If you weren't already used to the idea of Hoffman being a stalwart of quirky films at the point of the list, you really need to smarten up your act, as The Savages is certainly no exception. The film tells the touching story of two siblings who have barely kept meaningful contact with each other over the years, but reunite to help their elderly father as he rapidly succumbs to dementia. Their father is implied to have been abusive through their childhood, whether that's emotionally or physically is never fully elaborated on, and leaves the two emotionally unable to sustain relationships in their adult life. Hoffman plays Jon Savage, the brother and son, who cannot commit to a Polish woman he has built a relationship with, despite the fact that she is destined to leave for her home country at the end of her visa. Jon allows her to leave, and it is truly emotionally devastating to watch unfold, as Jon has to instead force himself through an extremely uncomfortable ordeal with the father he has no connection with. Hoffman is effortless as he tugs on the heartstrings, and you feel genuine euphoria when it appears he is finally beginning to turn his life around at the climax of the movie.
