August: Osage County **½ (R) Any cast that begins with Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Sam Shepard and Chris Cooper, then adds Juliette Lewis, Dermot Mulroney (or Dylan McDermott...whichever), Ewan McGregor, Benedict Cumberbatch and the suddenly ubiquitous Margo Msartindale creates expectations that may be hard to meet. Like here, for example. Director John Wells, whose body of work is admirable, though mostly on the small screen, herds his charges through a turgid, talky saga of sordid familial dysfunction. Jerry Springer would have had a hard time presiding over this parade of old and new secrets and grudges.
Meryl is left alone in her isolated rural home when her husband (Shepard) dies under questionable circumstances. That brings the daughters (Julia, Juliette and Julianne Nicholson) home for the funeral and a considerable amount of psychodrama about their array of old issues and current dilemmas. There’s a whole mess o’ histrionics to deliver before they’re done.
The upside of the proceedings is that the screenplay gives all its talented players at least one shining moment to validate their signing up for this ensemble product. The downside is that this family has so many unpleasant (or worse) backstories and resulting scars that there’s little to generate empathy among the audience. Though billed as a comedy/drama, the laughs are sparse, and some of the plot turns are surprisingly dark. Streep and the others turn in fine performances. The experience might seem more rewarding as an acting clinic than as an insightful slice of relatable lives. (1/10/14)