Main Cast: Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Philip Bosco, Peter Friedman, David Zayas
Release Year: 2007
Country: US
Run Time: 113 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
A pair of siblings are forced to set aside their discomfort with one another for the sake of their father in this low-key comedy drama from writer/director Tamara Jenkins. Wendy Savage (Laura Linney) is a struggling playwright living in New York City who works a day job to support herself and can't shake the feeling that she's failed as an artist. Wendy isn't especially happy about her love life either, gaining little self-esteem from her on-and-off affair with oversexed, married neighbor Larry (Peter Friedman). Wendy's anxieties about her writing career are intensified by the success of her brother, Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who teaches theater history at a college in Buffalo, NY, and has published a number of books. While Jon's life seems fine on the surface, a case of writer's block has stalled work on his latest project, and he's deeply upset that his girlfriend is soon to leave the United States to return to her native Poland. Wendy and Jon don't get along and prefer not to see one another, but an unfortunate circumstance brings them together -- their father, Lenny Savage (Philip Bosco). Elderly Lenny has began showing signs of dementia, and shortly after he takes to smearing his feces on the walls of his Arizona home, his ailing long-term girlfriend suddenly dies. Wendy and Jon have little choice but to fly to Arizona and see what can be done for Lenny, but their long-simmering animosity makes it hard for them to deal with the realities of Lenny's condition. The Savages received its world premiere at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Gbenga Akinnagbe - Jimmy; Cara Seymour - Kasia; Tonye Patano - Ms. Robinson; Guy Boyd - Bill Lachman; Debra Monk - Nancy Lachman; Rosemary Murphy - Doris Metzger; Hal Blankenship - Burt; Joan Jaffe - Lizzie; Laura Palmer - Real Estate Agent; Salem Ludwig - Mr. Sperry; Sandy Daley - Attendant; Peter Frechette - Matt; Jennifer Lim - Manicurist; Kristine Nielsen - Nurse; Christopher Durham - Doctor; Maddie Corman - Annie; Cynthia Darlow - Nurse #2; Carmen Roman - Administrator; Nancy Lenehan - Counselor; Michael Higgins - Resident #1; Madeleine Lee Gilford - Resident #2; Tijuana Ricks - Valley View Nurse; Margo Martindale - Roz; Erica Berg - Woman in Parking Lot; Michael Blackson - Howard; Sidné Anderson - Simone; Patti Karr - Woman With Red Pillow; Johnny Bolton - Father in Mall Lot; Zoe Kazan - Student; Lee Sellars - Father; Marianne Weems - Director; Tobin Tyler - Valley View Nurse #2; Debbie Fuhrman - Physical Therapist; Lili Liu - Manicurist #2; Max Jenkins-Goetz - Boy
Credit
Mario R. Ventenilla - Art Director, Suttirat Anne Larlarb - Art Director, Paul Koronkeiwicz - Boom Operator, Jeanne McCarthy - Casting, Lori Keith Douglas - Co-producer, David C. Robinson - Costume Designer, Maggie McFarland - Costume Designer, Chip Signore - First Assistant Director, Tamara Jenkins - Director, Brian A. Kates - Editor, Alexander Payne - Executive Producer, Jim Burke - Executive Producer, Jim Taylor - Executive Producer, Fred Westheimer - Executive Producer, Anthony Bregman - Executive Producer, Mike King - Location Manager, Steven Weisberg - Location Manager, Robert W. Davis - Location Manager, Denton Hanna - Location Manager, Stephen Trask - Composer (Music Score), Randall Poster - Musical Direction/Supervision, Peter Agliata - Camera Operator, Jane Ann Stewart - Production Designer, Mott Hupfel - Cinematographer, Ted Hope - Producer, Anne Carey - Producer, Erica Westheimer - Producer, Fred Westheimer - Producer, Mike Russo - Stunts Coordinator, Robin Nelson Sweet - Unit Production Manager, Tamara Jenkins - Screenwriter, Michael Lizzio - Production Assistant, Josh Bluth - Production Assistant, Dave Harter - Production Assistant, June McCarthy-Dimming - Production Assistant, Laura Felschow - Production Assistant, Nick Adrian - Production Assistant, Ryan Detzel - Production Assistant, Heather Gross - Sound Effects Editor, Steve McAuliff - Animal Trainer/Wrangler, Kim Krafsky - Animal Trainer/Wrangler, Michael Castillo - Digital Effects, Dan Hersey - First Assistant Camera, John Yirak - First Assistant Camera, Diana Cleland - First Assistant Camera, Ken Shibata - Gaffer, Divine Cox - Grip, Anthony Arnaud - Grip, Steve Pelequin - Grip, Jay Coolidge - Grip, Mike Frederickson - Grip, Scott Hess - Grip, Travis Holt Hamilton - Grip, Travis Quegan - Grip, Joe Bunce - Grip, Jimmy MacMillan - Key Grip, Amanda Goodpaster - Music Editor, Joseph Bonn - Music Editor, Jonathan Ferrantelli - Post Production Supervisor, Meghan K. Wicker - Production Coordinator, Connie Hoy - Production Coordinator, Mike Ryan - Production Supervisor, Christian W. Russhon - Properties Master, Jeff Butcher - Properties Master, Roberto Fernandez - Re-Recording Mixer, Dominick Tavella - Re-Recording Mixer, Benjamin Cheah - Re-Recording Mixer, Mariana Hellmund - Script Supervisor, Christopher Carroll - Second Assistant Director, Jesse Nye - Second Assistant Director, Alfonso Trinidad - Second Assistant Director, J.C. Brotherhood - Special Effects Coordinator, William Shackleton Arnot - Steadicam Operator, Nick Allen - Steadicam Operator, Mark Fellman - Still Photographer, Andy Schwartz - Still Photographer, Benjamin Cheah - Supervising Sound Editor, Joanna Brett - Assistant Costumer Designer, Claudia Breckinridge - Assistant Hair, Eric Wrolstad - Assistant Location Manager, Kimberly Feinman - Assistant Location Manager, Casandra Keating - Assistant Makeup, Dionne Pitsikoulis - Assistant Makeup, Loretta James-Demasi - Assistant Makeup, Alison Davis - Assistant Production Coordinator, Andrew Putnam-Nelson - Assistant Production Coordinator, Keith Mosca - Assistant Properties, Olenka Denysenko - Assistant Properties, Kley Gilbuena - Assistant Properties, Jon Scardino - Assistant Properties, Eric Mcallister - Assistant Sound Editor, Leighton Edmondson - Best Boy Electric, Dave Bull - Best Boy Electric, Dave McAllister - Best Boy Grip, Rick Seeberg - Best Boy Grip, Ian Carmody - Camera Loader, Kevin Kilcher - Camera Loader, Morgan Donaho - Casting Assistant, Nicole Abellera - Casting Associate, Martin Bernstein - Construction Coordinator, Gary W. Shaw - Dolly Grip, Danny Beaman - Dolly Grip, Iris Ng - Electrician, Joe Czerw - Electrician, Nina Kuhn - Electrician, Mike Aufiero - Electrician, James Bastian - Electrician, Jeff Clark - Electrician, Erik Koski - Electrician, Robert McKay - Electrician, Geoff Nangle - Electrician, Michael Tesfai - Electrician, Jeremy Wren - Electrician, Bart Durkin - Electrician, Karen E. Etcoff - Extra Casting, Bill Tripician - Extra Casting, Faith Hibbs-Clark - Extra Casting, Ali Muney - First Assistant Editor, Marko A. Costanzo - Foley Artist, John Werner - Foley Editor, Jason Hayes - Key Hairstylist, Stacey Panepinto - Key Make-up, Joe Proscia - Leadman, Sam Gutierrez - Leadman, Stuart E. Auld - Lead Scenic Artist, John Finn - Post Production Accountant, Pete Hayes - Post Production Accountant, Elizabeth Verghese - Production Accountant, Bruce McNally - Scenic Artist, Christine Skubish - Scenic Artist, Daniel Ciampa - Scenic Artist, Jessica Nissen - Scenic Artist, Cathy Wassylenko - Scenic Artist, Nili Lerner - Scenic Artist, Gerard Kawczynski - Second Assistant Camera, Ron Wright - Second Assistant Camera, David Flanigan - Second Assistant Camera, Elisa Vasquez - Second Assistant Camera, Von Scott - Second Assistant Camera, Steve Caterelli - Set Dresser, Karing Poryazian - Set Dresser, Kyle Salvatore - Set Dresser, Rich Fuentes - Set Dresser, Corey "Complex" Roberts - Set Production Assistant, Jyota Bertrang - Set Production Assistant, Angela Cutrone - Set Production Assistant, Krystle Sosa - Set Production Assistant, Kathryn Botkin - Set Production Assistant, Jason Wozny - Set Production Assistant, Rosemary Graham Roze - Set Production Assistant, Peter Clores - Transportation Captain, Danny Boy Paustian - Transportation Captain, Steve Wagner - Transportation Coordinator, Matt Callahan - Set Decorator, Carrie Stewart - Set Decorator, Andrea Horta - ADR Supervisor, Malcolm Reid - Construction Foreman, Patrick Barile - Craft Service/Catering, Anthony Torre - Craft Service/Catering, Ryan Bua - Craft Service/Catering, John Palumbo - Driver, Rich Marino - Driver, Herb Lieberz - Driver, Edward Battista - Driver, Scott Roth - Driver, Jim Lembo - Driver, Jim Kelly - Driver, Gerard Maggio - Driver, Bob Johnson - Driver, John Sinnot - Driver, Paul Castiglioni - Driver, Mike OBrien - Driver, Rich Hubka - Driver, Ken Johnson - Driver, W. Frank Stubblefield - Generator Operator, Priti Trivedi - Production Secretary, Mathew Price - Production Sound Mixer, Randall Balsmeyer - Title Design, J. John Corbett - Title Design, Vanessa Merrill - Art Department Coordinator, Ariel Chudzikiewicz - Art Department Intern, Michael Rosebush-Dicenzo - Art Department Intern, Tracy Sagalow - Art Department Intern, Mark Mikutowicz - Assistant to the Director, Stephanie Azpiazu - Producer's Assistant, Kara Blanchard - Producer's Assistant, Claire Pacacha - Producer's Assistant, Justine Cogan - Producer's Assistant, Anna Musso - Producer's Assistant, Shannon Harrington - Additional Hair Stylist, Nicholas Bell - Second Unit Second Assistant Director
After drifting apart emotionally over the years, two single siblings — Wendy (Linney) and Jon (Hoffman) — must band together to care for their estranged, elderly father, Lenny (Philip Bosco), who is rapidly slipping into dementia. Wendy and Jon first travel to Sun City, Arizona, to attend the funeral of their father's girlfriend of 20 years. When they arrive, they are told that their father signed a non-marriage agreement and will not have rights to any of her property. They then move him to a nursing home in Buffalo, New York, where Jon is a theater professor working on a book about Bertolt Brecht. Wendy, who is an aspiring, but unsuccessful, playwright, moves from New York City to help establish their father in Buffalo.
Neither is close with Lenny, who is said to have been a difficult man to live with. (It is implied that he was a physically and emotionally abusive father when Jon and Wendy were growing up.) Their dysfunctional family life appears to have left Wendy and Jon emotionally crippled and unable to sustain a relationship. She is sleeping with an unattainable married man 13 years her senior and he cannot commit to a Polish woman who must return to Kraków after her visa expires.
Their visits to the nursing home and their father's eventual death allow them to reevaluate their lives and to grow emotionally. In the end, Wendy is seen working on the production of her play about their terrible childhood and Jon is off to a conference in Poland where it's suggested he may reconnect with the woman he'd let go.
The film received very favorable reviews from critics. As of January 5, 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 91% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 113 reviews.[1]Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 85 out of 100, based on 35 reviews.[2]
Time magazine's Richard Schickel named the film one of the Top 10 Movies of 2007, ranking it at #7, and praising both the cast and writer-director thus: "These actors are unimprovable as, somehow, they find a certain decency under the pressure of their grinding familial chore, a reason to hope that slightly better days may be ahead for them once their duty has been done. Writer-director Tamara Jenkins is less interested in heroically inspiring us than she is in showing us the values to be found in the more modest forms of dutifulness."[3]
Top ten lists
The film appeared on many critics' top 10 lists of the best films of 2007.[4]
