab early '70s American anxiety firmly by the tail.

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

[Save the Tiger] asks us to accept Harry's own justification for what he does -- that American materialism has turned him into what he is. And this is a moral hustle that must have enchanted the movie executives who financed this picture.

Sep 29, 2023

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Kathleen Carroll

New York Daily News

Avildsen has a particular talent for recreating lifelike situations. Here, his camera works like a magnet, picking up each squalid detail.

Rated: 3/4

Jun 11, 2021

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Elston Brooks

Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com

The only thing that saves "Save the Tiger" is Lemmon's highly believable dramatic performance.

Jun 11, 2021

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Frank J. Avella

The Contending

(Lemmon's is a ferocious turn, and he’s especially extraordinary in a late scene where Harry has spent the night with a hippie hitchhiker, played superbly by Laurie Heineman...

Rated: B-

Oct 21, 2025

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

A decent drama about one man’s realization that his American dream has slowly turned into an existential nightmare.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 9, 2025

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Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

You can feel livers pickling, brains boiling and ulcers bubbling in this finger-in-the-dam drama that is a statelier, but no less existentially strenuous, precursor to "Uncut Gems." While the third act falters, it remains an effective character study.

Rated: 3.5/5

Aug 26, 2025

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Alec B

Lemmon's performance nails the character's exhaustion but the script is painfully obvious. The scene where they say the title of the movie is so absurd that you'd be forgiven for thinking it's parody.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

05/30/24

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Peter W

Overall, this is a touching, well-made drama focusing on one man dealing with extreme anxiety levels in all areas of his life. Jack Lemmon as Harry is outstanding, and audiences will appreciate the detail and depth on display even during the opening scene. While viewers may disagree with Harry's choices, you still hope that he finds peace and some form of joy by the end credits. It's a slow burn, and sadly, the third act drags on and feels slightly uncomfortable, given some of the lengthy scenes and extended dialogue that is exchanged. That being said, the finale is highly impacting, deeply touching, unpredictable, and pleasing.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/25/23

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dave s

Jack Lemmon thankfully avoids his standard anxiety-ridden, stuttering and stammering Everyman that he seems to play in every film. In John G. Avildsen's Save the Tiger, he portrays Harry Stoner, the owner of a clothing manufacturing factory, a man who longs for the simpler times of the past, seemingly unable to come to terms with the present, especially with regards to his struggling, financially strapped business. Lemmon shows impressive restraint throughout, giving a subtle performance of quiet desperation as he watches his moral compass slip away. The movie, despite feeling a bit dated (especially over the last twenty minutes), works on the strength of its script, Lemmon's performance, as well as the performance of Jack Gilford as Stoner's business partner and voice of reason.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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steve d

the only real reason to watch is Jack Lemmon and that is enough.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

Great film, great performance Perfectly captures the malaise of the times.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

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Audience Member

Mucho drama para mi gusto.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

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John G. Avildsen

Director

Jack Lemmon

Harry Stoner

Jack Gilford

Phil Greene

Laurie Heineman

Myra

Norman Burton

Fred Mirrell

Patricia Smith

Janet Stoner

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Synopsis

Clothing manufacturer Harry Stoner (Jack Lemmon) mourns the loss of his youthful idealism even as he seals his fate by arranging to have an arsonist (Thayer David) torch his faltering factory for the insurance settlement. Stoner's conflicts with himself, his business partner (Jack Gilford), his distant wife (Patricia Smith) and a demanding client (Norman Burton) boil over during a nightmarish presentation at a fashion show, while a free-spirited hippie girl (Laurie Heineman) offers escape.

Director: John G. Avildsen
Producer: Steve Shagan, Martin Ransohoff
Screenwriter: Steve Shagan
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Filmways Pictures, Jalem Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 14, 1973, Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 1, 2012
Runtime: 1h 40m

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