Official Synopsis:
"In her consummately executed, irreverent drama The Savages, Tamara Jenkins achieves a rare storytelling feat: making us simultaneously laugh and cry. In what may evolve into a new genre, the coming-of-middle-age story, she has captured all the pain and misgivings that befall a pair of adult siblings, suddenly plucked from their very absorbed lives and forced to care for a parent who never much bothered to care for them..." - Geoffrey Gilmore, Sundance Film Festival

Our Take:
Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman are some of the most notable heavyweight actors in the independent film movement. Really, they’re some of the best actors working today, but in terms of popularity and familiarity they are not the stars they deserve to be. Luckily for us independent film nuts we can watch their greatness and get excited every time we see them on the screen. Now, a film with the two together… what more can you ask for? Many great actors have been in films together and they have been less the stellar, but in the hands of the talented Tamara Jenkins, The Savages is a hysterical, poignant, dark comedy.

The Savages tells the simple story of two siblings, Jon and Wendy Savage, now in their thirties and forced to take care of their once abusive father, Lenny, as he goes into a nursing home and suffers from dementia. The two siblings are, at the moment, stuck in their own lives because of the emotional problems their father created. Of course this doesn’t sound like a comedy but the superbly talented Jenkins knows the right way to find the comedy in as sad a story as this one.

By keeping the film real she is able to find those awkward moments we never think about when dealing with death. For example, there is a scene early on were Jon and Wendy have to go help their father, who now lives in Arizona, after his girlfriend has died. Unsure what to do when meeting the grieving fifty year old children of the dead girlfriend, they buy a cheesy Hallmark card and a balloon. There is a shot in the film of just Philip Seymour Hoffman lamely holding a balloon while trying to help console the kids that makes me laugh harder then most comedies that came out last year. The film is just filled with these moments that make us laugh but at the same time have a firm foot in reality.

Jenkins paints the Savages as adult children; fully functional but at the same time emotionally holding back and creating problems in their lives.  They are both struggling to achieve their goals but not willing to put in the work or risk necessary to achieve them. John’s character wants to be an author of non-fiction but is still unpublished and working for a second-rate university. Wendy Savage works temp jobs while waiting for a foundation to give her a grant so she can finish working on a play. Either one of them is ready to put some serious effort and risk into completing their goals and at the same time aren’t willing to put the effort into a serious relationship. The characters’ flaws are always on their sleeves and so we are able to laugh at the situations they get themselves in to.

If only the DVD was as good as the film. It lacks a commentary track or an insightful making-of. It tries to make up for it with a collection of photographs taken by the director and her husband Jim Taylor (Alexander Payne’s writing and producing partner) but it doesn’t make up for the lack of features.

* About the Savages (20 minutes) – A decent making-of.

* Directors Snapshots - A collection of black and white photographs taken by the director and her husband Jim Taylor.

* Extended Scenes.

In many ways, The Savages is about these two kids finally coming of age and acting like adults, getting out of their childlike habits and becoming productive adult human beings. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney are just wonderful together. They play off each other beautifully and each of their comedy timing is spot on. Never do they evolve into cartoon characters or irritating narcissists. They find the likeability in these characters and the humor, allowing us to love and laugh with them at the same time. If you’re like me and love small, personal films that find the funny in the everyday, you owe to yourself to check this out.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Overall Picture:
Movie: A
DVD: B-

- Adam Rettek
Staff Writer