Review of August: Osage County (2013) by Félix R — 19 Feb 2014

At what point do we keep blaming our families in general (and parents in particular) for our dysfunctions, and start taking responsibility for our own personalities? Family dramas such as these are built around this theme, and August: Osage County features many of the same stories: a marriage on the rocks, a rebellious younger sister, affairs, and addiction.

The drama is easy to find: doing it well and making it *funny* is a challenge. As movies about dysfunctional families go, August: Osage County isn't as well-constructed or enjoyable as Death at a Funeral, but it's still very well done.

The performances are engaging, especially by Roberts and Streep, but I found the characters to be less layered than I'd prefer in my dramas. The men in this movie have little to offer in terms of character, especially Ewan McGregor's milquetoast husband.

As such, the movie mostly becomes scenes of women being catty to each other. The scenes are written and performed well, to be sure, but the pain of watching true-to-life family dramas is not the reason I enjoy going to the movies.

Don't we already get to go through that each Thanksgiving?