The Savages, 2007

The Savages is one of those rare films that isn't well known, but those who do know it, love it. There is a magnificent scene near the end of the film where Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a professor, is explaining to his class the difference between dramatic and epic theater. Dramatic theater relies on emotion, while epic theater makes you think. The beauty of The Savages is that it does both. This movie is so devastatingly powerful, it's almost unbearable. That's the point, and why those that dare venture into it will be rewarded with a magnificent epic dramatic comedy. Jon and Wendy Savage(Laura Linney) are two highly educated, pretentious, career driven siblings in their late 30s. They're mother is absent and their father is living with his girlfriend in a retirement community. The girlfriend dies and now Lenny Savage (Philip Bosco) needs living assistance and the help of John and Wendy. The need to come together as a family allows each to evaluate their lives, their childhood, and come to grips with the inevitable death of their father. Family is the strongest bond, no matter how degrading and verbally abusive a parent can be. We see it repeatedly and hear about children coming back to a miserable parent, because what else are they going to do? Guilt is the second most powerful emotion to love in The Savages. Each scene has such crushing truth that we can't help but be drawn in. If we haven't had these same things happen to our families, we certainly know someone who has. The Savages is personal, deep and sincere. At first we laugh, we enjoy the faux pas, but then the levity vanishes, and we start to question what we would do. Are you Jon? Are you Wendy? Do we worry about careers, sibling rivalries? How do we handle the stress of a family crisis? Would you want your kids to be like Wendy and Jon? Are they already? Five stars.

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The always talented Laura Linney and Phillip Seymour Hoffman play two brainy, sardonic, depressed siblings in this slow-moving picture that, despite a few stabs at originality, feels like it was written and directed by consulting "An Idiot's Guide to Making A Quirky Indie Dramedy" (written by Wes Anderson, naturally). Still, unoriginal doesn't always mean terrible, and, despite its more plodding stretches (which had me dozing off), this is a film with a lot of heart that warrants little other criticism. If you're a fan of the writer or any of the actors involved, or are just having one of those nights where you need to be assured that it IS possible to have a life more depressing or a family more dysfunctional than yours, I recommend this movie.

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