August: Osage County
2013
**½
Director: John Wells
Cast: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Abigail Breslin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Dermot Mulroney, Julianne Nicholson, Sam Shepard, Misty Upham
When their alcoholic father disappears, his three daughters return to their Oklahoma home to wait for news. Their pill-popping mother has mouth cancer, probably due to her venomous tongue. In the days that follow, the family's many dysfunctions come to a head as the members exchange insults with each other. Tracy Letts transferred his own Pulitzer Prize winning 2007 stage play to the screen. Like his previous adaptation Killer Joe, this features some utterly despicable human beings. However, while last time I was entertained by their ghastliness, now I am not convinced I need to watch these people, except maybe to appreciate my own family. It doesn't help that John Wells cannot provide a cinematic experience. The cast is incredible, and the performances are predictably big.
