The Savage

Comedy
USA  /  English

Wendy Savage (Laura Linney) and Jon Savage (Philip Seymour Hoffman) are two self-absorbed, effacing, middle-aged siblings who are brought together after years away to care for their elderly and estranged father Lenny (Philip Bosco). Lenny suffers from dementia and the onset of Alzheimer's and requires constant attention. After Lenny's girlfriend dies, Lenny is dumped on his estranged children who have no time for their father. Jon is a drama professor, who is trying to finish his opus manuscript. Wendy is a failure as a playwright who has been forced to work as a temp employee to make ends meet. Both brother and sister believe that they are destined for greatness, and are narcissistic to the point that they cannot maintain relationships of any kind. Jon's foreign girlfriend wants to marry him so that she can stay in the country. Jon is but unwilling to tie himself down and sends her packing. Meanwhile, Wendy's having a completely empty affair a married man. Lenny sudden thrust back into their lives makes Jon and Wendy comes to terms with their own place in the world and to address the long-standing issues that caused the fallout with their father in the first place.