The Savages2007
The Savages (2007)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic 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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Cast
as Wendy Savage
as Jon Savage
as Lenny Savage
as Jimmy
as Kasia
as Eduardo
as Larry
as Ms. Robinson
as Bill Lachman
as Nancy Lachman
as Doris Metzger
as Burt
as Lizzie
as Real Estate Agent
as Mr. Sperry
as Attendant
as Attendant
as Matt
as Manicurist
as Nurse
as Doctor
as Annie
as Nurse No. 2
as Administrator
as Counselor
as Resident No. 1
as Resident #2
as Resident No. 2
as Valley View Nurse
as Roz
as Woman in Parking Lot
as Howard
as Simone
as Woman With Red Pillow
as Father in Mall Lot
as Father in Mall Lot
as Student
as Father
as Father
as Director
as Valley View Nurse No. 2
as Physical Therapist
as Manicurist #2
as Boy
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Critic Reviews for The Savages
All Critics (168) | Top Critics (44) | Fresh (149) | Rotten (19) | DVD (4)
Linney and Hoffman are both terrific, and Jenkins's script is pointed and perceptive, but the film's arc is a little flat.
It's billed as a comedy. You may or may not find much to laugh at.
Jenkins' brushstrokes of her characters are too exacting to move us more than a lifelike painting of a basket of fruit. We can be awed at the techniques, but walk away empty.
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.
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.
The Savages isn't cheery holiday fare, ... and yet Jenkins makes her film unexpectedly uplifting, in a small-scale, real-life kind of way.
Audience Reviews for The Savages
Heartbreaking. A real film.
Super Reviewer
Sometimes dysfunctional families make us laugh, or even cry. This one could cause a slight depression. When the Savage siblings have to deal with their father in the beginning stages of dementia and see each other more often than they are comfortable with. Considering the names in the leading roles it's not very surprising that the acting is top notch. There are also a few very amusing parts, mostly the kind of humor that makes you feel ashamed for other's actions. But to the honest, the rest of the film is a little too bleak and depressing to really warrant a second look. The final frame redeems some of that impression, but overall I wondered what the creators were trying to tell us. Life is uncomfortable and then you die?
Super Reviewer
Even with a father with dementia, I could not connect with the story or the characters.
Super Reviewer
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