Film Review - August: Osage County

Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep in August: Osage County

Tracy Lett's powerful and insightful play 'August: Osage County' dissecting the relationships of the Weston family has been brought to the cinema screen not only capturing but expanding on the intensity and complexities of the stage production. Set in the plains of Oklahoma, the storyline is centred on family matriarch, Violet (Meryl Streep) and her relationships in the dysfunctional Weston clan most notably her three adult daughters, Barbara (Julia Roberts), Ivy (Julianne Nicholson) and Karen (Juliette Lewis) with their respective partners and family. The story commences with family patriarch, Beverly (Sam Shephard) himself an alcoholic and unsuccessful poet hiring a young Cheyenne woman to be the carer for the cancer-stricken, drug dependent Violet. After this task, Beverly disappears triggering the arrival and assembly of the Westons after which all manner of crises emerge, relationships shattered and secrets exposed much due to the actions of the malevolent, controlling Violet. Beverly is found to be deceased but the circumstances involved provide one of several twists. Following this maelstrom, the characters depart, much the worse for their encounters with the rest of the clan and Violet.

Letts play was originally produced for the Steppenwolf Company in Chicago and was brought to Sydney with the original cast by the Sydney Theatre Company in 2010. The play was a sell-out success despite the emotionally draining storyline. This is essentially a series of plots involving the female characters as much of the male roles are quieter, more supportive or of less significance. The play and the film are impressive with superb acting managing complex characters within elements of American Gothic and small moments af dark humour.