The Savages

The Savages is a movie starring Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman. It is about two estranged siblings reunited to put their father, who has dementia, in a nursing home. Sounds simple enough, but the acting in this movie makes every emotion more raw and poignant. I watched it and I thought it was fantastic.

Indeed, this type of subject matter I have never seen before. Something that everyone has to go through, yet I rarely hear of it. Probably because I am not at that age yet where I can actually take care of my aging parents. However, if the time does come, I probably would not object to put them in a care facility. Obviously because I am no good at caring for others, and it is not easy taking care of others. But it is not even just that; there is a scene in the movie where the grown children ask their father what his arrangement would be should he become a vegetable or died. How do you ask someone that, especially someone whose future is imminent with death? Laura Linney's character is hesitant and in denial when confronted with all this. I believe it is natural to feel that way.

Which is why I must make arrangements in advance to avoid all this. And I hope the same conversation will be easy for me and my parents when the time comes.