Oscar 2013: August: Osage County (spoilers)

I saw an LA production of August: Osage County about three years ago.  And, to be completely honest with you, there isn't a lot of it that I remember.  I do recall myself and my friend enjoying ourselves, and the 3.5 hours (there were two intermissions, I think) flying by.  There was a huge cast that revolved around a house, the patriarch went missing, and the matriarch (played by Estelle Parson) was pretty unhinged (as a lot of her characters are).  Was it not memorable, or do I just have an awful memory?  Well, I sat down recently to read the play (which really aren't intended to be read) to jog my ability to recall, which was a pretty fruitless, but pleasant effort.

The Westons are an old multi-generational Oklahoma clan headed up by Beverly (Sam Shepard, perfectly cast) and Violet (Meryl Streep).  The play starts with the patriarch interviewing a Native American housekeeper Johnna (Misty Upham) to help keep up their Pawhuska estate, as they are both getting on in the years, and his wife isn't so prone to running a tight ship as it is.  He goes missing, which brings the family members in from all parts of the country.  Violet's sister Mattie Fae Aiken (Margo Martindale) drags her lazy husband Charles (Chris Cooper), and their socially awkward and unemployed adult son Little Charles (Benedict Cumberbatch) eventually follows them from about an hour out of town.  Eldest sister Barbara Fordham (Julia Roberts) is the next to arrive with her professor husband Bill (Ewan McGregor) and their daughter Jean (Abigail Breslin).  The Colorado-based couple is going through a rough patch in their marriage during a time that their teenage daughter is learning to push their buttons and act out.  Youngest sister Karen (Juliette Lewis) travels in from Florida with her boyfriend Steve Heiderbrecht (Dermot Mulroney), whom she met working in real estate.  Middle sister Ivy (Julianne Nicholson) never left Pawhuska and remained as the only child to help take care of the parents.  A childhood friend Deon Gibeau (Will Coffey) who is now a Sheriff also has a noticeable part.

Upham, Streep

The writing is snappy and entertaining, with some fucked-up twists.  I can't imagine the Christian Coalition not circling the wagons with all the content (oh the filth!) in this film, especially the third act (if the playwright retained two key plot developments).  From my understanding, Tracy Letts (Bug, Killer Joe) sustained the integrity of his play while adapting it for the film, removing minor elements and adding a few things.  Otherwise, the melodrama gets to be a bit episodic and obvious at times.  People give their histories without being prompted; skeletons, both big and small, come out of the closet.  The writing is good, but it's not always perfectly smooth.  As a minor aside, even though the play was finalized in 2008, it feels a bit dated from a technology standpoint.  I imagine the movie made the necessary adjustments, unless they kept it "period," which may or may not work.  While the film should feel "now," this is also a family who seems like they couldn't keep up and got left behind.

There's weight to the play, but it's more subtle.  Its meanings are more implied than literal.  Some of the more apparent themes deal with the displacement of the Native Americans, a deconstruction of the American Dream, and soullessness of the white experience.  These characters are damned if they do and damned if they don't.  There are no escapes or characters to latch onto, save Barbara.  Though, she may resort to physical violence on a couple of occasions, there's an empathy that, at the very least, explains her (re)actions.  She assumes the Herculean task of keeping everything from falling apart, but even her efforts are pointless.  In the end, she gives the audience no answers or hope.  No one taught her how and she wasn't able to learn on her own, destined to repeat the mistakes of her ancestors.  Karma's a bitch and it ain't ever letting up.

Streep, McGregor, Roberts

On the surface, there are a lot of mechanics in this story about the heartland that is pretty unforgiving of its townsfolk.  Everyone is either buried by their podunk lives or dissatisfied from having escaped them, not being sure that things could have been worse if they stayed behind.  There is not a lot of love in this family.  This black comedy is full of laughter, but is imbued with a depressing darkness.  Its commercial prospects will largely depend on how well Wells can invite the audience in to the lurid details of the Westons.  It'll be interesting to see how well he will get us invested in this pitiful family full or bickering and sardonic asides and introduce some much-needed heart.

Cast & Crew shot

Some prognosticators have not put this film in their top ten (or nine), which I personally find hilarious.  1) This is TWC's crown jewel for 2013.  Harvey Weinstein gets at least one picture (usually the most obvious) into the Best Picture field, and sometimes even two (or three, even pre-2009).  2) Do we need a second reason?  Director John Wells cowrote, directed, and executive produced several episodes of ER during its initial seasons.  The NBC hit was a landmark show that Entertainment Weekly proclaimed led the way of the "New Golden Age of TV" back in the mid 1990s (take that for what you will).  Being only his second feature, Wells is surely untested, but with a screenplay and story as strong as the material at his disposal, along with the acting talent involved, one could surmise this film could sleepwalk its way into a field of +5.  I doubt this has any chance of winning, but surely it will be part of the mix, with Wells being on the bubble for a nod and Letts looking at possibly winning.

The real question is just how many acting nominations will this movie receive.  Best case scenario is four, lowballing it at two.  The only category it doesn't qualify for is Best Actor.  Its two leads are truly the mother and daughter roles played by Streep and Roberts, though it's unclear just how both will be campaigned.  Deanna Dunagan and Amy Morton were nominated for lead Tonys with the former winning.  However, this isn't a Thelma & Louse situation.  They aren't both on stage (in the frame) most of the time.  Barbara is missing from the first scene, but, once she arrives, almost never leaves.  I had forgotten how big her role is.  She dominates the play as a martyr hero who tries to hold the family together.  I imagine this part will do for Roberts what she couldn't do in Closer, Barbra being more of her speed than Anna.  Only category fraud could put her in supporting and that move would only be employed if the plan is for both her and Streep to win.  Or, maybe I have it all wrong and it will be the other way around.  Chicago makes me think about how this will be framed and whose perspective this will be told through.

le Streep

I remembered Violet being in the play more than she actually is.  She's absent, sometimes missing for whole chunks, but her presence is almost always known.  She's a passive-aggressive prescription addict who manipulates those around her and feels sorry for herself.  The role is juicy role beyond belief, especially when her meds kick in.  There are some humdinger lines and she gets most of them.  Oh my.  Slurring her droll deliveries, I can imagine Streep having too good a time going off her rocker.  I kept fitting in some of her characters from past films--the ones from her comedy phase in the late 80s/early 90s like She-Devil and Death Becomes Her.  Obviously, not the right notes to be hitting for a much more earnest film.  Violet also repels people, like her Eleanor Shaw.  How will Streep fare sinking in her teeth while pulling herself back from being too hammy?  She's the consummate professional, though, and I'm sure will deliver an original three-dimensional performance.  Though I was convinced Streep would be campaigned as lead, I'm only 95% sure now, if that's even a significant number.  I will still have a difficult time seeing her being pushed as supporting, just because it's such a showy role.  I have a hard time seeing Streep playing second fiddle to Roberts.  Additionally, I imagine it's Streep's name that will be first on the marquee.  And, if it's Streep for a win, is she really going to settle for supporting?  She's Meryl Streep!  Go big or go home.  Still, the buzz has been very strong for Roberts.

I may have also overestimated Margo Martindale's chances.  On paper, Mattie Fae didn't jump out at me, though I imagine Martindale will still do wonders.  I relied too much on the fact that Rondi Reed won the Tony and thought, oh, well Martindale is certainly getting a nod!  I'll still keep her in the top five and make up my mind when I finally see the film, as I imagine she probably brings her to life as Reed did.  And, remember too, they could have gone with a bigger name, but they didn't, so there's probably something behind her casting.  As far as other exclusively best supporting actress possibilities, some early buzzers have singled out Julianne Nicholson as impressive.  As far as the males, the early screening scuttlebutt puts Cooper with the best chance at a nod, if any.  We'll just have to wait and see.  Editor: Stephen Mirrione (Babel, Traffic).  Cinematographer: Adriano Goldman (Jane Eyre, Sin Nombre).  Production Designer: David Gropman (Life of Pi, The Cide House Rules).

Previous Editions:

American Hustle     August: Osage County     Foxcatcher     Fruitvale Station     Out of the Furnace     Prisoners     Saving Mr. Banks     The Secret Life of Walter Mitty     The Way, Way Back