Laura Linney is Wendy, Philip Seymour Hoffman (right) is Jon, and Philip Bosco (center) is their dying father in ''The Savages.'' (Courtesy photo)

By Bob Polunsky
Movie Critic

"The Savages" hits home no matter where you live.  It is heavy drama that's laced with enough humor to make its characters human and its situations credible. It also has an excellent cast of players to do handle it all.

Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is a puffy, proud theater arts professor who sits in judgment of his fellow men and women, especially those in his family. His sister, Wendy (Laura Linney), is three years younger, but feels superior to him. As a result, they rarely talk to one another until forced to do so when their father, Lenny (Philip Bosco), has dementia and needs constant care, and Jon and Wendy are the only family Lenny has left.

Lenny wasn't a lovable father, and Jon and Wendy blame him for their empty lives.  They also take out their frustrations on each other, so working together to keep Lenny comfortable while he's waiting to die is a thankless task. 

In fact, Lenny's inevitable death is all that keeps them at his bedside.  In time, they learn more about him. They also learn more about each other and themselves. Thanks to exceptional acting, they develop into real human beings with consciences, values and, most of all, heart.

The movie's title sums up their characters and relationships, and their character's names – Jon  and Wendy – provide the punch line.  They are the same names that writer James M. Barrie gave his "children" in his fable, "Peter Pan. They, too, were afraid to grow up because they didn't know what they might find. They escaped into a fantasy world filled the fun and adventure that they wanted out of life. 

By contrast, Jon and Wendy Savage invent a fantasy world filled with the wrongs they already suffered so they could re-live them while blaming their parents for them. Escape was not an issue. Vengeance was. But now, they can't strike back.   

"The Savages" doesn't paint a pretty picture, but it is an honest one.  The flares of temperament are consistent with most stories about dementia that catch a family off-guard.  To the film's credit, it doesn’t preach, it merely describes.  We get to know the characters better and gradually get to like them.  We want them to resolve their problems and have better lives.  We know it's not easy for them. Their habits and attitudes are their obstacle courses.

Jon has a girlfriend willing to marry him, but he backs away from the idea of the responsibility of marriage, so they split. Wendy's boyfriend is already married, so Wendy doesn't have to face any responsibility.  She even flirts with a male nurse when Lenny is in the hospital.

The film examines their problems without judging them. Sentiment counts in their family, but the movie doesn't dwell on it.  It just reminds us of the vast difference between growing up and just growing older. 

Studio rating: R
Bob says: "A vivid lesson in life"
3 Stars