Greetings,
Say, do you think your family is insane? Well, you're probably right. I mean, whose family isn't a little crazy? Still, in most cases, it could be a lot worse. Take, for example, the family that is featured in the film August: Osage County. Yeah, things get a little nuts with this group. So, naturally, I felt it necessary to review said film. That way, I can talk about one of my favorite subjects - people who are on the brink of going bonkers crammed together in confined corners as we wait for things to explode. Why is it one of my favorite subjects? I don't know, maybe because I've been through this situation a few times. Oh, deep joy. Whatever, though. It's easier to deal with on the big screen. Kind of. Anyway, let's get to the film.
August: Osage County is based on a play of the same name, which premiered at the Steppenwolf Theater in 2007. So, I was not surprised that about %90 of this thing took place within the confines of a single house. Now, whilst there is a plot, and a fairly good one, this is one of those films that is more about the characters and what happens to them, how they change or don't change and whatnot. Personally, those are the types of stories I have always gravitated towards, but I know a lot of people don't. That probably explains why, though it has gotten mostly positive response, some reviews have been mixed. I kind of see where they're coming from. I think this movie is good, but also a little ... weird. Yeah, some weird things happen that are going to make your average movie-goer a bit uncomfortable. But this is about a really dysfunctional family, so that is expected. Anyway, let me say a bit about the plot.
Basically, this film is about the Weston family gathering together in the wake of a tragedy in Osage County, Oklahoma. In August. Get it. Fights are had, tears are shed, secrets are revealed, the end. No, really, that's what happens. And since I don't want to give spoilers, there is little else I can say. It's one of those plots that continually builds upon itself, so to mention one thing, I'd have to mention another and another, until I reveal everything. Don't want to do that. But, as I said, this is more about the characters. So let's get to them and the actors by which they are portrayed.
We are first introduced to Beverly Weston, former poet and current alcoholic, played by Sam Shepard, and even though he's not in this for very long, I'll take it. He's talking to a young woman named Johnna, played by Misty Upham, whom he is wanting to hire as a live-in cook and caregiver for his wife. Johnna, by the way, is an obviously kind and patient woman and also Native American. I mention this because it is a running gag, I suppose, that she is continually called "Indian", because why not? And she takes it all in stride. Anyway, Beverly's wife is Violet, played by Meryl Streep. Violet needs the hired help because she is suffering from mouth cancer, something that becomes ironically humorous considering her constant smoking. Humorous, because it gives us one of the best jokes. Anyway, shortly after this first scene, Beverly disappears and is reported missing, which is what brings the family together. We soon find out that he died, and that is NOT a spoiler because it's in the trailer. Like three times. So, it's just not.
Oh, yeah, the family. What a crazy bunch of ... I don't even know. May as well start with the oldest daughter, Barbara, played by Julia Roberts. She is very strong willed, like her mother, which seems to be the reason why they butt heads so much. She drives in from Colorado with her husband, Bill, played by an accent-free Ewan McGregor and her fourteen-year-old daughter, Jean, played by not fourteen-year-old, Abigail Breslin. Seriously, though, she is growing up quite beautifully and without embarrassing incidents. Keep it that way, honey. Barb and Bill are having some serious marriage woes, not helped by their daughter being a teenager. And, you know, teenagers, troublemakers and whatnot. Next to arrive is Uncle Charles and, Violet's sister, Mattie Fae. They are played by Chris Cooper, an actor whose success I predicted in 1996 after I saw him in A Time To Kill (you're welcome), and Margo Martindale who, between this and her stint on Justified, has redeemed herself for being in the Hannah Montana movie. For real, though, I LOVE these people. So Mattie Fae is a bit of a domineering wife, and she treats Charles not so great. Of course, that ain't even touching what she does to their son. More on that in a second. Then, we meet another Weston daughter, Ivy, played by Julianne Nicholson, the other actress who is not fourteen but could totally pass for it. At first glance, Ivy seems like the most stable and, dare I say it, normal one in the whole family. At first glance, anyway. She certainly is the nicest, no matter what secrets are revealed about her. And the last sister to arrive is Karen, played by Juliette Lewis. Karen is a bit flighty, I'd say, being a bit nonchalant about the whole "My dad's dead" thing. She arrives with her boyfriend, Steve, played by Dermot Mulroney. Steve is kind of sleazy. Or hilarious. Or both. Yeah, definitely both, which he does very well here. And, finally, we meet Charles and Mattie Fae's son, Little Charles, played by Benedict Cumberbatch. And as you may have guessed from the casting, "Little" Charles isn't exactly little. He's thirty-something, unemployed, awkward, a little lazy, maybe, and pretty much considered the dumb one in the family. So... Not Sherlock is who he's playing. Oh, and as I mentioned, his mother treats him like total crap. I mean, full on, he is a puppy, and she is always ready to do some kicking. Wow, Margo Martindale! First Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby, and now this. I hope you're not this mean to your children in real life. You're not. I just know it.
So those are the basics of August: Osage County. I thought it was pretty good. A little flawed, sure, and definitely hard to watch at times, emotionally speaking, but I still liked it. I liked the story. It was true to life and funny and even a tad violent at times. Yeah, those fights I mentioned were not only verbal. And though I'm sure people took issue with this, I like the fact that it had a bit of an open ending, without solid closure or resolution for every single character. I don't mind that, at all. Again, that's life. And I have to say this. Even in a movie that has a ton of big names in it, there still tends to be a weak link in the cast. There really isn't one here, in my opinion. I think every single actor has a chance to shine in this, and they certainly do. If nothing else, I think you will definitely be impressed by the performances.
Now, at the time that I post this, it is still in theaters. You don't exactly have to see it that way, because it's not that kind of movie. You could wait to rent. But I'd say it is worth at least one watch. You may not want to see it all the time, but if you check it out, I don't think it will be disappointing.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
