One-Liner: Why isn't August the first name on every nominations list?
When Julia Roberts took down the women of Rodeo Drive in Pretty Woman, she was ruthless in all of her adorable Hollywood prostitute splendor. But that only tapped the surface of what America's redheaded sweetheart was truly capable of.
We all know Meryl Streep comes to play, but even while portraying a vicious, pill-popping psychopath, she had a run for her money from her onscreen daughter.
Together these two cinema icons ripped out each others' throats and left no survivors, and it was absolutely magnificent to watch. In fact, from start to finish August: Osage County was a the perfect display of excellent casting, superb acting, and the best writing in the business. Based off the 2008 Tony award-winning play, the film played out as if it were in a live theater. The audience, myself including, roared with laughter, gasped with shock, and threw in a "Shit!" or "Dammmnnn" in all the right places.
Though it was a favorite of mine this Oscar season, August did have two minor downfalls. In a cast of standout performers, Ewan McGregor's role as Bill, Barbara's (Roberts) estranged husband felt a bit flat and lacked the depth each of the other characters managed to provide — even the ones given a short amount of time.
My other qualm lies with the title in relation to the work of the set and wardrobe department. It was supposed to be the middle of August in Oklahoma where the temperatures reached upwards of 108 degrees. But the entire family was constantly in long sleeves without even a hint of a pit stain. The only character who showed even her bicep was the superficial-yet-scarred Karen, masterfully played by Juliette Lewis. The characters kept added on sweaters and robes and jackets all while complaining about the insufferable heat. It undermined the intended effect of a suffocating environment.
But these complaints were so miniscule in the grand scheme of this work. My biggest complaint now is the film's lack of nominations. Though the Oscar noms haven't been released yet, the Golden Globes are next on the awards season docket. In a bizarre move, August was placed in the "Musical/Comedy" category. And while I laughed out loud numerous times, this film was the furthest thing from a comedy. And not only is the category placement wrong, but the film itself failed to receive a nomination. Streep and Roberts each received a nod, but that seems to fall short in a film of this proportion.
Moral of the story, forget the awards, and go see a truly great story.
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