The Savages

By Jenny Siddle
January 25, 2008

There was much buzz surrounding The Savages during the festival circuit this year as people were raving about this so-called "serious comedy," regarding the burden of dementia on an unsuspecting family. If the oxymoron alone wasn't enough to get my attention, the star-studded line-up was. Veteran actress Laura Linney, one of my all-time favourite actors, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, shine in this amusing but inevitably painful "coming of middle-age" story that, to many, is unfortunately all too familiar.

The non-committal, no-nonsense Jon Savage (Hoffman) and his neurotic, under achieving sister, Wendy (Linney) are both middle-aged writers living on the American east coast. The siblings are far removed from their once abusive father, Lenny (Philip Bosco) who now resides in Arizona with his long time girlfriend, Doris. Jon and Wendy, who have lost touch with each other as well, are forced to unite under unfortunate circumstances when Doris passes away, leaving their elderly father homeless. Upon arriving in Arizona, the siblings discover that their father has not only aged terribly, but is now suffering from dementia. Realizing that Lenny is on his last legs, Wendy and Jon are forced to find a full care facility close to home for their father so that they can be with him for his final days.

Having seen this scenario first-hand in my own family, I was amazed at how familiar I was with the story as it unfolded. From the feelings of embarrassment of having a loved one holler at you in public without an ounce of recognition as to who you are, to the humiliation of watching a formerly independent man fumble to a bathroom as his oversized pants drop to his knees, exposing his adult diapers in a room full of people - I re-lived my most disconcerting memories of dealing with my aging grandparents all over again while watching this film. I've tried so hard to suppress these same memories in light of the fonder times with them. I should have been mortified. And yet, I still managed to chuckle throughout this movie - not at the expense of any of the characters, but at the absolute poignancy in how it was told.

In only her second feature film, writer/director Tamara Jenkins focuses on a common period of life that is so often ignored in films. We see ourselves so many times in this film, and wince at the decisions we make even though there are no plausible alternatives. Her attention to the forgettable details of humanity make this slice-of-life story truly stand out.

The one main criticism I heard going into this film, concerned its characters. Some have said the film was difficult to watch because there is no character likeable enough to root for. I'll admit, neither of the siblings are angels by any means. Jon is an emotionally detached workaholic who is more consumed by his forthcoming book about the German playwright Bertolt Brecht than he is about either his ailing father or his deteriorating love life. Wendy is a white-lie telling worrywart who is having an affair with a married man. I suppose it does sound bad on paper. However, I had no problem feeling for this fumbling duo as they battled with the tough financial and moral decisions of how to appropriately care for a father who never bothered to care for them as kids. We see such realistic struggles of doubt, guilt, remorse, and anger between these two characters, acted brilliantly by both Hoffman and Linney. We even manage to witness them looking out for each other in their own detached, non-confrontational ways.

I saw many opportunities for the writer/director to take this story in a more "Hollywood" route, making a more exciting, feel-good atmosphere by the end. I just want to say kudos to Tamara Jenkins for not doing so. The fact that she never exploits nor cheapens the scenarios in this film and still manages to pull off a "comedy" is a notable accomplishment. I look forward to her next project - let's just hope she doesn't take another ten years to complete one.

Limited Release Date: November 30, 2007
Running Time: 1 hour, 53 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Tamara Jenkins
Producers: Anne Carey, Ted Hope, and Erica Westheimer
Executive Producers: Anthony Bregman, Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Talyor, and Fred Westheimer
Screenplay: Tamara Jenkins
Director of Photography: W. Mott Hupfel III
Editor: Brian A. Kates
Music: Stephen Trask