Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman put in terrific performances in this touching, funny comedy-drama. They play siblings quarrelling over the fate of their elderly father when he falls ill.

Film Trivia

• Produced by Alexander Payne, who directed 'Election' and 'Sideways'.
• This is writer/director Tamara Jenkins' second film after the critically acclaimed indie hit 'Slums of Beverly Hills'.
• The film that Wendy and Jon show to their father to help him remember the 'old days' is the 1927 musical 'The Jazz Singer'. Starring Al Jolson, it was the first film to feature dialogue and is notorious for its 'black face' sequence.
• The film's three leads; Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Laura Linney and Phillip Bosco have all been nominated at least twice for Broadway's prestigious 'Tony Award'.
• Jenkins' was originally due to release the film through Focus Features, but a disagreement over casting lead her to release the film through Fox Searchlight, the indie studio that enjoyed success with 'Little Miss Sunshine' and 'Juno'.

If you like The Savages, try these:

• Juno
• Charlie Wilson's War
• In The Valley Of Elah
• Waitress