Highlight from Chicago IFF's last night in 2007

The closing-night film of the Chicago International Film Festival was The Savages, the second major feature film written and directed by Tamara Jenkins.

In a one-on-one interview with Jenkins the day following the Chicago premiere, Jenkins said she considered the film’s genre to be serio-funny because of the depiction of real-life characters with their own nuances, and eccentricities.

The film tells the tale of a pair of estranged adult siblings John and Wendy Savage (Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney) who, hardly on speaking terms despite the fact they live less than 50 miles apart, are required to return home to look after their father who suffers from dementia.

Specializing in the art of crafting films that resonate with movie-goers Jenkins said, “I am all about the idea of creating realistic character studies on film.”

When asked what she has been doing since her last feature, Slums of Beverly Hills (1998), appeared in movie theatres nationwide, Jenkins jokes, “You mean what have I been doing the last nine years.”

Heralded for her ability to elicit complex emotional reactions without resorting to cliché tactics, the fine-skinned, ebony-curled Jenkins embodies all the elements of a true indie film director.

According to Jenkins, “The Savages was produced half by a studio, within their specialized services division, and half from independent means.” The film is, then, that new cross-breed acquiring partial funding from studioesque bodies and the rest from outside sources. Jenkins explained that, in a broad sense, “Because it involved less money than a big budget picture that in and of itself may make it an indie film.”

Fortunate to have such two critically acclaimed actors as Hoffman and Linney, Jenkins said once she locked on them in the roles she could not envision anyone else playing the faltering brother and sister duo.

“It is critical to find the right person for the job, a marriage between the subject matter and the actor,” is how Jenkins’ views the casting process. “I believe it should be the best person for the role as opposed to someone who will automatically appeal to audiences.”

Because of her intense dedication to retaining the integrity of The Savages, Jenkins says she opted to team up with a different studio -- moving to Fox Searchlight after experiencing creative casting differences with Focus Features. The fact that Jenkins was resolute in her choices of Hoffman and Linney, is a testament to her perseverance and dedication as both a writer and director.

In line with her philosophy that casting must adhere to the protocol of being ‘the real choice versus the on-screen choice, Jenkins makes a point, “Writing is like directing on the page. If I didn’t write my own films, what would the material look like? I cannot commit that many years to something unless I have a strong personal connection.” The Savages took four years to create and produce prior to its release.

While The Slums of Beverly Hills was somewhat autobiographical, The Savages is more loosely-based fiction. “A fertile forum for human behavior” is how Jenkins describes the story as it is set-up within Savages. Though she herself has dealt with family members suffering from dementia, she contends this film is not her personal story.

She says she started at a personal place where she possessed an understanding of the pain and rawness involved in caring for an elderly relative during a prolonged decline; from there she moved into constructing the story. “Fictional writing interlaced with a dramatic story,” is Jenkins’ take on the film. In fact, the title is even fictional as opposed to representing a real family she once knew.

“It worked on multiple levels. Indicative of how real people act when devoid of their civilized etiquette and proprietary properties,” Jenkins states, “An extreme environmental study of people in a highly vulnerable moment.” Authenticating human behavior and realistic casting is of utmost importance to Jenkins.

“Bringing a vitality, an aliveness to the screen filled with brilliant performances is what I aspire to achieve otherwise it is like watching freeze-dried flowers void of depth and emotion,” relays Jenkins of her ongoing efforts to produce engrossing, realistic work.

"Admirable and tiresome" is Jenkins’ self-appointed task as writer-director. Painstaking to the point of calling herself "loathsomely self-critical," Jenkins hopes to not take another nine years to produce her next film.

“I will be in a nursing home if I continue on this same pace,” laughs Jenkins. She says she has immensely enjoyed doing the promotional circuit for her film, but she should be home writing in her NYC apartment

With a scheduled screening in Dallas the day after our interview, the film’s PR liaison warns her, “We hear there may be turbulence on your flight.” To her dismay, Jenkins replies, “Ooh, I don’t like turbulence.”

For Jenkins’ sake, let’s hope that all logistical details go off without a hitch, and that viewers will warmly receive the film on November 28, its USA release date.