Director Tom Wells’s August: Osage County is the film adaptation of the Tony award and Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name by Tracy Letts. However, the adaption has been met with mixed reviews. The moviecentreson Violet (Meryl Streep), the matriarch of a family that is falling apart after the death of her poet husband. Violet is a rude and selfish character that constantly slips into disparaging verbal fits aimed as personal attacks on her family members, made worse by her drug addiction. Her family, especially her daughters, try to avoid being in her presence at all costs. Streep holds the fort in this character-driven plot and it is thrilling to watch her in the role of Violet. After watching her performance, which is nominated for an Oscar as Best Actress, every actress should leave the cinema feeling the need to play the character of Violet Weston as well as Streep does. The film’s second Oscar nomination, Best Supporting Actress, belongs to Julia Roberts for her role as Violet’s oldest daughter Barbara.
It doesn’t come as a surprise that August: Osage County hasn’t been nominated for Best Picture. Although one could easily see that it was originally a good a stage play because of its dialogue, it doesn’t quite transfer as well to the big screen. Notable dialogues are between Barbara and her husband Bill (Ewan McGregor) and an outstanding dinner scene between the whole family, which heats to a confrontational boiling point between Violet and her eldest daughter. There are also more touching moments from the other cast members, markedly between Violet’s brother-in-law Charles (Chris Cooper) and his son “Little Charles” played by Benedict Cumberbatch from the television series Sherlock.
Producer Harvey Weinstein of The Weinstein Company admitted that he rushed the making of the film at first to have it finished in time for the Toronto Film Festival, a mistake he told Deadline.com he’ll never repeat again. The ending has since been changed from the Toronto version to its current final cut. Still, the final version has still stirred up mixed feelings in audiences and critics alike. Rotten Tomatoes’ critic rating is an overall 64% while Metacritic‘s is a 58%.
In comparison to your standard movie, August: Osage Country is a stronger in terms of cast presence and plot line and lacks slightly in terms of directing. Despite the mixed reviews, you wouldn’t be wasting your time watching the movie; however, audiences shouldn’t expect to be completely blown away.
Rating: 3 and ½ out of 5
