August: Osage County (2013) – Film Review

Director: John Wells
Writers: Tracy Letts (screenplay and play)
Actors: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Abigail Breslin, Julianne Nicholson, Juliette Lewis
Runtime: 121 min
Rating: 14A

The translation from book to film is a topic that is much discussed here at The Arts Guild, and beyond. The move from the theatre stage to the silver screen, however, does not receive nearly as much attention. With the new movie August: Osage County, director Johns Wells has taken Tracy Letts’s beloved and highly successful play of the same name, which debuted on Broadway in 2007, and created a film full of powerhouse actors. This piece is a work best suited for the intimacy of a live theatre, however, and after watching the film, as good as it was, I was left with one thought: I wish I could have seen this as a play.

August: Osage County chronicles a few days in the lives of the Weston women as they converge in their childhood family home in rural Oklahoma due to an unfortunate crisis. Barbara (Julia Roberts) is going through a divorce and dealing with a rebellious teenaged daughter, Ivy (Julianne Nicholson) is becoming comfortable in a taboo relationship after years of insufficient attention, and Karen (Juliette Lewis) has simply moved on to “this year’s man.” These women may have very different personalities, but they are all strong willed and determined in their own ways, even in the face of their highly dysfunctional, drug-addicted mother Violet (Meryl Streep). A matriarch who wastes no opportunity to spout abuse to all who will listen, Violet always needs to be the centre of attention. Whether or not the twisting and turning family drama will bring these ladies together, or tear then irreversibly apart, is the question that begs to be asked.

As expected from such a top-notch cast, the acting in this film is stellar. Both Streep and Roberts present layered, nuanced performances that are well deserving of their respective Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nominations, but the entire supporting cast keeps up with apparent ease. Since August: Osage County is adapted from a play, there are many long scenes that consist primarily of dialogue, and strong acting is crucial. These scenes feel natural, and easily hold a viewer’s attention as we watch the actors performing their verbal warfare. The very definition of an ensemble cast, each actor is allowed his or her scene in which to shine. All play off of one another brilliantly, whether they are sitting down to an ill-fated dinner or engaging in an all-out physical brawl.

As much of a fan of cinema that I am, however, one cannot deny the distance created between an actor and their viewer by a screen. Images can be projected that could never be duplicated by actors and sets on a stage, yet at the same time, some stories are simply conveyed better through live and tangible emotion. For a film full of drama, not much actually occurs in this movie. This fact is not necessarily a flaw, and would be unnoticeable in a stage play, where one can be captivated by the actors on stage and become a part of their world. In the film, however, I was not drawn into these women’s lives, as well portrayed as they were. The dysfunction eventually began to feel excessive, as each moment revealed a new dark and dramatic twist, and by the end one may begin to wonder what else could possibly be revealed or go wrong.

August: Osage County is a well made film in all aspects. Well shot, well written, well scored, and extremely well acted, there is little this film could have done differently to make it better. I remain convinced, however, that many scenes would have had even more power on the theatre stage, and that some of the potential for fascination that such a story should hold was lost in translation. Perhaps there is nothing left for this critic to do but to seek out the play.