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"The Savages" seems a curious movie to be opening four days before Christmas, but maybe not: Christmas Day itself is said to be the top moviegoing day of the year, as families (a) seek something they can do together without having to talk, or (b) use them as a excuse to escape from the house. Not all holidays are by Norman Rockwell, and maybe some grown children will enjoy this touching, humorous film about an elderly father whose time has come to leave his "retirement community" and move into "assisted living" (which my Aunt Mary referred to as "assisted dying").

Wendy and Jon Savage ( Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman ) are sister and brother, she living in New York City, he living in Buffalo; she an aspiring playwright, he a professor and author of books about the theater. They are smart, articulate and knowledgeable about drama, attributes that do them no good at all when they get a call from Sun City that their dad, Lenny ( Philip Bosco ), has started to write on the wall with his excrement.

After some reluctance, mostly on Jon's part, they fly to Arizona and find their dad shacked up with Doris, a girlfriend his age. I was reminded of a friend of mine whose 85-year-old dad discovered Viagra and insisted on calling his son with daily reports on his sex life. My friend pleaded with him to spare the details. There are some things children desperately do not want to know.

Doris spares them the occasion for such reports, however, by suddenly passing away, and Jon and Wendy decide to move their father to Buffalo so he will be close to them. He is a hostile curmudgeon who probably moved to Arizona to get away from them, but now he's in no position to resist.

Writer-director Tamara Jenkins ("The Slums of Beverly Hills") doesn't sentimentalize this material; quite the opposite. Lenny remains Lenny to the best of his ability, which means a short temper, a foul vocabulary and a constant state of irritation. We gather that he was not a joy to grow up with; indeed, the scars still borne by his children are such that they refer to their childhoods only obliquely. Whatever the relationship between their parents was like, it has left them unable to form liaisons of their own; Wendy is having a joyless affair with a married man, and Jon has a Polish girlfriend who he refuses to marry, even if it would save her from deportation back to Poland. That he weeps over his inability shows that he is aware of his emotional scars and fears to heal them.

There is a genre of movies set in old-folks' homes that resemble sitcoms, including colorful characters, lots of one-liners and a pecking order. The nursing home they find for Lenny in Buffalo is the next step after such a place. It is essentially run by the caregivers, who treat their clients something like misbehaving children. One who seems to care is a Nigerian immigrant named Jimmy (Gbenga Akinnagbe), who sympathizes with the children and shares lore about caring for the aged. Kristen Thomson played a similar character in Sarah Polley's " Away from Her " -- the experienced nurse who knows what the family has gone through, and will go through.

A movie like this depends on nuance and performance if it is not to descend entirely into soap opera. Jenkins knows that and is quietly insistent that we observe little moments and dropped words and exchanged glances. The resettling of Jon and Wendy's father causes the resettling of their own lives and forces them to examine memories they hoped were buried.

Both Linney and Hoffman are so specific in creating these characters that we see them as people, not elements in a plot. Hoffman in particular shows how many disguises he has within his seemingly immutable presence; would you know it is the same actor here and in two other films this season, " Before the Devil Knows You're Dead " and " Charlie Wilson's War "?

"The Savages" confronts a day that may come in all of our lives. Two days, actually, the first when we are younger, the second when we are older. " The Ballad of Narayama ," a great Japanese film, is about a community that decides when a person has outlived any usefulness and leaves that person on the mountain to die. It seems cruel, but even the dying seem to think it appropriate. Better that, after being healthy and strong once, than to be reduced to writing on walls with excrement.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film Credits

The Savages (2007)

Rated R for some sexuality and language

114 minutes

Laura Linney as Wendy Savage

Philip Bosco as Lenny Savage

Peter Friedman as Larry

Cara Seymour as Kasia

Written and directed by

• Tamara Jenkins

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The Savages Review

25 Jan 2008

114 minutes

Savages, The

Over the past ten years - from The Daytrippers to Little Miss Sunshine - a new sub-genre has replaced the bank-heist-gone-wrong as the set text of US ‘indie’ cinema. Call it The Dysfunctional Family Picaresque; those quirky coming-of-age comedies in which flawed moms, dads and kids find their life path and learn to love each other’s quirks.

Tamara Jenkins kickstarted it with her 1998 directorial debut, Slums Of Beverly Hills, and during a ten-year quietus she’s evidently studied the genre’s evolution closely, and likes not what she sees. The Savages opens with a cutesy image of retirement life - a geriatric chorus line emerging from sun-dappled hedges to the strains of Peggy Lee’s I Don’t Want To Play In Your Yard - but Jenkins quickly rubs our noses in reality, cutting to a distressed old man, chastised by the home help for “not flushing”, then smearing a rude word on the bathroom wall with said unflushed item. This is Lenny (Philip Bosco), a once-ornery father slipping into senility, whose ‘actions’ set in place a ‘What about Dad?’ crisis for his fortysomething kids, Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Wendy (Laura Linney).

Eschewing broad strokes and primary colours, Jenkins draws on memories of her own father’s dementia to construct a dark and gritty comedy about families, senility, loneliness and mortality, centred around two troubled lead characters. Jon is an insular, ill-kempt theatre professor out in the minor-league greyness of Buffalo, NY; Wendy a nervy, unfulfilled Manhattan temp still trying to make it as a playwright. Both are stuck, like their Peter Pan namesakes, in a childish Neverland.

Linney and Hoffman have played similar characters before, but never with such care and delicacy. The scene where they share a ratty tuna melt, while Hoffman is immobilised by a makeshift chin-sling attached to the bedroom door, is both a perfect comic vignette and a glimpse of two locked-down souls finally connecting. While no film about parental care set in the depths of a Buffalo winter is ever going to have the belly-laughs of Knocked Up, The Savages makes a virtue of its sidetracked setting, finding scuffed humour in the minutiae of human life, so that when the laughs do come they feel profound, jagged and real.

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The savages, common sense media reviewers.

Affecting adult drama has mature themes, content.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

A woman conducts a long-standing affair with a mar

No real violence, but some shouting among family m

A married man sleeps with a woman who's not hi

Plenty of strong language, including "s--t,&q

Signage for the nursing homes, as well as snippets

Adults smoke cigarettes and take prescription pill

Parents need to know that this mature, darkly funny drama about an estranged family isn't kid friendly. There's cursing (including "f--k" and "s--t"), an adulterous affair, frank talk about sex and death, smoking, and prescription drug use (pills stolen from a dead person, no less). All of…

Positive Messages

A woman conducts a long-standing affair with a married man; a father rubs feces on a bathroom wall; adult siblings hesitate when faced with helping their estranged father -- who was emotionally abusive when they were children. Characters also lie and behave in other iffy ways (taking someone else's prescription medication, for example). But for the most part, everyone behaves as decently as they're able, especially Jon and Wendy, who take on the challenge of caring for their father despite the fact that he was no prince when they were growing up.

Violence & Scariness

No real violence, but some shouting among family members and some scenes depicting neglect of children.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

A married man sleeps with a woman who's not his wife a few times; they're shown on a bed ostensibly naked under covers, and the woman takes off her top and sits around with just her bra and pants on while talking. A few references to "hard-ons" and the genital area and other frank sex talk.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Plenty of strong language, including "s--t," "f--k," "damn," and more.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Signage for the nursing homes, as well as snippets from an ad. Bertolt Brecht's name is bandied about, as are foundations like the Guggenheim.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Adults smoke cigarettes and take prescription pills owned by a deceased person (one of the lead characters filches them).

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this mature, darkly funny drama about an estranged family isn't kid friendly. There's cursing (including "f--k" and "s--t"), an adulterous affair, frank talk about sex and death, smoking, and prescription drug use (pills stolen from a dead person, no less). All of that said, older teens and adults may find much to admire in this thought-provoking story, which approaches a harsh subject -- the impending death of a neglectful parent -- with a gentle-but-honest touch. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (1)
• Kids say (1)

Based on 1 parent review

Tough to watch but very realistic

What's the story.

As writer-director Tamara Jenkins pointedly shows in THE SAVAGES, ads for nursing homes usually appeal to adult children suddenly faced with the prospect of having those who took care of them needing care themselves. But what happens when your parent never really did take care of you? When he or she was hardly ever there? That's the premise behind Jenkins' brave, smart, and heartbreaking film about Jon and Wendy Savage ( Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney ), siblings who inherit their neglectful father, Lenny (Philip Bosco), when the woman he lives with in Arizona dies and her kids kick him out. Suffering from dementia, Lenny is unable to live on his own; a "rehabilitation home" -- aka nursing home -- in far-away Buffalo (near Jon's house) is the only real option. Forced to look after him, Jon, a college professor willing to let a woman he loves walk away, and Wendy, a playwright unable to get traction in either her professional or personal life, confront the demons of their childhood and begin the process of extracting wisdom from its wreckage.

Is It Any Good?

Left in the hands of actors less agile and able than Hoffman and Linney, Jon and Wendy easily could have been reduced to harshly drawn characters; thankfully, they rise to the occasion. Hoffman is aloof yet appealing, while Linney is anxious yet persevering. Bosco, too, communicates volumes without doing too much; asked what to do if he falls into a coma, he quickly moves from indignant to angry to deeply sad, his eyes the only real giveaway.

The Savages ' power comes from its determination to skirt the maudlin despite its plainly sad narrative. Intense moments -- as when brother and sister ask their father what he'd like them to do in the event of his death -- are played for both dramatic and comic effect. It's a testament to Jenkins and her actors that the transitions go smoothly. Which makes The Savages a worthwhile (if mature) watch.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about why so many movies are about dysfunctional families. What's the appeal of watching characters with messed-up lives and relationships? Families can also discuss what it's like to care for ailing parents. Are the siblings' choices admirable or do they make lots of mistakes?

Movie Details

• In theaters : December 19, 2007
• On DVD or streaming : April 21, 2008
• Cast : Laura Linney , Philip Bosco , Philip Seymour Hoffman
• Director : Tamara Jenkins
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Twentieth Century Fox
• Genre : Drama
• Run time : 113 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : some sexuality and language.
• Last updated : February 21, 2024

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What it's about.

Philipp Seymour Hoffman stars in this family drama next to Laura Linney as siblings. They have to unite to support their father who after the death of his girlfriend finds himself alone. The Savages, after the family name, have dynamics that are all too common and easily recognizable. This is a beautiful and real movie.

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Looking at Film from Every Angle

Review: The Savages (2007)

Wesley Lovell

The Savages

Tamara Jenkins

Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Philip Bosco, Peter Friedman, David Zayas, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Cara Seymour, Tonye Patano, Guy Boyd, Debra Monk, Rosemary Murphy, Hal Blankenship, Joan Jaffe

MPAA Rating

R (for some sexuality and language)

Buy/Rent Movie

The painful decision to put a loved one into an “assisted care facility” is a difficult decision, but I falls to a brother and sister to make that decision in Tamara Jenkin’s family drama The Savages .

Lenny Savage (Philip Bosco) has been living in a retirement community for a few years. However, his erratic behavior has raised the attention of the community directors and they have requested that his children move him to a more care-intensive facility. Those children are a writer from New York City and a professor from Buffalo.

Wendy Savage (Laura Linney) has serious relationship problems and Jon Savage (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is too wrapped up in his teaching career that this issue is nothing more than an inconvenience. Despite their intelligence, neither is well equipped to deal with the situation. Wendy begins over-analyzing the various facilities at their disposal in New York that could accommodate her father while Jon doesn’t seem to care and just wants to throw dad in any old facility.

When they finally choose a home, the film shifts focus to the impact of making said decision has on Wendy and Jon and they try desperately to cope with the constant attention their father requires and their very personal and very complicated lives.

Jenkins’ screenplay is filled with the kind of stilted dialogue that often gives “art” films a bad name. Thankfully her characters are smart enough that the philosophical discussions they get involved in seem perfectly reasonable. However, too much of the film is spent dissecting the situation and very little is spent developing an emotional connection with the characters.

As has been the case for some time, Hoffman sleepwalks through the film turning in a rather dull and uninteresting performance. His character has few redeeming qualities and there are times when it’s not unusual to wonder what exactly he’s even doing in it.

Linney, on the other hand, brings some humanity to her somewhat self-absorbed character, but her neurotic overcompensation early on too eerily mirrors some of her past performances. While I appreciate her other work better, there are a few shining moments, mostly after she realizes how little time she has left with her father and her fractured and disjointed way of dealing with the pain.

Much of that relief is delivered by Lenny’s final caretaker Jimmy (Gbenga Akinnagbe), a Nigerian nurse who tries to set Wendy’s heart at ease as she struggles through her self-induced guilt. By explaining how things go at the facility, he is able to help her come to terms with what will eventually happen.

The film’s strongest performance, however, comes from Bosco. While I doubt Bosco spent a lot of time visiting nursing homes, it is fairly obvious that he’s either seen his close friends go through a similar turmoil or he has spent a great deal of time contemplating his own future. Either way, Bosco’s tender and heart-touching performance is the kind that only someone who has watched the elderly drift from life could convey.

While The Savages can’t hold a candle to the end-of-life masterpiece Away from Her , it does shows us another side of the struggle, one that only seldom gets handled with any non-comic relevance. So, while it isn’t an exceedingly good film, it’s nice to see the subject tackled with some gravity.

Review Written

September 26, 2008

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Search Help Home > Movies > The Savages

• READER REVIEWS

The Savages

Comedy, Drama

Ted Hope, Anne Carey, Eric Westheimer

Distributor

Fox Searchlight Pictures

Release Date

Nov 28, 2007

Release Notes

The Savages is a delightful movie—the perfect companion piece (and antidote) to the year’s other superb convalescent-dementia picture, Away From Her . Jenkins did one-woman shows before moving into film directing with Slums of Beverly Hills , which told the story of her nomadic childhood with a dad who shuttled her and two brothers from one cheap dive to another in the 90210 Zip Code because he wanted them to be educated at the best schools. The Savages is a big leap forward; the funny bubbles up from the sad, the sad gives the funny weight. Jon and Wendy (the names are a wink at Peter Pan ) have never managed to leave their ridiculous upbringing behind, but the villain of their story—the one they should be confronting, blaming—isn’t really there.

Bosco doesn’t soften this man or make him easy to read. He has glimmers of awareness, but it’s not in his interest to be too cognizant—it would open him up to rebuke. As in Wes Anderson’s Darjeeling Limited , the siblings have to parent each other, and it’s Wendy and Jon’s push-me-pull-you banter that gives you hope as all the other relationships fall away.

Linney has been this winsome and accessible once before—in You Can Count on Me . But was she this great a comedienne there? Watch Wendy make off with office supplies, tell whopper after whopper to her brother and married lover (Peter Friedman), and bat her blue eyes innocently. Watch her leave her father at the convalescent home and overdramatize—“We are horrible, horrible, horrible people!”—and yet mean every word. Hoffman is the best psychodrama dancing partner imaginable. In Capote and Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead , he earned foreign-word superlatives: “Bravura!” “Tour de force!” In The Savages , he’s just as good but without the stylization—the tricks—to hide behind. You feel as if you’re watching him —thoughtful, childish, moody, embarrassed about his body, his groggy affect a way of keeping the world at bay. There’s a piano motif by Stephen Trask that captures the movie perfectly—melancholy yet sprightly, it sends you home smiling. — David Edelstein

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The Savages

By Peter Travers

Peter Travers

Given the subject matter — caring for an aging parent — The Savages is damn funny, as long as you don’t mind laughs that stick in your throat. The gifted Tamara Jenkins, making her first film since her potent 1998 debut with Slums of Beverly Hills , brews a volatile cocktail of mirth and melancholy. Jon Savage (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and his sister Wendy (Laura Linney) have first names out of Peter Pan , but their life is no fairy tale. Wendy is a struggling playwright doing odd jobs in Manhattan and diddling a married man (Peter Friedman), though she has more affection for his dog. Jon is a college professor in Buffalo, writing books on Brecht and alienating his Polish girlfriend (Cara Seymour) by refusing to extend her visa by marrying her.

The rain that falls into the lives of these two drama geeks is Lenny Savage (Philip Bosco), the father who neglected them as kids and now needs all their attention, what with dementia knocking. Jenkins and her three astonishing actors create comic devastation out of situations as serious as a mental meltdown and picking out just the right nursing home. There is nothing cozy about The Savages . Bosco, a theater legend, seizes his juiciest film role and makes every shocking moment count. And Linney is an amazement, showing vulnerability and strength at war for a character’s soul. As for Hoffman, is this his year, or what? He’s electric in Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead and the upcoming Charlie Wilson’s War , but what he does here — hanging from a neck brace or crying over his eggs — leaves you in awe. With the help of acting giants, Jenkins turns The Savages into a twisted, bittersweet pleasure.

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Pot growers Ben and Chon face off against the Mexican drug cartel who kidnapped their shared girlfriend. Pot growers Ben and Chon face off against the Mexican drug cartel who kidnapped their shared girlfriend. Pot growers Ben and Chon face off against the Mexican drug cartel who kidnapped their shared girlfriend.

• Oliver Stone
• Shane Salerno
• Don Winslow
• Aaron Taylor-Johnson
• Taylor Kitsch
• Blake Lively
• 372 User reviews
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• 59 Metascore
• 7 nominations

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• Trivia Chon cutting a guard's artery with a knife while asking for the time was one of the tactics told to Taylor Kitsch by his real life SEAL technical advisor.
• Goofs After Chon stabs Dennis' hand, the scar appliance on Chon's right neck has torn away from his skin.

Elena : [to O about Ben and Chon] There's something wrong with your love story, baby. They may love you, but they will never love you as much as they love each other. Otherwise, they wouldn't share you, would they?

• Alternate versions The Region 1 and Region A Blu-ray have a extended edition of the film.
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• July 6, 2012 (United States)
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• $45,000,000 (estimated)
• $47,382,068
• $16,016,910
• Jul 8, 2012
• $82,966,152

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 11 minutes
• Black and White
• Dolby Digital

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Savages – review

I have experienced some remarkable audience reactions in my time. Yelps of fear. Shouts of laughter. Cheering. But I  heard something unprecedented in this incredibly tiresome and unendurably long film by Oliver Stone , featuring deathly performances from actors who have had a pint of formaldehyde injected into their necks. The audience gave a growl of incredulous group rage when one scene was revealed to be some sort of fantasy or dream sequence and we were now expected to sit through basically the same fatuous nonsense again – perhaps because the director had shot two versions and just had to include both in this fantastically bloated and flatulent movie.

Taylor Kitsch and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, the stars, show that they are not just pretty faces. No, they are also incredibly bad actors. They play Chon and Ben, two supercool drug dealers who have made a fortune plying top-quality dope in the Laguna Beach area of California. Ben is a brainy and decent guy who totally wants to supply poor people in the developing world with clean water facilities. Chon is a muscly ex-soldier, whose military buddies show up at opportune moments to provide firepower. Things turn nasty when a Mexican drug cartel moves in on their turf and kidnaps their shared girlfriend O (Blake Lively), for whom they are the Jules et Jim of drugs. O is short for Ophelia, incidentally, a literary allusion that turns out to have zero significance. These Mexicans are led by the imperious Elena, played by Salma Hayek, and her brutish enforcer, played by Benicio Del Toro, both playing up to broad stereotypes. And there's a crooked DEA cop, played by John Travolta .

Of the latter players, it's hard to decide who gives the worst performance. Hayek is like Johnny Depp giving a drag-queen impersonation of Winona Ryder doing a homage to Luis Guzmán. Travolta is phoning it in from a part of the world that doesn't have telephones, and Del Toro, charmlessly grunting his way through the lines, deserves a special Oscar for most unattractive moustache .

Sadly, Savages plays up to Stone's worst tendencies: machismo, bombast and self-indulgence, and the factor that could conceivably have made this movie tolerable – humour – is off the menu. The icy wit of Pulp Fiction is nowhere, and neither is the docu-realist fervour of Steven Soderbergh's Traffic. At two hours and 11 minutes, the picture has ballooned beyond control and there is no dramatic point or weight to any of it. There is savagery in being as boring as this.

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45 facts about the movie the savages.

Written by Bonni Omeara

Modified & Updated: 05 Mar 2024

Reviewed by Jessica Corbett

The Savages is a critically acclaimed movie that takes viewers on a compelling journey through the complexities of human relationships, family dynamics, and the harsh realities of life. Released in 2007, this thought-provoking film is directed by Tamara Jenkins and stars Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Philip Bosco in lead roles.

In this article, we’ll delve into 45 fascinating facts about The Savages, exploring the behind-the-scenes details, the incredible performances, and the impact it had on the movie industry. From the film’s inception to its reception by audiences and critics alike, we’ll uncover interesting tidbits that will leave you wanting to revisit this cinematic gem.

So grab some popcorn, get comfortable, and let’s explore the intriguing world of The Savages!

Key Takeaways:

• “The Savages” is a heartfelt movie released in 2007, exploring family dynamics and the challenges of caring for aging parents with humor and authenticity.
• The film’s talented cast, emotional depth, and thought-provoking themes make it a memorable and relatable viewing experience for audiences of all ages.

The Savages was released in 2007

The movie was originally released in 2007 and was directed by Tamara Jenkins.

The Savages stars Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman

Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman portray the lead characters in the movie.

The film revolves around the lives of two siblings

The story follows two adult siblings, Jon and Wendy Savage, as they navigate their complicated relationship while dealing with their aging father’s deteriorating health.

The movie explores themes of family, aging, and mortality

The Savages delves into the complexities of family dynamics, the challenges of caring for elderly parents, and the inevitable realities of aging and mortality.

The screenplay for the film was written by Tamara Jenkins

Tamara Jenkins not only directed the movie but also wrote the screenplay, showcasing her talent as a filmmaker.

The film was critically acclaimed

The Savages received widespread critical acclaim for its realistic portrayal of family relationships and stellar performances by the cast.

Laura Linney was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance

Laura Linney’s exceptional portrayal of Wendy Savage earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

Philip Seymour Hoffman received a Golden Globe nomination for his role

Philip Seymour Hoffman’s portrayal of Jon Savage garnered him a nomination for Best Actor at the Golden Globes.

The film depicts the struggles of the Savage siblings to care for their father

Jon and Wendy Savage find themselves confronted with the difficult task of caring for their estranged father, who suffers from dementia.

The movie showcases the complexities of sibling relationships

The Savages explores the intricacies of the bond between Jon and Wendy, as they confront their own past traumas and navigate their roles as caretakers.

The Savages received numerous award nominations

The film was recognized with various award nominations, including accolades from the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and Independent Spirit Awards.

The movie was praised for its realistic and poignant portrayal of aging

The Savages tackled the topic of aging with sensitivity and authenticity, resonating with audiences who could relate to the challenges faced by the characters.

The film explores the impact of dementia on the affected individual and their family

The portrayal of the father’s dementia in the movie sheds light on the emotional and practical struggles faced by families dealing with this condition.

The Savages is a dark comedy-drama

The film blends elements of dark comedy and drama, offering a nuanced and thought-provoking viewing experience.

The movie received positive reviews for its screenplay

Tamara Jenkins’ screenplay was praised for its sharp dialogue, compelling character development, and balanced blend of humor and drama.

The film’s soundtrack features an original score composed by Stephen Trask

The Savages incorporates an original score by Stephen Trask, which enhances the emotional impact of the story.

The movie highlights the sacrifices and challenges of caregiving

Through the portrayal of Jon and Wendy’s experiences, The Savages sheds light on the demanding and emotionally taxing role of caregivers.

The film’s cinematography captures the rawness of the characters’ emotions

The visual style of The Savages reflects the raw and intimate nature of the story, drawing viewers into the emotional journey of the characters.

The movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival

The Savages made its debut at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival, garnering positive attention from critics and audiences alike.

The film’s title alludes to the complexities of human nature

The title, The Savages, serves as a metaphor for the inherent complexities of human relationships and the struggles faced by individuals in navigating them.

The movie was shot on location in various cities

The filming of The Savages took place in different cities, lending authenticity to the settings portrayed in the movie.

The film’s cast includes Academy Award-nominated actors

Aside from Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman , the movie features other talented actors, some of whom have received recognition from the Academy.

The movie’s dialogues are filled with wit and humor

The Savages strikes a balance between drama and humor, with witty and clever dialogues that provide moments of levity amidst the emotional turmoil.

The film has been praised for its authentic portrayal of sibling dynamics

The nuanced depiction of the complicated relationship between Jon and Wendy resonates with audiences who have experienced the complexities of sibling dynamics firsthand.

The Savages explores the themes of identity and self-discovery

As the characters grapple with their roles as caregivers, they also confront their own identities and embark on a journey of self-discovery.

The movie’s editing enhances the storytelling

The skillful editing of The Savages contributes to the seamless storytelling and helps to convey the emotional depth of the narrative.

The film prompted discussions about end-of-life care

The thought-provoking nature of The Savages sparked conversations about the challenges and ethical considerations related to end-of-life care.

The movie received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Screenplay

Tamara Jenkins’ screenplay for The Savages was recognized with a nomination for Best Screenplay at the Independent Spirit Awards.

The film’s production design captures the authenticity of the characters’ world

The attention to detail in the production design of The Savages contributes to the realistic portrayal of the characters and their environment.

The movie offers a bittersweet exploration of human relationships

The Savages presents a poignant reflection on the complexities of family dynamics and the dynamics of human relationships more broadly.

Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman’s chemistry shines on screen

The on-screen chemistry between Laura Linney and late actor Philip Seymour Hoffman adds depth and authenticity to their portrayals of the Savage siblings.

The movie’s runtime is approximately 113 minutes

The Savages has a runtime of approximately 113 minutes, allowing for a concise yet impactful storytelling experience.

The film has been lauded for its realistic and nuanced character development

The Savages creates fully fleshed-out characters with their unique quirks, flaws, and aspirations, making them relatable and compelling.

The movie encourages empathy and understanding

Through its exploration of the complexities of family relationships, The Savages promotes empathy and understanding towards others and their struggles.

The film’s screenplay balances moments of humor and poignancy

The witty and poignant writing in The Savages strikes a delicate balance, eliciting both laughter and heartfelt emotional responses from viewers.

The movie challenges societal perceptions of aging

The Savages challenges the societal stereotypes and prejudices associated with aging, shedding light on the unique experiences and perspectives of older individuals.

The film’s themes resonate across generations

While The Savages centers around the lives of middle-aged characters, its exploration of family dynamics and the passage of time resonate with viewers of all ages.

The movie’s performances are praised for their authenticity

The performances in The Savages are lauded for their authenticity, eliciting genuine emotional reactions from audiences.

The film’s release prompted a discussion on caregiving resources

The Savages brought attention to the need for caregiving resources and support systems for individuals and families dealing with similar situations.

The movie employs flashbacks to provide insights into the characters’ past

Through the use of flashbacks, The Savages offers glimpses into the characters’ pasts, deepening the audience’s understanding of their motivations and struggles.

The film’s costume design reflects the characters’ personalities

The costume design in The Savages subtly reflects the personalities of the characters, enhancing their individual traits and contributing to the storytelling.

The movie’s emotional depth resonates with audiences

The emotional depth and resonance of The Savages make it a memorable and thought-provoking viewing experience for audiences.

The film’s success led to increased recognition for Tamara Jenkins

Tamara Jenkins’ work on The Savages catapulted her into the spotlight as a talented filmmaker, leading to further opportunities and accolades in her career.

The movie’s narrative explores the fragility of human life

The Savages reminds viewers of the fragility and impermanence of human life, prompting contemplation on the value of time and relationships.

The film serves as a reminder of the importance of family

Ultimately, The Savages emphasizes the value of family bonds, highlighting the significance of love, support, and forgiveness in navigating life’s challenges.

The movie “The Savages” is a compelling and thought-provoking film that delves into the complexities of family dynamics and the human experience. With its powerful performances, engaging storyline, and well-crafted direction, it captivates audiences and leaves a lasting impression. From exploring themes of aging, mortality, and sibling relationships, to providing a nuanced portrayal of the human condition, “The Savages” serves as a reminder of the bonds that tie us together and the challenges we face in navigating life’s uncertainties. Whether you are a fan of drama, a lover of great acting, or simply seeking a movie that will make you reflect on life, “The Savages” is definitely one to watch.

Q: What is the storyline of “The Savages”?

A: “The Savages” follows the lives of two estranged siblings, Wendy and Jon Savage, as they come together to care for their aging father, who is suffering from dementia. The film explores their complicated relationship and the challenges they face in taking on the responsibility of looking after their father.

Q: Who are the main actors in “The Savages”?

A: “The Savages” stars Laura Linney as Wendy Savage and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Jon Savage. Both actors deliver stunning performances that bring depth and authenticity to their respective characters.

Q: Is “The Savages” based on a true story?

A: No, “The Savages” is not based on a true story. It is a fictional film that tackles themes of family, aging, and the complexities of human relationships.

Q: What is the runtime of “The Savages”?

A: The runtime of “The Savages” is approximately 1 hour and 53 minutes.

Q: Was “The Savages” critically acclaimed?

A: Yes, “The Savages” received widespread critical acclaim upon its release. It was praised for its insightful storytelling, exceptional performances, and nuanced exploration of complex familial relationships.

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Savages! Innocents! Sages! What Do We Really Know About Early Humans?

In “The Invention of Prehistory,” the historian Stefanos Geroulanos argues that many of our theories about our remote ancestors tell us more about us than them.

By Jennifer Szalai

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THE INVENTION OF PREHISTORY: Empire, Violence, and Our Obsession With Human Origins , by Stefanos Geroulanos

History may not be bunk, but prehistory is: So argues Stefanos Geroulanos in his spirited new book, “The Invention of Prehistory: Empire, Violence, and Our Obsession With Human Origins.” Best-selling authors like Yuval Harari , Jared Diamond and Steven Pinker have all distilled (or cherry-picked) research about early humanity in order to make grand claims about the near inevitability (or impossibility) of human progress. Even “The Dawn of Everything” (2021), by David Graeber and David Wengrow, which took issue with the simplistic narratives offered by the Big Thinkers with their Big Books, provided an alternative narrative of its own — that of early human communities experimenting and making do without resorting to structures of hierarchy and domination.

Geroulanos expends few words addressing his contemporaries, preferring instead to guide us through several centuries of research into (and consequent conjecture about) human origins. “The Invention of Prehistory” begins around the mid-18th century, moving through various concepts of early humanity to conclude that even as our knowledge of specifics becomes undeniably richer and more detailed, our sense of the bigger picture remains tenuous and subject to change.

I already anticipate some grumbling from fans of Harari & Co. that Geroulanos, a professor of European intellectual history at New York University, is advancing an anti-science argument. He is not. He has plenty of praise for geneticists and paleontologists who have enlarged our understanding of various areas of inquiry, including human migration, food intake and the Neanderthal genome. What both fascinates and troubles him is our seemingly irrepressible urge to look to the lives of early humans — to that mysterious time before recorded history — to tell us who, essentially, we are. Not to mention that such interpretations can condition how we relate to others: Prehistoric “findings” have been used to shore up a prejudice, justify an injustice or expand an empire.

“Human origins are not mere abstractions,” Geroulanos writes. “Nor are they simple prompts for thought experiments and pure scientific inquiry. Promises and violence have regularly been unleashed in their name.”

Geroulanos dates the invention of prehistory, at least as we understand it, to sometime around 1750, when Enlightenment imperatives meant that religious tales of creation would no longer do. In 1651, Thomas Hobbes had already declared that “man is wolf to man” in the state of nature, and so it was in everyone’s interest to submit to a sovereign for protection from fellow humans. A century later, Jean-Jacques Rousseau argued something different. Disgusted by the extreme inequality in French society, Rousseau proposed that the “noble savage” had instead been corrupted by civilization. He assumed an analogous notion of childhood: innocent and pure. “Man is born free,” he wrote, “yet everywhere he is in chains.”

The more you want to upend the status quo, the more likely you’ll be to venerate an idyllic past. The reverse is also true: The more you want to preserve the status quo, the more likely you’ll be to scorn the past as horrific — or, at least, unsustainable. Geroulanos traces the long history of Europeans depicting Indigenous and colonized peoples as “savage” — thereby rationalizing every violent measure used against them, from brutality to annihilation. One trope that came up again and again was that of “the disappearing native,” which Geroulanos deems a “convenient euphemism,” because of how it couched colonial destruction in terms of biological inevitability. “Natives don’t die of diseases introduced by settlers,” he writes, in an acerbic aside. “They’re not murdered in asymmetrical warfare; really, they disappear.”

“The Invention of Prehistory” mostly follows a rough chronology, though the chapters are arranged conceptually. Geroulanos, who started his research for this project more than a decade ago, includes so many thinkers and theories that it can be hard to keep track of the mounting contradictions. But the tumbling cadence of conflicting ideas also serves to illustrate his point. He is dismantling, not synthesizing. He devotes an entire chapter to the French Jesuit priest and paleontologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, who tried to reconcile evolution with Christian theology. Another chapter starts with Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey”; turns to the “Out of Africa” thesis of the Australian-born anthropologist Raymond Dart; discusses the work of the German anthropologist Leo Frobenius and its influence on the Negritude movement; brings in the racism promulgated by the Hollywood screenwriter turned-nonfiction naturalist Robert Ardrey; and ends with a mention of Wakanda.

Most readers will already be familiar with the pejorative uses of “savage” and the positive uses of “civilization”; they will also recognize reversals like Rousseau’s. Less familiar to me were the distinctions that 19th-century Europeans made between “good barbarians” (Germanic tribes) and “bad barbarians” (Mongols, Huns and other “Asiatic” invaders). And Geroulanos reminded me that depictions of Neanderthals have undergone a transformation during my own lifetime. No longer the hunched and hairy creatures of the 1980s and ’90s, they are now blond and blue-eyed tool users.

Given the racialized stereotypes embedded in these iterations, it’s perhaps no surprise that the current, lighter-skinned version has figured in grotesque, far-right talking points about “white genocide” and a “great replacement.” Geroulanos quotes an anthropology paper describing the Neanderthals as “the Indigenous European race” that was “demographically and genetically swamped by the African biological race of Homo sapiens.” Over on the dark web, Geroulanos finds white supremacists portraying Neanderthals as victims of “diversity.” He doesn’t dispute the science that has added to our store of knowledge, but he does dispute the meanings we project onto it. “The Neanderthals themselves say nothing,” he writes. “We arrange them into whatever position we need them to take.”

“The Invention of Prehistory” isn’t simply critique for critique’s sake. “When early humanity is presented as violent or weak, we pronounce ourselves triumphant,” Geroulanos writes. “When it is presented as strong or complex, we empathize with it.” Meanwhile, we “make excuses for the real humanity that burns forests and oil and cares little for the poverty right outside our door or on the other side of the planet.”

It’s a thought that’s both undeniably unsettling and surprisingly hopeful: Why cling to speculations of what our forebears may or may not have done, way back when, in order to make sense of what we actually do, right now?

THE INVENTION OF PREHISTORY : Empire, Violence, and Our Obsession With Human Origins | By Stefanos Geroulanos | Liveright | 498 pp. | $29.99

Jennifer Szalai is the nonfiction book critic for The Times. More about Jennifer Szalai

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Savages Reviews

Viewer agony begins right near the start, as O describes her boffing sessions with the battle-scarred Chon: “I had orgasms; he had ‘wargasms.'” Yow. Haven’t Writers Guild of America memberships been revoked for less?

Full Review | Original Score: 1/4 | Oct 4, 2023

While the juicy performances and exciting meat of Savages are vicious fun, it’s a film whose feeble conceit undoes the pleasures of its base appeal.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Oct 4, 2022

Messy, violent, and often garish, but it's capably directed by Stone.

Full Review | Mar 19, 2021

The film lends its characters some last-second self-awareness that it could have used itself, instead taking a viewpoint exemplified in O's narration, casually approaching a very frenetic life.

Full Review | Mar 10, 2021

Savages all too often feels overly stylized, emotionally manipulative, and detached in the worst of ways.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4.0 | Sep 21, 2020

"Savages" winds up a charade, almost a spoof of the kind of movie it claims to be. It wants to push buttons, it wants to incite debate, it wants to have something to say and be more important that it is. But there's nothing behind it.

Full Review | Original Score: C- | Jul 11, 2020

It's gory, it's horribly flawed and it features some pretty bad acting, yet Savages is fun and exciting if you don't take any of it seriously.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.2/5 | Nov 11, 2019

Nothing in an Oliver Stone movie is ever subtle, and this one is no exception. But Kitsch, rebounding from two flops that were hardly his fault (John Carter, Battleship), proves his mettle with a tight-wound, fine-tuned performance.

Full Review | Jul 31, 2019

A film that is fascinating to watch for the most part, and never dull, but without anyone for whom the audience can have a real rooting interest.

Full Review | Apr 11, 2019

Savages is a fun flick that will keep you mildly entertained, but the script is flabby, the feature itself about 20 minutes too long and there's little dramatic tension to speak of.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 5, 2019

The film isn't as subversive or as shocking as it tries so hard to be and as a result, it's a much more underwhelming experience than it should have been.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Sep 28, 2017

Savages may come off choppy in the very beginning, but it does springboards to a really fantastical second half.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Sep 8, 2017

It's lurid, sexy, funny, chaotic, cluttered, and if the grisly violence turns you off then Blake Lively _ playing a very dumb blonde _ and her two beaus... will also chip in laugh-out-loud moments, all the while with the director winking off-scene.

Full Review | May 10, 2016

There's no heft to the material - only mindless violence - and Blake Lively is absolutely dreadful.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Apr 17, 2016

Visually dazzling, if a bit bluntly simplistic and over-written. In other words, it's an Oliver Stone movie.

Full Review | May 3, 2015

A richly entertaining adaptation of Winslow's novel.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Aug 11, 2014

A well-told tale of power, corruption and uncivilized people who use violence and murder to achieve success.

Full Review | Original Score: 5.0/5 | Jun 30, 2013

An unabashedly lurid sun-and-surf ménage-à-trois cum drug-running caper, with touches of Jacobean tragedy for good measure.

Full Review | Jun 20, 2013

The film would have been so much more interesting if the two men had been identical twins played by the same actor-like Jeremy Irons in David Cronenberg's Dead Ringers.

Full Review | Jun 17, 2013

Stone lights up a big fat one guaranteed to get you high anew on a filmmaker widely thought to have long lost his potency. And true to weed's notorious side effects, his stash is strong enough to obliterate the memory of drags like 'Alexander.'

Full Review | Original Score: B | May 26, 2013