The Savages
Fox Searchlight Pictures | Release Date: November 28, 2007
7.5
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 104 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
78
Mixed:
19
Negative:
7
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
6
beingryanjudeSep 3, 2014
Siblings' look at life, death, relationships and love. I never would have anticipated Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney as an on-screen match, but they are!
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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4
RobertI.Feb 2, 2008
Wallows in the grunge of everyday pain without the necessary drama to elevate the action. Dirty countertops, scarred lives, and a nursing home that doesn't look as soiled as it might. Real life has more tang.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
ET.Dec 3, 2007
It was good -- but not great. a little slow / boring in the second act.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
FredGJan 2, 2008
This movie will mean more to people who have experienced the nursing home option with their own parent(s). It handles the difficult subjects well and honestly, but does not deliver on the true difficulty a senior experiences in a nursing This movie will mean more to people who have experienced the nursing home option with their own parent(s). It handles the difficult subjects well and honestly, but does not deliver on the true difficulty a senior experiences in a nursing home. The father adapted to the nursing home too gracefully and died too quickly. I hope to one day see an honest portrayal of the nursing home experience, including its impact on the "client" and his family. This film tries and succeeds on many levels, which is why I rate it a six. I also recommend "With Honors". Joe Pesci and Brendon Frazer really drive the eldercare issue home. The ending of The Savages is interesting to say the least. Without blowing the ending, I'll just say that guilt plays a interesting role in Linney's decision.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
AgathaXMar 4, 2008
Real life is simply not this relentlessly bleak unless you work at it very hard. Phllip Seymour Hoffman was the highlight, bringing what bits of humor there were, though his character was the least involved. The best I can say about Laura Real life is simply not this relentlessly bleak unless you work at it very hard. Phllip Seymour Hoffman was the highlight, bringing what bits of humor there were, though his character was the least involved. The best I can say about Laura Linney was that she was convincingly unlikeable. Except on rare occasions where she was unconvincingly unlikeable--as when she wrestled a pillow out of the embrace of a wheelchair bound elderly woman, or told her brother a whopper befitting an 8 year old. When I saw the film, about 3/4 of the way into the picture an old man in the back yelled out that this was a stupid move. Right there with ya brother. A friend and I who suffered through the Squid and the Whale and both consider it one of the most unpleasant and pointless movies we have ever sat through (albeit well acted) use that as landmark for measuring how bad a movie is. This was slightly better than Squid and Whale.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
MatthewBJun 8, 2009
Mediocre, predictable, god-awfully sincere writing almost drowns three fine actors.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
DWillyDec 7, 2007
If it had maintained the quality of its first twenty minutes, this film might deserve the good reviews; but without any real plot to speak of, a muddy tone, behind the beat editing and by-the-munbers camera work, it required the quality of If it had maintained the quality of its first twenty minutes, this film might deserve the good reviews; but without any real plot to speak of, a muddy tone, behind the beat editing and by-the-munbers camera work, it required the quality of the acting (especially Phillip Seymour Hoffman who really seems to be hitting his fantastic, egoless stride) to keep this thing watchable. Bad title.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
KenN.Apr 20, 2008
A mildly interesting failure of a film that aims to depict 2 "realistic" adult characters suddenly faced with taking care of their elder father. The tone of the film is almost constantly off kilter. Sure I get the few dark comic moments but A mildly interesting failure of a film that aims to depict 2 "realistic" adult characters suddenly faced with taking care of their elder father. The tone of the film is almost constantly off kilter. Sure I get the few dark comic moments but those scenes arent that clever or memorable. Meanwhile most of the film is unrelentingly depressing. The lead actors do a fine job but it really doesnt matter. The film is a pointless bore with a too-easy ending.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
KaseyS.Mar 17, 2008
I must have missed something. I love both actors, but did not see what all of the fuss is about. Story is flat and unreedeming. The actors make it watchable.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
4
JohnCDec 22, 2007
A depressing look at a depressing subject. Ignore all references to "comedy" or "funny" or you will be misled. Beautifully acted, of course. Putting Laura Linney in a dark wig was a big mistake. And will someone please buy the DP a tripod!
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
FilipeNetoMay 25, 2021
Personally, I expected more from this film. The idea is good, and the family drama was well done, but a lot of it is based on the excellent work of the actors and not so much on the merit of the story told. I appreciated the work of thePersonally, I expected more from this film. The idea is good, and the family drama was well done, but a lot of it is based on the excellent work of the actors and not so much on the merit of the story told. I appreciated the work of the actors, but that is not enough to make a good film. It's bearable, it's worth it from the point of view of dramatic work, but that's basically it.

The story revolves around an elderly man who begins to suffer from Alzheimer's and dementia. He has two children: one is a drama teacher and the other is a freelancer who has an affair with a married man. The family's past was not the best, and the two have harsh memories of their father, of a complicated childhood, and returning to take care of their father, although it is an obligation, is not an easy task for either of them. However, they come back, look for a home for him and try to take care of him in the last days of his life.

The film is a well-constructed drama, but it doesn't have much to give the audience other than a succession of dialogues and familiar scenes of conflict and tension. It is a somewhat tiring film after some time, and the feeling I got is that we spent almost two hours watching fights based on or originating in quarrels from the family past. Another problem with this film is the fact that there is no empathy between the audience and the characters.

Instead of a more appealing or interesting story, the film presents us with an excellent work of acting and interpretation by Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney. The two actors are very good and have given themselves completely to their characters, developing them very well and revealing a psychology and a considerable wealth of feelings, which is not usual in the most "mainstream" films today. Philip Bosco gives life to the disagreeable father and is quite good at this task, but he has very little to do. Peter Friedman and Rosemary Murphy appear in frankly secondary characters and can add little.

Technically, it is a discreet and frankly uninteresting film. Cinematography is limited to the basics and I have not seen any effects worth mentioning. The soundtrack is almost silent and the feeling I had is that the film has an excessively slow and dragged rhythm in some parts, which was not pleasant.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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