Film Review: August: Osage County
Film: August: Osage County (2013). Young Actress: Abigail Breslin, age 16.
Remember Little Miss Sunshine, the 2006 indie hit that earned Abigail an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actress? Well, it has a few elements in common with August: Osage County; in both films, Abigail plays the youngest, most innocent member of a very dysfunctional family, and both films deal with the sudden death of her character's grandfather (of a heroin overdose in Sunshine, to suicide in August). But that's as far as similarities go. While Sunshine presented the dysfunctional family in a comedic light, August goes for over-the-top drama.
After the death of their patriarch, the three-generational family of August - led by Meryl Streep ( The Devil Wears Prada) as a bombastic grandmother - gather for his funeral and confront a variety of issues, including adultery, child abuse, divorce, estrangement, incest, and drug/alcohol abuse. The plot borders on soap-opera levels, and the characters sometimes behave like stereotypes out of a Tennessee Williams play - which is why almost every role in this film, including smaller ones like Abigail's, is played by an A-lister. In the hands of any less talented cast, the characters and dialogue would completely collapse. But these actors are all at the top of their game, and together, they make this movie work. Even Julia Roberts ( Stepmom), who I'm usually not a fan of, is very impressive as Abigail's mom.
While in Sunshine, Abigail's Olive was innocent in her own right, 14-year-old Jean (her character in August) can be called innocent only in comparison to the rest of her family. At first, she seems like your average teenager, moody and apathetic; when her mom yells at her for not wanting to attend her grandfather's funeral, she responds, “I guess.” But Jean also wants to act way too mature for her age. After her family almost laughs her away from the dinner table when she tries to explain why she's a vegetarian, she gets tired of no one taking her seriously. Her storyline climaxes when her livid parents catch her smoking pot and making out with her adult uncle. Ew. Understandably, this creates a deep rift between her parents and her aunt and uncle. The family in Sunshine is brought closer together by the events of the film, but this family is literally driven away from each other.
Jean and her grandmother
Jean's mature behavior was perhaps one reason why Abigail chose the role. At her age (she was 16 during filming), most young actresses have understandably grown tired of playing wide-eyed innocents and search for edgier stuff. ( Dakota Fanning, for example, said that this is why she wanted to play an evil vampire in the Twilight movies.) And like Jean, Abigail seems to be going through a rebellious period of her own right now. Just do a Google search on “Abigail Breslin August: Osage County,” and you'll find tons more articles about this dress that she wore to the film's premiere than about her actual performance - which is unfortunate, because Abigail's acting in this film is as excellent and unpretentious as ever. Between filming New Year's Eve and Perfect Sisters in a blonde dye-job, it's also very refreshing and lovely to see her back in her natural hair color here.
Other reviews of Abigail's films: Nim's Island (2008), My Sister's Keeper (2009).
AWARDS
Critics Choice Awards: Nominated for Best Acting Ensemble.
SAG Awards: Nominated for Outstanding Ensemble Performance.
Remember Little Miss Sunshine, the 2006 indie hit that earned Abigail an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actress? Well, it has a few elements in common with August: Osage County; in both films, Abigail plays the youngest, most innocent member of a very dysfunctional family, and both films deal with the sudden death of her character's grandfather (of a heroin overdose in Sunshine, to suicide in August). But that's as far as similarities go. While Sunshine presented the dysfunctional family in a comedic light, August goes for over-the-top drama.
After the death of their patriarch, the three-generational family of August - led by Meryl Streep ( The Devil Wears Prada) as a bombastic grandmother - gather for his funeral and confront a variety of issues, including adultery, child abuse, divorce, estrangement, incest, and drug/alcohol abuse. The plot borders on soap-opera levels, and the characters sometimes behave like stereotypes out of a Tennessee Williams play - which is why almost every role in this film, including smaller ones like Abigail's, is played by an A-lister. In the hands of any less talented cast, the characters and dialogue would completely collapse. But these actors are all at the top of their game, and together, they make this movie work. Even Julia Roberts ( Stepmom), who I'm usually not a fan of, is very impressive as Abigail's mom.
While in Sunshine, Abigail's Olive was innocent in her own right, 14-year-old Jean (her character in August) can be called innocent only in comparison to the rest of her family. At first, she seems like your average teenager, moody and apathetic; when her mom yells at her for not wanting to attend her grandfather's funeral, she responds, “I guess.” But Jean also wants to act way too mature for her age. After her family almost laughs her away from the dinner table when she tries to explain why she's a vegetarian, she gets tired of no one taking her seriously. Her storyline climaxes when her livid parents catch her smoking pot and making out with her adult uncle. Ew. Understandably, this creates a deep rift between her parents and her aunt and uncle. The family in Sunshine is brought closer together by the events of the film, but this family is literally driven away from each other.
Jean and her grandmother
Jean's mature behavior was perhaps one reason why Abigail chose the role. At her age (she was 16 during filming), most young actresses have understandably grown tired of playing wide-eyed innocents and search for edgier stuff. ( Dakota Fanning, for example, said that this is why she wanted to play an evil vampire in the Twilight movies.) And like Jean, Abigail seems to be going through a rebellious period of her own right now. Just do a Google search on “Abigail Breslin August: Osage County,” and you'll find tons more articles about this dress that she wore to the film's premiere than about her actual performance - which is unfortunate, because Abigail's acting in this film is as excellent and unpretentious as ever. Between filming New Year's Eve and Perfect Sisters in a blonde dye-job, it's also very refreshing and lovely to see her back in her natural hair color here.
Other reviews of Abigail's films: Nim's Island (2008), My Sister's Keeper (2009).
AWARDS
Critics Choice Awards: Nominated for Best Acting Ensemble.
SAG Awards: Nominated for Outstanding Ensemble Performance.