August: Osage County (film)

August: Osage County is a 2013 American tragicomedy drama film directed by John Wells. It is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning 2007 play of the same name by Tracy Letts, who also wrote the screenplay. The film features an ensemble cast including Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Abigail Breslin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Dermot Mulroney, Julianne Nicholson, and Sam Shepard in his final film role.

The story revolves around the Weston family, who reunite at their rural Oklahoma homestead after the disappearance of the family patriarch, Beverly Weston (Shepard). His pill-popping, acerbic wife, Violet Weston (Streep), grapples with cancer and a dysfunctional relationship with her three daughters: Barbara Fordham (Roberts), Karen Weston (Lewis), and Ivy Weston (Nicholson). As the family gathers, long-held secrets and resentments surface, leading to confrontations and emotional turmoil.

The film explores themes of family dysfunction, addiction, grief, and the complex relationships between mothers and daughters. It received mixed reviews, with critics praising the performances of the cast, particularly Streep and Roberts, but finding fault with the film's adaptation of the play and its overall tone. Streep and Roberts were both nominated for Academy Awards for their performances.