The Savages

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The Savages

R

2007

1h 53m

Drama

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

89%

Tomatometer

171 Reviews

75%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

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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Christopher Orr

The New Republic

Sep 22, 2008

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

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Alonso Duralde

MSNBC

May 1, 2008

4/5

While writer-director Tamara Jenkins (Slums of Beverly Hills) lets things get a little mushy towards the end, the film brilliantly portrays a difficult family moment made even more complicated by her characters' overweening narcissism.

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Jonathan F. Richards

Film.com

Feb 7, 2008

It's billed as a comedy. You may or may not find much to laugh at.

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Mitchell Beaupre

Paste Magazine

Nov 30, 2022

8/10

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

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Joanne Laurier

World Socialist Web Site

Mar 5, 2021

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

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Nando Salvá

Cinemanía (Spain)

Nov 5, 2020

4/5

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

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Scott R

@ScottR Jun 4, 2026

NYT 1000 films. This drama was painful and reminded me of the issues facing our aging parents as they try to finish their lives in dignity and money often becomes an issue. Well acted, but frustrating characters and motivations. Saw on box.

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Jul 24, 2025

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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Gareth v

@geewah Jul 23, 2025

Mature storytelling that looks at adult sibiling rivalry and unresolved family issues centred around the declined of the family matriach. Linney and Hoffman as always are standouts in this movie.

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Cynthia T

@RT42766706 Feb 24, 2025

This film effectively conveyed the myriad complexities of adult sibling rivalry within the cruel realties of a less-than-ideal family history. The actors embodied their characters with humour, sensitivity and fearlessness.

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Geke g

@RT40239519 Aug 11, 2024

Tamara jenkins is top tier director right there

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Munkhchimeg T

@RT64187897 Aug 11, 2024

Really good mixture about bonding, family and struggles. Good to see deal with them.

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Tamara Jenkins

Director

Laura Linney

Wendy Savage

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Jon Savage

Philip Bosco

Lenny Savage

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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
Producer: Ted Hope, Anne Carey, Erica 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
Runtime: 1h 53m
Sound Mix: SDDS, DTS

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