The Savages
BBBB
(out of 5)
Two siblings, long estranged from their parents, are reunited when their aging father (Philip Bosco) is left to deal with his dementia alone after his girlfriend dies. It couldn’t come at a more inconvenient time as drama professor Philip Seymour Hoffman is working on his book on Bertold Brecht and office temp Laura Linney is trying to rise above her situation and get her playwriting career going. This emotionally difficult but deeply felt look at complicated family dynamics is never flashy or overly intense; its subtle intelligence and quiet beauty make it simultaneously challenging and rewarding. Hoffman and Linney shine, while Bosco really jumps off the screen as a man who is having difficulty holding on to the reality of his life.
USA, 2007
Directed by Tamara Jenkins
Screenplay by Tamara Jenkins
Cinematography by W. Mott Hupfel III
Produced by Anne Carey, Ted Hope, Eric Westheimer
Music by Stephen Trask
Production Design by Jane Ann Stewart
Costume Design by David C. Robinson
Film Editing by Brian A. Kates
Film Festivals: TIFF 2007
Cast Tags: Cara Seymour, Carmen Roman, Christopher Durham, Cynthia Darlow, David Zayas, Debbi Fuhrman, Debra Monk, Erica Fae, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Guy Boyd, Hal Blankenship, Jennifer Lim, Joan Jaffe, John Bolton, Kristine Nielsen, Laura Linney, Lee R. Sellars, Lili Liu, Maddie Corman, Madeline Lee, Margo Martindale, Marianne Weems, Max Jenkins-Goetz, Michael Blackson, Michael Higgins, Nancy Lenehan, Patti Karr, Peter Frechette, Peter Friedman, Philip Bosco, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rosemary Murphy, Sage Kirkpatrick, Salem Ludwig, Sandra Daley, Sidné Anderson, Tijuana Ricks, Tobin Tyler, Tonye Patano, Zoe Kazan
Academy Award Nominations
Best Actress in a Leading Role (Laura Linney as “Wendy Savage”)
Best Writing (Original Screenplay) (Tamara Jenkins)
Golden Globe Award Nomination
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture-Comedy or Musical (Philip Seymour Hoffman)
Los Angeles Film Critics Award
Best Screenplay (Tamara Jenkins)
National Society of Film Critics Award
Best Screenplay (Tamara Jenkins)
Nomination
Best Actor (Philip Seymour Hoffman)
National Board Of Review Award
Top Ten Independent Films
Writers Guild Award Nomination
Best Original Screenplay
Independent Spirit Awards
Best Male Lead (Philip Seymour Hoffman)
Best Screenplay
Nominations
Best Director (Tamara Jenkins)
Best Cinematography
