August: Osage County

 2/4

Starring: Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Ewan McGregor, Margo Martindale, Chris Cooper, Juliette Lewis, Dermot Mulroney, Julianne Nicholson, Abigail Breslin, Misty Upham, Sam Shepard

Rated R for Language including Sexual References, and for Drug Material

There is a certain kind of film critic, the kind that many people imagine when they think of film critics, who will fawn over a movie like "August: Osage County."  It has everything they purport to love: lots of wordy dialogue, acting showcases, and little conventional action.  I suppose actors like it too, since it gives them a chance to actually act as oppose to dance around on a green screen wearing spandex.  I fall into neither of these categories, so I think I'm safe in saying that while I appreciated some of what the film has to offer, I recommend giving this movie a pass unless you like this sort of thing.

The Weston family has gathered in small town Oklahoma for the funeral of the patriarch, an alcoholic writer named Beverly (Shepard).  His wife Violet (Streep) is a cancer-stricken pill head who dishes out venom and bile at anyone in her field of view.  Her sister, Mattie Fae (Martindale) is no better.  Also coming are Violet's children and their families.  Barbara (Roberts) is bringing along her soon-to-be ex-husband Bill (McGregor) and sullen teenage daughter (Jean).  Karen (Lewis) has brought this year's boyfriend, a doofus named Steve (Mulroney).  And Ivy (Nicholson) is trying to avoid talking about her boyfriend, her cousin Little Charlie (Cumberbatch).  "Dysfunctional" hardly does them justice.

Yeah, it's that kind of movie.

With a cast like this, one might assume that if nothing else the acting is going to be sensational.  And that would be correct.  Every member of the cast not only is given a chance to shine, but they give it their all.  No one slacks off here, which makes them arresting to watch.  But there are two problems here.  One is that, for all the lines and emotional volatility, they're all stick figures.  There's no depth to be found here, just the illusion of it.  And two, every single character is more unpleasant to be around than the next.  In fact, they're all so horrific that I kept hoping someone would lock them all in that big house and set it on fire as an act of mercy.

At least director John Wells has the good sense not to do too much.  With a cast like this and based on a play, he understands that all he needs to do is just point the camera at the actors and let them do what they do best.  Doing anything more would be considered "showing off" and that's never a good thing.  And he has assembled a top flight cast.  Streep, Roberts, Cooper, McGregor, Cumberbatch.  Big names with big talent.  And character actors like Margo Martindale and the underrated Julianne Nicholson equal them.

I'd be more enthused about this movie if I felt there was a point to any of it.  While there are some dark laughs to be had, eventually unpleasantness takes them to caricature level.  I ended up laughing at them rather than with them, and on a few occasions I relished their misfortune.  The only thing I gathered from this movie was that each and every person in this movie needs to get a restraining order against everyone else.  Only then can they regain their sanity.  Maybe.  Some clearly are beyond hope.

The bottom line is that even by the terms it has set for itself (this movie is not for everyone, and nor was it ever intended to be so), it doesn't make the grade.  The characters are certainly not likable, which is the goal.  But what sinks the movie is that they're boring.