An overlooked and honest dramedy. An odd blend bleakness and quirk make this a clear cut above most of it's genre.

Impressive all the way around. Any movie showing clips from Dassin's "Night and the City" and discussing Von Stroheim versus Von Sternberg deserves recognition. Great acting too and a balanced, observant take on life, death and reconciliation.

Underwhelmed me. Nothing is wrong with the film, but I don't see the humor or the worth. Chekov used to say that he wrote about common people to point out how wretched and boring their lives but, but...we get it, bro.

Good cast but the characters and dialogue never really clicked. Difficult subject matter. It managed to be depressing and quirky without ever really hitting any deep, dramatic, touching or funny notes. Conclusion: old age death is not that good, and not that bad. Just like this movie.

Linney gives a performance full of heartache and regret while Hoffman does his usual stellar routine. The Savages makes you realize, if you haven't already, that in the end it's you and you alone who have to pick up the pieces that have slowly been building up in the corners while you lived life. The ending is a little saccharine but is direly needed after what comes beforehand. The only thing that really didn't work was the white guilt scene. After all, who doesn't find blackface funny?

In the hands of less competent actors this might not have been nearly as good as it was. The main characters are as realistic of characters as you will get in a movie and fewer actors than you would think would be able to show the total range that both Linney and Hoffman equally portrayed. The writing was well done in both character development and treading the line between dark humor and drama with near perfection. Get's a bit sappy at the end but overall a very rewarding experience.

Great acting, but the plotlines and character arcs were just a little too predictable.

All three leads were marvelous (though Philip Bosco did not get enough room to show his talent), the story was warm and important, but the directing could be snapier. The film was extented by too slow pacing.

Powerful.

Laura Linney is simply stunning, and Hoffman matches her. A fantastic examination of a sibling relationship.

Good movie but it is pure drama, no comedy involved. Could have been better if it was a bit shorter.

Excellent film.

A Film about the question: what would I do if my parents become a nursing case. Sometimes sad but more often ironic and snappy. Hoffman and Linney did a very good job.

A well shot, intelligently written drama, with some lovely comic and touching moments. PSH, Linney and Bosco certainly lift "The Savages" with their excellent performances. Well worth a watch.

Linney and Hoffman are terrific as squabbling brother and sister dealing with their estranged father's decline from dementia. Some awkward laughs but this is quite moving and sad, with a tentatively positive ending. Would make a great double bill with You Can Count On Me.

Following the standard Indie formula: Estranged, emotionally crippled people from dysfunctional families laugh, cry and mature a little, after coming to terms with their own mortality as well as their failure as human beings. Fine performances all around, yo. There's just something about a movie about a writer, who's writing a book about Bertol Brecht, that makes my eye twitch uncontrollably.