During the first intermission of August: Osage County, I met a woman who shared a similar trait as myself: we both can't watch films after too much hype, because inevitably the movie will fail to live up to it.
Years later, she still hasn't seen Brokeback Mountain, although it sits on her shelf and still in its original packaging. I was disappointed by Matrix, disliked Babel and felt Dark Knight was depressing and misogynistic. I don't plan on seeing Slumdog Millionaire.
I'm lucky that I didn't have too much prior knowledge of August: Osage County before picking up a ticket. And if you are like me, take my general recommendation to see it and ignore the rest of this piece.
Still with me?
Good, because this is a phenomenon piece of work. The acting (led by a stellar, heartbreaking Estelle Parsons), direction, and writing is superb. The story is layered, funny, and so brutally honest, at times I turned away.
August: Osage County is the story of a large family in Oklahoma long since spread across the country returning for a tragic event. Over the course of three and a half hours (with two breathless intermissions), there are revelations and twists that are at once familiar and yet satisfying. This is the story that questions what family, relationships, and love mean, and does it expertly.
I still need some time to digest this piece of art, but with such a short run, it was imperative to tell you to get a seat. It's the kind of daring, masterful kind of work that Toronto needs more of, especially when it's part of a Mirvish season that also includes Legally Blonde
ALSO READ: Torontoist's coverage of the play.
