August: Osage County premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2013, and was released in the United States on December 27, 2013. Detailed Summary & Analysis Prologue Act 1, Scene 1 Act 1, Scene 2 Act 1, Scene 3 Act 1, Scene 4 Act 2, Scene 1 Act 3, Scene 1 Act 3, Scene 2 Act 3, Scene 3 Act 3, Scene 4 Act 3, Scene 5 LitCharts Teacher Editions. They delved into each of the issues from a therapeutic perspective. As time goes on, family secrets and stories unfold culminating in a whopper near the end. Mr. Lett's won a Pulitzer Prize for this jewel and deservedly so. A modest commercial success, the film received mixed reviews from critics. The story of how the novel "Mrs. Dalloway" affects three generations of women, all of whom, in one way or another, have had to deal with suicide in their lives. While the others seem intent on hiding from their past, he seems to make the best of his situation.The film never really captures the conflicting environments of the old Weston homestead and the wide open plains of Oklahoma. They don't nitpick each other, it's more like inflicting gaping wounds. The title designates time and location: an unusually hot August in a rural area outside Pawhuska, Oklahoma. August: Osage County is a black comedy by American playwright Tracy Letts. The website's critical consensus reads, "The sheer amount of acting going on in August: Osage County threatens to overwhelm, but when the actors involved are as talented as Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts, it's difficult to complain." Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Weston family patriarch and published poet Beverly (the always great Sam Shepard) is interviewing Johnna for a position as cook and housekeeper when they are interrupted in stunning fashion by Violet (Meryl Streep), Beverly's acid-tongued wife who is showing the effects of chemotherapy and her prescription drug addiction. "August: Osage County - Original Score Music" (14 tracks; 24 min. Use the HTML below. Best Film Adaptations Written by the Author (Part 2), Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee: I'll Go If I Don't Have to Talk. August: Osage County Character Analysis | LitCharts. This is really the polar opposite of a family support system.Meryl Streep's performance is one of the most demonstrative of her career. Plot Summary. John Wells directed, while George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Jean Doumanian, and Steve Traxler produced the film. In its limited box-office debut, the film grossed $179,475 from five theaters, a $35,895 per-screen average. [4] While much praise was given to the cast, the screenplay was praised by some and seen by others as too dark and lacking in humor. August: Osage County A family crisis unites a dispersed group of siblings at the Oklahoma house they grew up in with the dysfunctional woman who raised them. Although she is only present in the opening act, her presence influences the entirety of the rest of the action that follows. Tracy Letts had a very nice year in 2008. Discover something for everyone this month with some choice picks for the best movies and TV to stream in April. The same could be said for Chris Cooper, who is really the moral center of the family. AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY BY TRACY LETTS The Weston Family: Beverly Weston, sixty-nine years old Violet Weston, Bev's wife, sixty~five years ,old Barbara Fordham, Bev and Violet's daughter, forty-six years old Written by The play August: Osage County won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for its playwright, Tracy Letts. It is produced by George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Jean Doumanian, and Steve Traxler. As is the case with most movies these days, I didn’t get a chance to see it in the theater, so as soon as I saw it was available on Pay Per View, I settled in with Marlboro Man and gave it a … [4], Gustavo Santaolalla composed the original music for August: Osage County. Ask Your Own Question Violet’s missing husband, Beverly Weston appears briefly, only during the play’s beginning. b) Philandering and unreliable. She decides she has had enough of her mother's drug addiction and confiscates all her several kinds of pills. Youngest daughter Karen (Juliette Lewis) arrives with the latest in a string of boyfriends, Steve Huberbrecht (Dermot Mulroney), a sleazy Florida businessman whom she introduces as her fiancé. This compels Bill to take Jean back to Colorado, leaving Barbara. The story is set in Oklahoma,in the home of Beverly and Violet Weston. Violet's family gathers including middle daughter Ivy, youngest daughter Karen (with her new fiancé), eldest daughter Barbara (with her separated husband and teenage daughter), and her sister Mattie Fae (with her husband and son in tow). The Broadway show closed on June 28, 2009… Julia Child's story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with blogger Julie Powell's 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child's first book. This revelation leads Barbara to depart, realizing that her mother has slipped beyond help. AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY may make you think twice about going home for the holidays…it’s a great big exhilarating gift.” —NY Daily News. One of the most bracing and critically acclaimed plays in recent history, August: Osage County is a portrait of the dysfunctional … Steve comes on to Jean, and starts to assault her. This exhausts Charles's patience with his wife's lack of love and compassion for her son, and he threatens to leave her if she keeps it up. A family tragedy causes tensions to run high and secrets to come out. The main difference between the film version and stage version is the compressed time and the decision to include all explosive scenes. She has two extraordinary scenes ... each very different in style and substance ... and she nails them both. Was this review helpful to you? It is produced by George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Jean Doumanian, and Steve Traxler. Greetings again from the darkness. The exception is a pretty cool post-funeral scene in a hayfield where Roberts tells Streep "There's no place to go". Ivy confides to Barbara that she is in love with her cousin, "Little Charles", who plans to move to New York, and she cannot have children because she had a hysterectomy. Her exchanges with Julia Roberts define the monster mother and daughter in her image theme. Although August: Osage County is just a movie, it shows us how our families can cause a lot of psychological damage. The matriarch, Violet, depressed and addicted to pain pills and “truth-telling,” is joined … Subscribe to TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/sxaw6hSubscribe to COMING SOON: http://bit.ly/H2vZUnLike us on FACEBOOK: http://goo.gl/dHs73August Osage County … Barbara confronts Jean and slaps her. When John Wells’ adaptation of “August: Osage County” debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, much of the post-premiere discussion focused on the film’s ending. August: Osage County Questions and Answers. Title: This extraordinary pre-credits scene sets the stage for the entire movie, which unfortunately only approaches this high standard a couple more times.Despite the film's flaws, there is no denying the "train-wreck" effect of not being able to look away from this most dysfunctional family. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. The August: Osage County quotes below are all either spoken by Little Charles Aiken or refer to Little Charles Aiken. Barbara tries to deflect the admission. A Catholic school principal questions a priest's ambiguous relationship with a troubled young student. More of the same with "The Fields", which I wish would go on a few more minutes. Synopsis. A New York socialite, deeply troubled and in denial, arrives in San Francisco to impose upon her sister. Shortly after this, he disappears from the house, and Violet calls her sister and daughters for support. While it borders, and eventually exceeds, in melodrama, August: Osage County is a film hard not to be impressed with. [38], An album of Santaolalla's score was released digitally on January 3, 2014. "Arrival" is a more … “Packed with unforgettable characters and dozens of quotable lines, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY is a tensely satisfying comedy, interspersed with remarkable evocations on the … napierslogs. 43 of 63 people found this review helpful. Sophie is the survivor of Nazi concentration camps, who has found a reason to live with Nathan, a sparkling if unsteady American Jew obsessed with the Holocaust. Welcome to Osage County, Oklahoma in the sweltering heat of August. Ivy leaves and promises to never come back. August: Osage County is a 2013 American tragicomedy film directed by John Wells. Charles loves his son, whereas Mattie constantly belittles him. A few months ago, the Provincial Hospital of Castellón analyzed the film in one of its meta-training seminars. It is also the winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. August: Osage County Meryl Streep (Actor), Julia Roberts (Actor), John Wells (Director) She's a difficult woman to deal with and her husband has finally had enough. They are children of the 60's,born into poor families.The Weston's … After thirty years of marriage, a middle-aged couple attends an intense, week-long counseling session to work on their relationship. 'August:Osage County' is so good,so dysfunctionally twisted,that no one gets away unscathed. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading August: Osage County (TCG … August: Osage County (2,359) IMDb 7.2 2h 2013 X-Ray R Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts lead an all-star cast. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. August: Osage County premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival[12][13] on September 9, 2013, before its release in select cities on December 27, 2013, followed by a wide release on January 10, 2014, in the United States. Barbara and Bill are separated, but they put up a united front for Violet. A look at the lives of the strong-willed women of the Weston family, whose paths have diverged until a family crisis brings them back to the Oklahoma house they grew up in, and to the dysfunctional woman who raised them. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: ). Many people can … and no, that is not a typo) starts with the all-too-brief if gorgeous "August Osage County (Main Theme)", with a full orchestra providing the lush sounds. Welcome to Osage County, Oklahoma in the sweltering heat of August. You will soon find that the Weston family you are about to meet perhaps has more secrets than their blunt remarks to one another initially hint at. But in that scene, the audience learns that Beverly has long since ceased to … Surprisingly, Roberts mostly holds her own ... though that could be that the film borders on campy much of the time. August: Osage County Introduction + Context. The show first ran in Chicago, in Downstairs Theater. There was also significant praise for the performances of Chris Cooper, Margo Martindale, Juliette Lewis, and Julianne Nicholson, with some critics stating that this film gives the finest ensemble acting seen in years. I finally watched August: Osage County last weekend. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation … Later, Ivy tries to tell her mother about her love for "Little Charles". Ambitious and acclaimed, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY originated at the renowned Steppenwolf Theatre and moved to Broadway for an 18-month smash hit run, garnering the 2008 Tony and Drama Desk Awards for … As "Little Charles" sings Ivy a song he has written for her, Mattie Fae walks in and berates him. [5][6] For their performances in the film, Streep and Roberts received Oscar nominations for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. 16 wins & 63 nominations. August: Osage County is a 2013 American tragicomedy film directed by John Wells. The central character of August Osage County is Beverley Weston, a woman that is addicted to pills and alcohol and is beyond the glory of her life when she was a famous poet. After five days, the sheriff arrives with the news that Beverly took his boat out on the lake and has drowned. A masterpiece. [10] Chloë Grace Moretz also auditioned for the role of Jean Fordham.[11]. The play premiered at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago on June 28, 2007, and closed on August 26, 2007. Upcoming Cumberbatch project that excites you most? There is just little breathing room here. In 20th-century colonial Kenya, a Danish baroness/plantation owner has a passionate love affair with a free-spirited big-game hunter. The soundtrack was released on January 7, 2014 through Sony Classical. The play ‘August Osage County’ directed by Anna D. Shapiro was first produced by Steppenwolf Theatre Company, a company that was director Anna’s longest collaboration. Without her character and talent, this film could have spun off into a major mess. Streep's scene comes as she recalls the most horrific childhood Christmas story you could ever want to hear.It must be noted that Margo Martindale is the real highlight here. After launching off, Anna … August: Osage County by Tracy Letts Plot Summary | LitCharts. [15] On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 58 out of 100, based on 45 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". View production, box office, & company info. August: Osage County (2013) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. In the last confrontation between Violet and Barbara, Violet admits she was contacted by Beverly from his motel the week after he had left home, but did nothing to help him until after she removed money from the couple's joint safe deposit box. Mattie subsequently reveals to Barbara, who unintentionally listened in, that she had a long-ago affair with Beverly, and "Little Charles" is in fact their younger half-brother and that is the true reason why he and Ivy cannot be together. Beverly Weston (Sam Shepard), an alcoholic, once-noted poet, interviews and hires a young Cheyenne woman Johnna (Misty Upham) as a live-in cook and caregiver for his strong-willed and contentious wife Violet (Meryl Streep), who is suffering from oral cancer and addiction to narcotics. Plot Summary. Another By this time he had already drowned. It was written by Tracy Letts and based on his Pulitzer Prize-winning 2007 play of the same name. August: Osage County is not your average kitchen sink drama. Still, it's one of the more entertaining and wild dysfunctional comedy-dramas that you will see on screen, and it's quite obvious this group of fine actors thoroughly enjoyed the ensemble experience. Rated R for language including sexual references, and for drug material, Publicity Veterans Lori Burns, Emmy Chang Join The Lede Company (Exclusive), John Wells Productions Ups Ned Haspel To Chief Operating Officer, Everything Coming to Netflix in April 2021, Everything Coming to IMDb TV in July 2020, Broadway to Hollywood Stage Play Adaptations. That evening, Steve and Jean are sharing a joint. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. August: Osage County tells the tale of the dysfunctional Westin clan, who all come together after the death of patriarch Beverly Weston (Sam Shepard). Violet is left with only Johnna. Since then, he has also written the play and screenplay for Killer Joe, and been seen as an actor in the key role of a Senator in the TV show "Homeland". August: Osage County (TCG Edition) - Kindle edition by Letts, Tracy. Barbara is driving through the plains, stops, gets out of the car, cries then gets back in the car and follows signage showing highways and number of miles to Wichita, Salina and Denver. Karen also leaves with Steve. A career driven professional from Manhattan is wooed by a young painter, who also happens to be the son of her psychoanalyst. Winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best New Play, August: Osage County centers around the Weston family, brought together after their patriarch, world-class poet and alcoholic Beverly Weston, disappears. It had its Broadway debut at the Imperial Theater on December 4, 2007, and the production transferred to the Music Box Theatreon April 29, 2008. [39], 2013 American drama film directed by John Wells, Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Awards, Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association, Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association, "TheVine - 'August: Osage County' is a mess - Life & pop culture, untangled", "Director John Wells Talks "August: Osage County, "Julia Roberts And Meryl Streep To Team In 'August: Osage County' For John Wells", "George Clooney Brings Star Power to Oklahoma As He Films New Movie 'August: Osage County' (PHOTOS)", "Abigail Breslin & Juliette Lewis Join 'August: Osage County' With Julia Roberts & Meryl Streep", "Toronto film festival 2013: the full line-up", "August: Osage County TIFF premiere photos", Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, "AARP Names '12 Years a Slave' Best Movie for Grownups", "Art Directors Guild Nominations Announced", "BAFTA Film Awards 2014 - nominations in full", "The Britannia Awards: Benedict Cumberbatch site", "Detroit Film Critics Society nominates top films", "Golden Globes Nominations: The Full List", "Sound Editors Announce 2013 Golden Reel Nominees", "Oklahoma Film Critics Circle names "Her" best film of the year", "Phoenix Film Critics Society 2013 Award Nominations", "Phoenix Film Critics Society 2013 Awards", "Satellite Awards: '12 Years a Slave' Leads Film Nominees", "Screen Actors Guild Awards: '12 Years a Slave' leads Screen Actors Guild nominations", "WGA Awards 2014: Complete list of winners and nominees", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=August:_Osage_County_(film)&oldid=1013043509, Pages using multiple image with manual scaled images, Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Best Edited Feature Film - Comedy/Musical, Excellence in Production Design - Contemporary Film, Best Sound Editing: Dialogue & ADR in a Feature Film, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Abigail Breslin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Dermot Mulroney, Julianne Nicholson, Sam Shepard, and Misty Upham, "Barb Balcony/Street Beater (aka Sanford & Son Theme)", This page was last edited on 19 March 2021, at 18:27. Mattie Fae and Charles's shy, awkward son "Little Charles" (Benedict Cumberbatch) misses the funeral because he overslept and is met at the bus station by his father. The family sits down to dinner after the funeral, fueled by Violet's brutal "truth telling", which results in Barbara pouncing on her mother. When attending their son's college graduation, a couple reignite the spark in their relationship. Detailed Summary & Analysis Prologue Act 1, Scene 1 Act 1, Scene 2 Act 1, Scene 3 Act 1, Scene 4 Act 2, Scene 1 Act 3, Scene 1 Act 3, Scene 2 Act 3, Scene 3 Act 3, Scene 4 Act 3, Scene 5 August: Osage County is a tragicomedy play by Tracy Letts. Subscribe to TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/sxaw6hSubscribe to COMING SOON: http://bit.ly/H2vZUnLike us on FACEBOOK: http://goo.gl/dHs73August Osage County … He won the Pulitzer Prize and a Tony for writing the play August: Osage County. This time out, he adapts his own play for director John Wells' (The Company Men, TV's "ER") screen version of August: Osage County.With an ensemble cast matched by very few movies over the years, the screen version begins with what may be its best scene. Violet's middle daughter Ivy (Julianne Nicholson) is single and the only one living locally; Barbara (Julia Roberts), her oldest, who has inherited her mother's mean streak, arrives from Colorado with her husband Bill (Ewan McGregor) and 14-year-old daughter Jean (Abigail Breslin). Violet tells Ivy that Charles is actually her brother, something Violet knew all along. She feels this is her only chance to finally marry. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: ). It was also released on January 1, 2014, in Australia. Juliette Lewis replaced her. Some may call it over the top, but I believe it's essential to the tone of the movie and the family interactions.