August: Osage County

Weinstein Company, The | Release Date: December 25, 2013

7.1	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 223 Ratings

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KindlyKJan 24, 2014

The quality of the stars in this movie and their acting was the ONLY reason this movie even rated a 1. It was everything I could not to walk out on this horrible assault. I kept hoping it would turn into something worthwhile. HUGE wast ofThe quality of the stars in this movie and their acting was the ONLY reason this movie even rated a 1. It was everything I could not to walk out on this horrible assault. I kept hoping it would turn into something worthwhile. HUGE wast of time and money!!! Wish I could erase this movie from my memory. It was just terrible!!!… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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David_HJan 27, 2014

There's no doubt the big star casting is impressive here and certainly there was some very impressive and very emotional acting. Unfortunately i cannot endorse a movie enthusiastically when it comes down to the fact you walk out of theThere's no doubt the big star casting is impressive here and certainly there was some very impressive and very emotional acting. Unfortunately i cannot endorse a movie enthusiastically when it comes down to the fact you walk out of the theater feeling like crap. honestly i don't see the point of a movie that is filled with conflict and depressing scenes, topped off with an ending that doesn't resolve anything.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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ariel84Apr 16, 2014

blech. expecting dark/black humor because: tracy letts. couldn't finish watching. so much scenery chewing by meryl streep. julia roberts/ewan macgregor: not a match made in heaven. and her face is largely expressionless. insertion of outsiderblech. expecting dark/black humor because: tracy letts. couldn't finish watching. so much scenery chewing by meryl streep. julia roberts/ewan macgregor: not a match made in heaven. and her face is largely expressionless. insertion of outsider as silent witness (native american nurse) so obvious. just a mess as a film.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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NZreviewMay 10, 2014

Despite the outstanding cast, beautiful landscapes and production values I have to say: watching this movie was a horrible experience. The character's are so relentlessly, gratuitously nasty, abusive and aggressive it is painful to watch. TheDespite the outstanding cast, beautiful landscapes and production values I have to say: watching this movie was a horrible experience. The character's are so relentlessly, gratuitously nasty, abusive and aggressive it is painful to watch. The Weinstein Company should be charged with hate crimes against residents of Osage County who are tarred by association to this.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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ArchonMagazineSep 20, 2014

Adapted from the 2008 Pulitzer Prize winning play of the same name, August: Osage County is what you expect in an Oscar nominated film. The tale of the troubled Weston family told over the course of a few weeks in Oklahoma as a disjointedAdapted from the 2008 Pulitzer Prize winning play of the same name, August: Osage County is what you expect in an Oscar nominated film. The tale of the troubled Weston family told over the course of a few weeks in Oklahoma as a disjointed family comes together when the sole male and patriarch goes missing.

Dysfunctional is almost an understatement when it comes to the Weston family’s problems. You name the depressing affliction and they have it. Incest? Yup. Cancer? Yup. Molestation? Yup. Suicide? Yup. Drug addiction? Yup. Divorce and Separation? Yup. Infidelity? Yup. Racism? Yup. Child Abuse? Yup. While this ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ mish-mosh of gloomy subject matter is not entirely the fault of the director, since it is an adaptation of Tracy Letts’ creation, it comes across as heavy handed and excessive in the film.

The acting can partially be to blame, as it is as graceless as the plot. Meryl Streep does as she always does, she transforms. But you cannot shake that underneath the wig and make up it is still Meryl Streep playing the pill popping verbally abusive matriarch, Violet Weston. Julia Roberts does a better job playing the daughter who got away, Barbara. I believe the star is Julianne Nicholson, who plays Ivy, the dismissed and criticized daughter burdened with the task of caretaker of the house. Hopefully this film can act as a catalyst for her career because she shines, as does her partner in the film, Benedict Cumberbatch.

The film reeks of “Academy Award” material as a product of the Weinstein brothers, but is undeserving of taking home the prestigious accolade in any category. Though fine as a dramatic film it is no tour de force. It lacks the longevity of presence and will probably be forgotten within a few years.

Find more recent movie reviews at our website!… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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LowbrowCinemaApr 10, 2014

Trite and uneven, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY may once and for all disprove Leo Tolstoy's very famous and over-used quote, "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.' This mess of a movie ladles out the usualTrite and uneven, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY may once and for all disprove Leo Tolstoy's very famous and over-used quote, "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.' This mess of a movie ladles out the usual American family dysfunctions without a trace of insight or depth. We've seen it all before, much better/much worse, in the theater, on film and hourly on television. Clearly there is talent involved from Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy Letts, who adapted the film from his own wildly successful and respected play, to a team of top producers who put together a star studded cast more for their wattage than cohesion. Meryl Streep leads the dysfunction while still overplaying the mother superior from DOUBT. Director John Wells is unable to reign her in or create any rapport among the actors. AUGUST requires a true ensemble, but with the film you never believe this is a real family. Julia Roberts comes out on top both in plot and performance but it really doesn't matter. She and everyone one else is done in by a film that really doesn't know what it wants to be. The cinematography is bright when it should be dark. The music sweetens when it should bite. Worst of all, the claustrophobia of the play is undermined with characters running in and out of the house like cracked up lab rats. This is not a work that needed to be opened-up. In fact, it needed to be closed in. Made more tight and claustrophobic for the screen. And when the characters do sit and stick around for abuse at the dinner table, you'll ask, "Why don't they just leave again?" AUGUST is truly a mess of a county.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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raustin714Dec 29, 2013

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. There is no way not to love Meryl Streep at all times, but you spend the whole movie watching her tear apart the scenery like Mechagodzilla and keep thinking "what a great actress" instead of "I believe this character could exist".
Like most people on Earth, I have not seen the play on which this movie was based. I didn't even know it was based on a play but assumed it was very early into movie as all the actors begin assembling into small rooms to give speeches at one another very loudly.
So many ridiculous causes for drama and conflict are packed into one film it becomes laughable, as hard as you are trying to take this seriously because so many good actors are obviously trying to on screen. The alcoholic father. The pill popping venomous mother. Suicide. Cancer. Familial dysfunction. Incest. Marital strife. Sibling rivalry. Mental illness. Teenage angst. All trotted out one after another to keep the actors acting on full blast. Why are Ewan Macgregor and Benedict Cumberbatch cast as two weasly Midwestern dopes? Because there's more acting to be done when you have to barely pull off a believable accent.
Subtle this movie ain't. Just to make sure you understand that Juliette Lewis' boyfriend is a rich douchebag, he needs to drive a red Ferrari convertible at 90mph everywhere and blast "livin la vida loca" on the stereo. Really? Like someone has listened to that song in ten years.
Listen, this movie was actually enjoyable for a while in the same way that one of those caught on camera shows is. But after a while you get numbed to the car accidents and wanna switch it off.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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TevyeFeb 1, 2014

I want my money back! I've never heard so much trash-talk in a film and would never see this film again ever. Wanted so badly to walk out, but we were with another couple, so we all stayed, hoping to find something redemptive in the film. ItI want my money back! I've never heard so much trash-talk in a film and would never see this film again ever. Wanted so badly to walk out, but we were with another couple, so we all stayed, hoping to find something redemptive in the film. It seemed to me the title should have been: WHICH ONE OF THESE CHARACTERS WOULD MAKE GOOD ROLE MODEL, AND IF YOU PICK ANY ONE OF THEM, YOU'RE A LOSER.

The film and it's actors will probably garner a lot of attention from the Oscar crowd, which shows why the Hollywood culture is so vile and repulsive.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

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BananafishMar 24, 2017

Terrible. Just terrible. What's worse is people think this is what thoughtful storytelling looks like. Sad. I've seen the play also. It's not this particular movie production - let me absolutely clear. It's the story overall. It was obviouslyTerrible. Just terrible. What's worse is people think this is what thoughtful storytelling looks like. Sad. I've seen the play also. It's not this particular movie production - let me absolutely clear. It's the story overall. It was obviously written by a Junior High School girl who thinks she knows what drama is.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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PAScottFeb 22, 2014

What was the point of this movie? We meet a cast of characters who are all deeply damaged. As movie continues, we learn more about the damage and the contempt they have for each other. I kept waiting for redemption that never came. SomeWhat was the point of this movie? We meet a cast of characters who are all deeply damaged. As movie continues, we learn more about the damage and the contempt they have for each other. I kept waiting for redemption that never came. Some may argue that is real life which may be true. But why would anyone want to pay money to see that?… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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