August: Osage County: A Truly Dysfunctional Family

I went into August: Osage County with exceedingly low expectations. I came out pleasantly surprised. Perhaps it helped that I knew nothing about the story of this Pulitzer-winning play. As a result, I was treated to two hours of a genuinely surprising, oftentimes hilarious story anchored by strong, powerful performances from some of the greatest actresses of our generation.

I won't discuss the plot of this movie/play extensively because you either know it or you don't; and if you don't, you're in for a treat. In essence, Meryl Streep plays Violet, the matriarch of the Weston family, who are all gathered together at the family home in Oklahoma during a crisis. In the ensuing days, family secrets bubble to the surface, animosities and resentments are flung about (along with some of the crockery), and the aftermath is alternately hilarious and depressing, entertaining and frustrating.

The cast is a who's who of famous faces that ensures you will never again flounder at a game of Six Degrees of Separation. The daughters of the Weston clan are played by Julia Roberts, Juliette Lewis, and Julianne Nicholson, an actress I have become particularly fond of after her remarkable work in Masters of Sex. Roberts is in fine form in this film, going toe-to-toe with Meryl Streep and flinging f-bombs with aplomb. Her husband is played by an initially unrecognizable Ewan McGregor, and their fourteen-year old daughter is played by Abigail Breslin, who gets into her fair share of trouble as the movie progresses. Margo Martindale is wonderful as Mattie Fae, Violet's sister who harbors a deep secret that you won't see coming. Chris Cooper plays her husband Charlie, who opens an infamous lunch scene by delivering a grace that made me laugh out loud, while Benedict Cumberbatch is utterly charming (complete with Southern accent) as her disappointing son, "Little" Charles.

This is an incredible story about family dysfunction, told with the blackest of humor. The screenwriter is the original playwright, Tracy Letts, and like with any play, the dialogue can get pedantic. But once the women are back to swearing at each other, things are on an even keel. I initially thought the award nominations for Roberts and Streep were mere kowtows to Hollywood royalty, but after watching this movie, I have absolutely no objections. These are some incredible performances that I won't forget in a hurry, and despite the dark subject matter, I truly enjoyed this movie. Every character feels real and fleshed out, and at just two hours, this is a shockingly zippy film. So watch August: Osage County - it is chock-full of dysfunctional surprises.