Wendy (Laura Linney) and Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman) inherit a whole set of new problems, when their father who has been absent for a huge chunk of their lives, suddenly re-appears needing to be cared for and their attention. Both have minds that are more immersed in the literary world and no doubt feel hopelessly inadequate dealing with a man who as we see in the beginning of the film is prone to unyielding stubbornness and extreme behaviour when he writes an obscene word, with his own excrement to insult his girlfriend’s care worker.

When his girlfriend dies and he is unceremonially turned out of a picture post card looking house, it is then that his two children have to take control of a situation, they would in normal circumstances steer well clear of. Their father is prone to fits of irrational anger outbursts, he is moody and unpredictable. Does he really know who they are? His mind is confused, everything has to be explained in a gentle way, in they way a parent explains things to a young child. He is moved to live closer to Jon Savage, who takes a far more phlegmatic approach to the situation, than his more sensitive but neurotic younger sister Wendy Savage. This is also a film that observes family chemistry in a probing way. Jon tends to dominate and Wendy struggles to win his respect. Jon finds a home to offload his father, Wendy would like to feel happy in this choice, but is forced to go along with her brother, which probably was a pattern, since their childhoods.

Jon played so effortlessly and perfectly by Philip Seymour Hoffman (which acting school for geniuses did he go to? Is he not one of the greatest actors of the moment) despite being so literate and teacher of philosophy seems to pragmatic for his own good and does not have the warmth of his flawed but kind spirited sister. Despite both Jon and Wendy being learned people, they are still learning some stark lessons about life. Aligned to the central plot are their relationships with their partners. Wendy’s is the most traumatic. She has liaisons with a married man. It is blatantly obvious she is involved in a doomed relationship with a loser, who is only interested in her for sex and even the sex she has with this man is unrewarding, as we see her looking inanely at this man’s beloved dog, during the act of “love making” willing the man to finish. Her low self esteem has led her to accept an unacceptable shoddy situation and she is a woman who is ravenous for the love of a good man. We see her following fitness videos, this is not just a film about a family, it also digs deeper into American society.

Jon is a man who is in a state of denial, he has a nice looking and charming Polish partner, but he seems loathed to cement the relationship and marry her, which means she is condemned to return to Poland. Perhaps the brother and sisters relationships are the legacy of their parents and their relationships. In recent years there have been a number of films about dysfunctional families, (The Royal Tenenbaums for example) but this film really digs deeper and is a great observation and depiction of a family and the intricate components of a family. This is a film that thrives on strong dialogue and witty conversation. There is pathos, the pathos inflicted on all of us when we reach old age, as our dignity is taken away from us. Laura Linney does a fine job driving the film and working along side a fine ensemble of actors. It is a brave step to make a film that covers such a sensitive subject and a subject perhaps too easily brushed away, it is certainly not Hollywood material.

People with elderly parents or grand parents will relate to this film, it is certainly not a film for a young audience. There are mirrors and contrasts, sometimes we see strong echoes of her father’s stubbornness in Wendy. Sometimes this stubbornness means there is a battle of wills. Sometimes we wonder if the old man is just trying provoke people at times.

We see a doctor explain in sharp medical terminology how his condition will worsen, but we see him turn down his hearing aid, when his two children are having a squabble, as they are prone to do, this is not the mark of a man who has lost all his mental faculties, more the mind of a calculating person. There is a scene where the brother and sister awkwardly try to ask their father, how he wants to be buried, which is part of some kind of morbid administrative process. He talks back to them as if they are fools, he makes them feel awkward and useless, he compounds the situation. The old man pulls one direction and the son and daughter are pulling in another but as a family they try desperately for some kind of cohesion.

The characters are quirky but the film contains many truisms and it is well worthwhile exploring and pondering these truisms. It is nice to see a film with wit and depth and strong performances. Perhaps this will not be seen as an outstanding film, but we can take a lot away from it and there is much to admire in it.

Francis H. Powell is originally from England and moved to Paris in 1999. In addition to being a writer (articles, songs and poems), he is a painter, DJ and English trainer. For more information, please click here to read his complete bio.

Be first to comment on this article

Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register.