The Savages

01.31.10
The Savages
(2007)
Starring: Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Laura Linney


The Savages was a film that had caught my eye on the Sundance Film Festival list when it debuted in 2007. Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman are the stereotypical-indie-emotionally-disturbed brother and sister. The premise of this film revolves around the problem of these two siblings having to deal with the uncomfortable issue of finding a suitable nursing home for a once estranged Father. Each of the lives of Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney is carefully unfolded through out the film, so as to enhance the realistic nature and in-depth character development. The viewer travels the difficult and painful road of the two protagonists fighting not only to get along, but to deal with long supressed emotional hurt from their once absent "Dad." This pictture was on the list of movies for me to watch for my Women Directors in Cinema portion of my Independent film class. Realising that this film was directed by a woman, gave me a different perspective and a deeper understanding of the form in which The Savages was created. Tamara Jenkins wrote a very sentimental and detail oriented view of old age, death, and ultimately new views on life after closely dealing with the harsh reality of death. I would purport that a male director would not have been able to cultivate such a homegrown and saccharine thread that stiched the film together to a satisfactory end.