Theater Whore: August Osage County

August: Osage County 9/10

Got around to finally checking out August: Osage County and am happy that I finally know how to pronounce the name of it. It was pretty much what I expected in terms of story and levels of discomfort. It was like being invited to someone's house for dinner and watching them get into a fight. If you've never experienced that be very happy. This is that times ten because it contains every amount of drama that you can think of from death, infidelity, incest, and drugs occur.

This will contain spoilers by the way.

There has been a family tragedy and its not the one I was expecting. Meryl Streep has cancer in her mouth but continues to smoke and takes far more pills than she should. Her husband played by Sam Shepard hires a young Native American woman Misty Upham (I point out her nationality because its relevant) to help take care of her. Soon he goes missing and Streep has all of her daughters show up. They find out that he dead, likely suicide, and plan his funeral.

Juliette Lewis plays herself. I mean, she is fine at her part but its nothing you haven't seen from her in almost every film she has done. Ditzy, out of it, and cheerful. Out of all the cast I'd say she was the one that didn't fit and when she was in scenes with other better actors it made her look bad. She brings her new fiance played by Dermot Mulroney with her. Juliana Nicholson plays the daughter that is miserable because she stuck around and is considered a disappointment. She just wants to date her cousin Little Charlie played by Benedict Cumberbatch who is seen as a fuck up. Julia Roberts comes with her soon to be ex husband Ewan McGregor and her annoying ass daughter played by Abigail Breslin. Chris Cooper and his wife Margo Martindale show up as well.

I think that's everyone. Jeez...

The relationships that the daughters have with the mom are strained to say the least. Every time a discussion starts she chimes in with the worst shit you can say to someone that is your child. She takes every opportunity to embarrass them and they just take it until someone snaps and when they snap it feels so damned good!

This film was full of incredible acting particularly by Roberts, Streep, Nicholson, and Cooper. There is a scene near the end featuring Cooper that will make any parent that treats their kid like shit reevaluate how they talk to them. There are parts of this that are hard to watch but its still a really good movie and definitely worth all the awards its being nominated for.

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