The Savages

“The Savages,” starring Laura Linney and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, is not an easy movie to watch. It provides a picture of family dynamics that is neither pretty nor uplifting. Lenny Savage (Phillip Bosco) is suffering from dementia and is no longer capable of living by himself. His care falls to his adult children, Wendy (Linney) and Jon (Hoffman), neither of whom like their father. Both carry deep emotional scares from Lenny’s abuse when they were children. Nevertheless, they are Lenny’s only relatives and they go about finding a nursing home where he can live until the escalating dementia results in his death. Because the nursing home is near Jon’s apartment, Wendy temporarily moves in with Jon to share the responsibilities of visiting their father. Lenny’s increasingly argumentative behavior adds to the friction between brother and sister. That Wendy and Jon dislike their father so intensely and also feel guilty about that dislike adds to this intense character study. Wendy and Jon are damaged people, shaped by their father’s earlier treatment of them. Wendy is a bundle of nerves and plagued by self-esteem issues, willing to settle for an affair with a married man rather than thinking she deserves more. Jon is a brilliant college professor, but lazy and resistant to change, even when the change would be good for him. Neither is able to move forward in life until they deal with their father. Laura Linney and Phillip Seymour Hoffman are outstanding; their performances are a treat to watch. However, a movie about dementia is a ‘too-close-to-home’ topic for many. If you’re looking for escapism, select a different movie. (12/27/07)