“The Savages” is funny and sad movie at the same time, as it takes a closer look at a family drama when the estranged father of two siblings needs their help.

The movie directed by Tamara Jenkins, known for her dark comedy “Slums of Beverly Hills,” made its debut in January at the Sundance Film Festival and it stars Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman, who are two siblings in their adulthood, who were never married, living in different cities and finding themselves brought together by their father and struggling with some issues, present and past.

They are Wendy Savage, who works as a temp in New York City and writes a playwright about their childhood. She has an affair with a married man and she often finds herself telling lies.

Her brother is Jon Savage, who lives in Buffalo and makes his living as a teacher at the college, while writing a book on Bertolt Brecht. He can’t make a commitment to his girlfriend.

Even thought the two are not that close and didn’t have a real connection with their father, they rush across the country to see him when they find that he might no longer be able to take care of himself and they might need to put him in a nurturing home, where eventually he will die.

Their father, Lenny, played wonderfully by Philip Bosco, was an emotionally abusive father and we get to see how his children, who never felt his affection, have to worry about his health.

Hoffman and Linney do a wonderful job in playing the unsettled and adult children who bicker just like only blood relatives know how.

The movie, even though presents us a kind of sad story, it still has its moments of glory and comic situations that sometimes makes us forget that the end of life is no easy thing for either the elder or his children, but with a little bit of “savage” something good can come out of if.

Movie Type: Drama

MPAA Rating: R for some sexuality and language.

Running Time: 1 hour 53 minutes

Directed By: Tamara Jenkins

Cast:   Philip Seymour Hoffman, Laura Linney, Philip Bosco, Peter Friedman, Gbenga Akinnagbe

Released: November 28th, 2007 (limited)

U.S. Box Office: $4,218,712