I’m a fan of realism in film. I enjoy stories where I can see middle class characters living in crappy apartments, having relationships with plain, normal looking people, and working in mundane jobs. The reason for this, I believe, is that I want to see struggles to which I can relate. Sure, I enjoy watching Iron Man blow the crap out of bad guys, but I’m never going to be there. I could find myself, however, in a similar situation as Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney in The Savages, which makes their pain and their growth all the more real.
In a nutshell, The Savages is the story of how Jon (Hoffman) and Wendy (Linney) Savage deal with the withdrawal and subsequent death of a father that neither seems to care all that much about. The film hints that there was some kind of physical abuse in the past, but it never outright states why Jon and Wendy have no real love for their father, or he for them. It could have turned out to be a fairly dry tale of two middle aged siblings coming to terms with the death of their father. It turns out, however, to be a story about seeing yourself as others see you, correcting your mistakes, and learning to move on.
I’ll be honest, I’m a little biased in favor of any movie that has Mr. Hoffman’s name in the credits. I first saw what a powerful actor he could be in Magnolia, one of my favorite films. I will never forget the emotion I felt from him when he was making the bed after Earl Partridge was wheeled out on a gurney. At the time, the emotion that I felt at that moment was unexpected. I had seen Mr. Hoffman previously in Boogie Nights, but I wasn’t ready for this. He blew me away, and I’ve followed his career closely since then. Hoffman gives yet another fantastic performance in this film. To me, his strength as an actor is his ability to convey emotion without “hamming it up.” Too many actors feel the need to show a total emotional breakdown to express sadness, yet Hoffman is often able to keep it reigned in, which makes it all the more powerful. It’s a shame that Hoffman had to be recognized for an over the top, biographical imitation of Truman Capote, when he has much finer work that would have deserved an Oscar. In the film, Hoffman is at times reserved and thoughtful, and at other times angry and mildy out of control. I believe every second of it.
Though I wouldn’t call myself a big fan of Laura Linney, she is one of those actresses that you perhaps don’t realize how many great films and great performances she has turned in over the years. Mystic River, Love Actually, Kinsey, John Adams…the list goes on and on. She has always shown a great deal of versatility, along with a real “everywoman” feel. She never feels as “separate” from the audience as other top flight actresses, I could see having a beer with her and talking about sports or politics. I think one of the best moments for her in this film is where she lies to Jon about a supposed grant she received. Acting is, in itself, a big lie, and one of the most difficult things to convey on the screen is a realistic lie. Enough that you doubt her, but not so over the top that any idiot wouldn’t realize she was making crap up.
I think that the key to both of these performances is that I forgot who the actors were. I got wrapped up enough in the story and their acting to believe I was watching Jon and Wendy Savage. This is hard to pull off, as it can be difficult to hide the strings, but these two strong actors do it admirably. I would love to see the two of them work together again.
There is one thing I expected from this film that I gladly did not find: too much sentiment around the dying father. It is obvious that the family is not and probably has never been close, and it would have been a disservice to focus on the father. On the contrary, the film and the actor (Philip Bosco) do an excellent job of making you not care a whole lot about the father. Sure, there is some pity for a man on the way out, suffering from dementia and loneliness, but it’s never a highlight of the film. Bravo to director/writer Tamara Jenkins for avoiding the cheap emotion that could have been had here.
If it’s not yet obvious that I really liked this film, I assure you that I did. For me this is a prime example of the difference between what I consider a “film” and a “movie.” Films stay with me after they are over, movies do not. Iron Man for instance, was a lot of fun, and better than most action movies, but it was still gone as soon as the credits rolled. I thought about The Savages for quite some time afterwards. I spent time examining myself, and thinking about what it was in the movie that affected me. I found that what it came down to was this. Both Jon and Wendy lead pretty humdrum lives, and have difficulties making any kind of real commitments. By the end of the film, they have both grown and made nice progress in both their lives and romantic relationships. What stayed with me is what I considered the reason for this. The crisis that brought them together pulled them out of their little, empty corners of the world. It shined a light on what their lives were really like. This further contributed to the realism of the film for me. When people change, they don’t do it because people tell them to. (This often has the opposite affect.) Jon and Wendy are both “caught” in their lies or failings by the other over the course of the film. These small realizations are what ultimately break them down.
If I had a star system, I would give The Savages Four stars. Though I suppose now I DO have a star system.
Rating: 
