MovieChat Forums > Save the Tiger (1973) Discussion > Why not more popular or remembered?

Why not more popular or remembered?


This movie had a powerful message about middle-aged disillusionment, youthful longing, guilt, etc., plus superb acting by Jack Lemon (Best Actor) and Jack Gilford.

Why isn't it more popular?

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who knows? Did you notice that he didn't put deodorant on at the beginning?

"Charming company you keep."

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It's got two big elements going against it to be liked by the masses:

1) It requires thoughtful, empathetic meditation in order to really follow the characters and thus enjoy it, because it's a study of real people, with real flaws and worries and pain about real life. So cartoon-ish, one dimension "heroes" and "villains" as well as a trite, cliched story line are missing.

2) It's honest, which means no BS happily-ever-after nonsense. Notice I didn't say "brutally" honest. Honest is just honest, whether it's pleasant or not. People who say they're being honest but not "brutally" honest are like girls who are a "little" pregnant. You're either honest or nor, lying or not. This film is a marvelous, rare treasure because it refuses to lie. It's a movie for real adults, not those who have grown old but remained deluded children.

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You are absolutely right!! I couldn't agree with you more!! It's one of the brightest coments I have ever read!!

David Morhaim( from Argentina)

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During the early 1970s, the "masses" embraced many films of this sort.

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Actually, the "masses" did not embrace many films of this sort in the early 1970s.

These films got made because the studios handed young directors a long leash to do as they wanted, and they did THAT -- not because they (the studios) were generous or "respected" youth or pure filmmakers -- but because the studios had made so much crap in the early-to-mid 1960's that they knew that they'd lost the formula for making movies and had little alternative but to throw new things at the wall and see if they stuck:

http://zvbxrpl.blogspot.com/2004/09/reagan-of-movies.html

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I see this film as a Man In The Grey Flannel Suit for the Watergate era.

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It isn't well remembered because it was a downer of a movie. It's all about misery and failure and angst. Nobody likes those movies, and they certainly don't do box office. This one didn't, and the most recent reminder of that was Greg Kinnear in Flash of Genius.

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lol there is already all the presidents man

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What are you talking about?

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Ive yet to see this movie but the discussion alone has intrigued me more. Im a big fan of 70s film and fully apreciate the no "BS" and I like an "honest" film that doesnt need to be brutally honest to grab my wandering attention. ebay says £23 for a standard dvd copy. not likely but i intend to find and watch. Since this thread is 3 years long ill probably be back next with an opinion.
anticipation......

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Hold off a little, Thomas. This film has been reissued on DVD and is currently selling for US$3.99 here in the U.S. (region 1). That may have an impact on region 2 in the near future. Or if you have a multi-region or region-free player (which seems to be the case around the world EXCEPT in the U.S.), simply get the region 1 DVD.

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[deleted]

Theatrical? I'd say the only thing dated about this movie is the time it took place in (Vietnam and Watergate). Other than that it is on point to being realistic especially in regards to the choices we make in life and the "cognitive dissonance" that may follow. There's no exaggerated plot line, gimicky shock factors, or technical special f/x just some of the grim realities of everyday life. In fact, this film reminds me a lot of the line of films John Cassavetes made. Subtle, but an outstanding film.

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Great assessment.

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I just saw the movie for the first time yesterday and I was very much impressed. I was expecting something good for sure, but this was a GREAT film with an incredible performance by Jack Lemmon (perhaps his best performance alongside his role in Days of Wine and Roses). And if this movie is not remembered (even though Jack Lemmon got an Oscar for it), well I guess it might be the dark tone of the movie or the fact that it was purely character-driven or that people perhaps did not want to see Jack Lemmon in this type of roles. That being said, several other movies with a dark tone and very flawed lead characters are still being remembered quite well today, like Taxi Driver or Network, so it certainly depends on a lot of factors. Another movie that is perhaps not that well remembered is Five Easy Pieces, which is yet another "downbeat" character-driven movie with a somber tone.

Bill Foster: I'm the bad guy?...How did that happen?

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Quiet, understated character studies such as this often have a way of getting a little lost in the shuffle - especially when they're made during times when great films were released almost on a weekly basis... like 1973. That said, it's not a flawless film though - the symbolism and metaphors are laid on with a rather loose wrist, some of the illuminating speeches veer into sentimentalist obviousness and the sequence with the hippie chick towards the end is ultimately quite corny. But overall, it's a remarkably well written piece with great dialogue, some beautifully moody passages and indeed excellent work by Lemmon in one of his very best performances. The thing's just so lovably 'Seventies'...



"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

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I would add that Jack Gilford really added to the film in his role as Lemmon's morally-troubled accountant. The dialog between the two was very poignant.

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Probably because, despite its universal themes, it specifically addresses the (upper middle class) WWII generation. Also, the fact that the story and acting is low-key (no Pacino over-the-top-ness here) and the hero (or antihero) is flawed doesn't help either.

Then again, film's "fame" is often very fleeting anyway. For instance, Gandhi (1982) is a movie that swooped the Oscars and everyone lauded it as a great movie, yet no one remembers it today and even if they do remember it, they've never seen it, in all probability.

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Good points, Alfbeta.

My students remember Gandhi, because I show it (well, parts of it) and then they get to do homework regarding what they learned. Oddly, they seem to like the movie more than the homework...

Still, Save the Tiger was a very good movie, and the acting by Lemmon and Gilford was top notch.

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I've always considered it to be in a small genre of films about the downside of the American Dream, especially for men as they get older & the dream gets threadbare. Similar films would be Seconds & The Swimmer. Twilight Zone episodes like "A Stop at Willoughby" also cover the same territory.

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