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How we all approach to grips with our mortality is often previewed in how we manage the care of our elders. When that elder care is focused on a parent, as it is in Tamara Jenkins’s radiant film THE SAVAGES, it not only strikes chords with individual philosophies, but is also reveals the intricacies of family relationships that reach into play in coping with the final days of a parent’s life. Though there is miniature anecdote to this film, this is a character view about isolation, loneliness, and need that will touch the hearts of sensitive viewers.
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Wendy Savage (Laura Linney) is a frustrated unpublished playwright working as a temp, a brilliant woman whose insecurities limit her emotional activity to an affair with a ’safe’ married man Larry (Peter Friedman) . Jon Savage (Philip Seymour Hoffman), her older brother, is a professor of philosophy who is writing a book on the theater of the absurd of Bertolt Brecht while living in Buffalo with a Polish woman, Kasia (Cara Seymour), who, because Jon does not wish to commit to marriage, is forcing his only emotional tie to return to Poland when her Visa expires. Wendy and Jon were deserted by their mother at an early age, left in the care of their abusive father Lenny Savage (Philip Bosco), and both siblings have distanced themselves from their father now living in Sun City, Arizona with his girlfriend of twenty years. Lenny’s girlfriend dies and the signs of Lenny’s like a flash encroaching dementia force Wendy and Jon to sail to Arizona to ‘make arrangements’ for their demented father. Coming together under duress the two siblings are forced to confront their hold frustrations together with the realities of placing Lenny in a nursing home. Lenny is moved from Arizona to Buffalo, NY and the manner in which Jon and Wendy cope with the recent ‘family’ procedure raises problems of guilt, memories of their childhood, resentment, and ultimately the manner in which they continue with their lives.
The film could have easily become a diatribe against novel nursing home conditions, but instead Jenkins through her safe script and direction levels the playing field, allowing the family frustrations to play out in equal time with the vantage point of the caregivers (well played by David Zayas, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Margo Martindale, Tonye Patano, Nancy Lenehan, Tijuana Ricks, and others) . But the loyal power of this film comes from the bravura performances by Linney, Hoffman, and Bosco. These three actors can do more with silences and facial and body expressions that objective about anyone on the screens today. Watching these gifted actors at their trade makes for a fair film experience and one that shakes us all a bit to believe about things we don’t wish to think - death, care of the elderly, and finding life in a world that usually runs a bit on the crazy side. Another quality aspect of this film is the calm, mood enhancing musical glean by Stephen Trask, who manages to combine childlike songs with simple line piano music to underscore the intimate moods of the yarn. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, April 08
This would have been a 5 star movie if not for the ending. Even so, I would rush you to glimpse it. They got so grand correct, even perfect, in MOST parts of this film. I was waiting for the DVD to arrive out and I ordered it (as of this review, it has not arrived but I’ve seen this one already)
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UPDATE: Having now gone through the additional and special features on the DVD, I also wanted to say that they are not unprejudiced simple “add ons” but assist add perspective to this film. The actors drawl about the fact the complexities of family relationships and Seymour-Hoffman adds his seize (which can also be seen here on Amazon’s absorb snippet from the film for now) that it isn’t normal for children to be estranged from a parent. In this case, the children of a very difficult father are alienated from him.
The film struck home for me because I’m helping to care for two relatives, both elderly, one in a nursing home. Trust me, I know authenticity when it comes to catching the dynamics of family relationships, dealing with an elderly parent and all the issues that approach into play. Even in the best of situations, there are tough days. Aging can go down hard and mental and physical decline, as portrayed so aptly in this film, isn’t easy to ogle.
Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney are also estimable as brother and sister who have their beget struggles with facing reality and dealing with an disagreeable father. They have their absorb flawed and difficult lives and then, suddenly, they have total responsibility for their father, who is left without the girlfriend or backup relieve that the siblings understanding was there. Now what?
That is the status, in short. Hoffman manages to be clumsy but spicy, a trait he seems to have made into an art build in many films. In this one, he and his sister (Linney) have both tension and a bond between them. I could feel their damage when they were together and Linney’s judgment of her brother’s lifestyle…and yet they had to net a draw to earn through the state with their father as well, however awkward that might be.
Of the two, Linney is the one who tries to be the “pleaser” and fix things. She goes through bouts of denial while her brother is less edifying to turn away from reality. Yet Linney also seems to have more sympathy at times. Both Seymour-Hoffman and Linney work so well together, seeming perfectly believable as two very opposite sibling, both damaged by a very flawed parent. Now they have to care for that parent.
Everything seemed so right to me. I’d been in similar situations, faced with unexpected crisis. I know that “bumbling through” is sometimes the best we can do, although there are those of us who step up to the plate with grace, tact and composure at all times. This is a film for the rest of us.
Partly, I guess, this movie was about having to grow up, in spite of oneself. I am level-headed struggling to be bid about it because it pulled at me so strongly that it is hard to be just - or anything approaching it. I simply loved this movie! It is, however, VERY slow-paced and the drama may not appeal to those who want something less loyal. It isn’t really a feel beneficial, escapist movie. It could even be called depressing by some, although I felt inspired by it, like someone understood the particular effort of dealing with an old parent.
Also, Linney and Hoffman aren’t schmaltzy. If you want to know if this film is for you, contemplate it a “reduce of life” film about two people who have to handle a father’s physical and emotional decline, senility and all that. If that doesn’t sound interesting to you, by all means avoid it.
However, this film made me believe about aging - and I had already opinion about it plenty (or so I believed) . It gave me fresh perspective on sibling relationships, flawed parents and it also was a very bright film, in its acquire niche situation.
I enjoyed the film immensely, with the exception of the ending - and I have to be unbiased about that, so there it is. It isn’t nearly as dusky as my outline of it may get it sound. There are quirky moments and droll ones.
I do agree with the reviewer who notorious that people who like films like The Righteous Girl and Itsy-bitsy Children may also like this one. I like those types of films and am constantly intrigued by they psychological oddities of the human character. This film explores that territory, with a anecdote line titillating two siblings and an aging parent. Because so many Baby Boomers are both aging and handling elderly parents, this is a theme that deserves plenty of attention. I’m jubilant this film explores the subject.
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