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'Savages' has too little life

By Kelly Jane Torrance
December 21, 2007

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney in THE SAVAGES.

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It's taken Tamara Jenkins almost 10 years to release a follow-up to her highly lauded, bleakly funny debut "Slums of Beverly Hills."

It actually wasn't enough time, though — "The Savages" still needs a lot of work.

The story line of writer-director Jenkins' sophomore effort has a lot of dramatic and comedic potential. A brother and sister, living in different cities and not particularly close, must take responsibility for their long-ignored, aging father, who was abusive while they were young but now doesn't even always remember who they are as dementia hits.

Even better, the brother and sister are played by two of independent film's brightest lights — Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney.

So it's a shame that in almost two hours of running time, there are only a couple of scenes that stand out in a film that tries to be both funny and touching, but doesn't much succeed in being either.

Wendy Savage is a wannabe playwright who hasn't had a single play produced. She spends her days working at unfulfilling temp jobs and her nights nurturing an unhealthy relationship; when someone asks her if she's married, she replies, "No. But my boyfriend is."

Jon is more successful, at least professionally, but has a lot in common with his sister. He also loves the theater — he's a drama professor — and he's just as scared of commitment, letting his longtime Polish girlfriend's visa expire instead of marrying her.

The two siblings trek from the East Coast to Arizona to retrieve their deteriorating father (Philip Bosco) after his live-in girlfriend passes away suddenly at the manicurist's table.

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