The Savages | Rotten Tomatoes

The Savages

R

Released Nov 28, 2007

1 hr. 53 min.

Drama

Comedy

List

90%

173 Reviews

Tomatometer

75%

100,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Wendy Savage (Laura Linney), a struggling playwright, has little to do with her brother, Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a college professor and author. However, the siblings must find a way to work together when their father, Lenny (Philip Bosco), slides into senility and must be placed in a nursing home.

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Critics 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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Alec C

Sometimes your familial connections are your greatest burdens, but also your best support! Siblings Jon and Wendy Savage learn that their estranged father is slowly slipping into senility, so they reluctantly reunite to care for him, where they must confront their currently dysfunctional present while growing more mature in the process. A darkly comic yet emotionally provocative film that explores the chemistry between the two siblings as they grapple with their own insecurities and move forward!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/17/24

Full Review

Jeff M

The beauty of art is that your appreciation is inevitably affected by your life experience. I moved my grandmother into my house for many months before she passed away. When my mother unexpectedly died in 2014, I moved in with my dad to help care for him. These events led me to a much deeper appreciation for this movie than I likely would ever have known. I will never know if I have made the right decision in doing what I have done - I question it almost daily. But you do what you think is the right thing to do at the time you have to do it. And that is what the Savage children do here. There is something almost magical watching two artists at the peak of their powers join forces, and the combination of Linney and Hoffman doesn't disappoint - it's impossible to imagine anyone else in these roles. They are sublime! I think it was the late great Mike Nichols who said he liked to make movies that were hard to categorize at the video store. And this is a perfect example - is it comedy? Is it drama? It's life. And director Jenkins captures the absurdly fine line between tragedy and farce in which you often laugh and cry within the same scene. But she does it without being manipulative. My heart was so heavy during this film as I related to what was happening, but the simultaneous humor and levity evened the playing field. Is it comedy? Is it drama? It's life. And it's also one of the best movies of 2007.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/10/24

Full Review

My N

It is always rich to watch two masters at work, especially when one of them won't be making any more movies. Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman deliver fine performances in a story that is all too mundane--finding a nursing/rehab home for their father. Laura Linney plays the less successful younger sister, one whose emotional depth will help guide her brother in a realm that's obviously foreign to him: the world of feelings.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/24/23

Full Review

Milad T

I knew about all the critical acclaim prior to seeing the film but I truly couldn't have expected such an incredible film.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/13/23

Full Review

Kyle M

Observe carefully, then you just may see how nuanced this simplistic drama on the surface really is, detailing dysfunctional roots and prevailing bonds healing whilst authentic to a potentially relatable fault, led by brilliant performances with Linney and Hoffman in particular portraying the right sibling dynamic. (B)

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/09/23

Full Review

Kevin L

This is a pretty nice flick. Seymour Hoffman and Linney work well together. They had very real brother/sister chemistry. Phillip Bosco was a great mix of angry old dad and a sad old man who doesn't have enough moments to smile about. And Peter Friedman is more than convincing as the shameless adulterer guy using Linney's Wendy as his side hustle. Well chosen dialogue that showed some experience with such familial issues and communication. Put writing like that in the minds of such skilled performers and you're likely to get something worthwhile, as is the case here. The tone is strong throughout as well, with no strident shifts to disrupt the cohesive feel. Jenkins is a good director. And I'm very glad Hoffman chose to be an actor. 3.4 stars

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

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Tamara Jenkins

Director

Laura Linney

Wendy Savage

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Jon Savage

Philip Bosco

Lenny Savage

Peter Friedman

Larry

Gbenga Akinnagbe

Jimmy

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Joshua Rothkopf

Time Out

Rated: 4/5

Nov 17, 2011

Full Review

Roger Moore

Orlando Sentinel

Rated: 4/5

May 13, 2009

Full Review

Christopher Orr

The New Republic

Linney and Hoffman are both terrific, and Jenkins's script is pointed and perceptive, but the film's arc is a little flat.

Sep 22, 2008

Full Review

Mitchell Beaupre

Paste Magazine

Scabrously funny at times, but even the humor comes from its reckoning with the ugliness of life.

Rated: 8/10

Nov 30, 2022

Full Review

Joanne Laurier

World Socialist Web Site

The Savages underscores in a humane manner how disposable the elderly are in America and how burdened and neglected their caregivers.

Mar 5, 2021

Full Review

Nando Salvá

Cinemanía (Spain)

[Director and screenwriter Tamara Jenkins'] great dramatic achievement is in the continuous and subtle changes of tone. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 4/5

Nov 5, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

Wendy Savage (Laura Linney), a struggling playwright, has little to do with her brother, Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a college professor and author. However, the siblings must find a way to work together when their father, Lenny (Philip Bosco), slides into senility and must be placed in a nursing home.

Director: Tamara Jenkins
Executive Producer: Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor, Jim Burke, Anthony Bregman, Fred Westheimer
Screenwriter: Tamara Jenkins
Distributor: Fox
Production Co: This Is That Productions
Rating: R (Some Sensuality|Language)
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 28, 2007, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 15, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $6.6M
Sound Mix: SDDS, DTS

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