August: Osage County

Fair warning to all thinking about watching, August: Osage County, it is VERY grim. There are a few kinks here and there that attempt to insert relief from the grim through comedy. However the film, for the most part, was extremely dark and heavy.

The film begins in a dark house, home to an older couple: Beverly (Sam Shepard)  and Violet Weston (Meryl Streep). Immediately we see the pure dominant personality of Violet, and the more mellow Beverly. Violet barges into Beverly’s study, ranting and raving – due to the pills that she regularly consumes – whilst Beverly simply sips on his whisky and nods his head at her. A few minutes later, we realize how truly depressed Beverly feels, as he ends up killing himself. This film is about the strength of the women in the Weston family, and their ability to come together to support their mother – whom is the strongest of them all.

The three sisters: Barbara (Julia Roberts), Karen (Juliette Lewis), and Ivy (Julianne Nicholson) all face the terrors of trying to deal with their drug-addicted, horrible mother. This film has the ability to sink in and rip your heart out, as viewers watch the endless destruction of a torn family.

The house serves as the epicentre of all familial disputes, hence the extremely dark setting inside. However, once outside the house, viewers and characters alike get this feeling of an extreme burden being lifted off their shoulders. The southern countryside is beautiful enough to let the viewers, and characters ease up. The sun shines, and the trees sway with the wind, and all tension seems to float away.

Everything is out on the table as the Weston family attempts to bury their hatchets. This film is an emotional roller-coaster that will leave you breathless, in tears, while smiling. Bravo, brava to all that were involved in the creation of such a fantastic drama.