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%

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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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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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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

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Savannah G

'Is anyone s'pose to smoke?' - Watching the generational dysfunction within this family, even though distant from most experiences, I find all of us have some form of this dysfunction in our families, and this adaption does a beautiful job at displaying it. Meryl displayed her acting genius in this film by how she lands statements and leans into the character. The dinner scene might be one of my favorite Meryl monologues and fav family dinner scenes. So many things are going on there, and you almost need to watch it more than once to understand its relatability. Tying in the Eric Clapton song was a standout to the theme of this story. I have always loved this movie.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/20/24

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Audience Member

Emotional. A lot of talking but not much happening. Only one real turn of events at the end.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/21/24

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Trudi B

Has no redeeming value. No poignant emotions. Just vile cruelty. Robert's has one expression. Don't waste your time

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

06/01/24

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: The Weinstein Company, Jean Doumanian Productions, Battle Mountain Films, Smoke House, 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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