August: Osage County (film)

August: Osage County
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn Wells
Screenplay byTracy Letts
Based onAugust: Osage County
by Tracy Letts
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyAdriano Goldman
Edited byStephen Mirrione
Music byGustavo Santaolalla
Production
companies
Distributed byThe Weinstein Company
Release dates
  • September 9, 2013 (2013-09-09) (TIFF)
  • December 27, 2013 (2013-12-27) (United States)
Running time
120 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$37 million
Box office$74.2 million

August: Osage County is a 2013 American tragicomedy film directed by John Wells. It was written by Tracy Letts and based on his Pulitzer Prize-winning 2007 play of the same name. It was produced by George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Jean Doumanian, and Steve Traxler.

The film stars an ensemble cast consisting of Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Abigail Breslin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Dermot Mulroney, Julianne Nicholson, and Misty Upham as a dysfunctional family that reunites at the family home when their patriarch (Sam Shepard) suddenly disappears.

August: Osage County premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2013, and was released in North America on December 27, 2013. A modest commercial success, the film received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics. While much praise was given to the cast, the screenplay was praised by some and seen by others as too dark and lacking in humor. For their performances in the film, Streep and Roberts received Oscar nominations for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively.