August: Osage County

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August: Osage County

R

Released Jan 10, 2014

1h 59m

Comedy

Drama

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Popcornmeter

67%

Tomatometer

205 Reviews

65%

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25,000+ Ratings

The death and funeral of their father brings three sisters to the home of their mother, Violet (Meryl Streep), an acid-tongued, pill-popping cancer patient. Daughters Barbara (Julia Roberts), Karen (Juliette Lewis) and Ivy (Julianne Nicholson) -- along with their significant others and various other kin -- take the full brunt of their dysfunctional matriarch's venom, for Violet tells every one of them exactly what she thinks of them. Based on the play by Tracy Letts.

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Critics Consensus

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.

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Lisa Knisely

Bitch Media

August: Osage County is about morally flawed, sometimes cruel, and often unlikable women. And that's what makes August: Osage County good.

Jan 20, 2021

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Thelma Adams

Yahoo! Movies

Nothing makes you feel better about your dysfunctional family at the holidays than watching a messed-up clan unravel on screen, only armed with better zingers and prettier faces. That describes this adaptation of Tracy Letts's star-studded drama.

Rated: 3.4

Sep 12, 2014

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David Stratton

At the Movies (Australia)

The film's director, John Wells... is never able to escape from the theatrical origins of this over-heated drama, though lovers of the Edward Albee style of marital confrontation will doubtless revel in the melodrama

Rated: 3.5/5

Feb 6, 2014

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JD Duran

InSession Film

The family dynamics feel real and authentic in most cases, however some scenes and narrative pieces are very contrived.

Rated: B+

Aug 12, 2024

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

There is a lot of acting going on in August: Osage County and that's fine.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 28, 2023

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Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

I was put off by these characters, their endless dysfunction, and their profane spite. This was a tiresome watch and tough movie to endure. It’s a shame because with this much talent I was expecting more.

Rated: 2/5

Aug 19, 2022

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Sheila L

DEPRESSING! For nearly the entire movie, the characters scream hateful insults at each other. Some of the acting was good, but the sheer meanness of the family members toward each other is intolerable. Don't watch unless you want to come away with a bad mood.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

03/28/25

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Stephen L

Overwrought, overacted and emotionally hollow, August: Osage County is the kind of film that mistakes volume for depth. What begins as a character study quickly devolves into a melodramatic barrage of arguments, theatrics - and cringe-worthy monologues. Meryl Streep’s performance - far from "perfect" - is grating, filled with distracting mouth noises and cartoonish quirks. Julia Roberts is a rare bright spot, but even she can’t save this ensemble from collapsing under the weight of its own self-importance. Occasionally sharp, but mostly exhausting. This one’s a miss.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/24/25

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Jacob B

Even with an amazing cast, this film adaptation of the three act play of the same name, has neutered what made the play an amazing experience. What parts of the play that make it to the screen feel like what they are, a collection of the highlights of the play. The end result feels less like the “dramedy” I saw on stage and more like a satire of a Eugene O’Neil style family drama with a bit of Jerry Springer thrown in. The whole affair comes off as unintentionally campy.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/05/25

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Chris v

Superb performances by Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/06/24

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Karen H

Just too angry and dysfunctional for me.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

09/16/24

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Lyn G

Real family drama and issues with great acting.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/01/24

Full Review

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John Wells

Director

Meryl Streep

Violet Weston

Julia Roberts

Barbara Weston

Ewan McGregor

Bill Fordham

Chris Cooper

Charles Aiken

Abigail Breslin

Jean Fordham

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Synopsis

The death and funeral of their father brings three sisters to the home of their mother, Violet (Meryl Streep), an acid-tongued, pill-popping cancer patient. Daughters Barbara (Julia Roberts), Karen (Juliette Lewis) and Ivy (Julianne Nicholson) -- along with their significant others and various other kin -- take the full brunt of their dysfunctional matriarch's venom, for Violet tells every one of them exactly what she thinks of them. Based on the play by Tracy Letts.

Director: John Wells
Producer: Steve Traxler, Jean Doumanian, George Clooney, Grant Heslov
Screenwriter: Tracy Letts
Distributor: Weinstein Co.
Production Co: Battle Mountain Films, The Weinstein Company, Smoke House, Jean Doumanian Productions, Grey Hour Production Services
Rating: R (Language|Drug Material|Sexual References)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 10, 2014, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 28, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $37.7M
Runtime: 1h 59m
Sound Mix: Datasat, Dolby Digital

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