Meryl Streep & Cast Talk Letts' AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

The cast of the highly anticipated big screen adaptation of Tracy Letts' AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY came together at the AMC Loews Theater Lincoln Square last night for a screening and Q&A session. Among those present were Meryl Streep, writer Tracy Letts and director John Wells.

Speaking on her character and the production process itself, Streep told the crowd, "It was hard but extremely satisfying," and added, "this is what we really love. You're dragged kicking and screaming into the house of pain, but you just really love being there, honestly."

Revealed Abigail Breslin of the prosthetic words of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Letts, "It was very terrifying. I did not want to mess up my lines!"

Actress Margo Martindale noted that the Oklahoma landscape where the film was shot served as an inspiration for her. "We all lived in townhouses connected to each other close by," she said. "We became a real family."

During the panel, Chris Cooper became emotional when he discussed the real-life death of his 17-year-old son in 2005 and how it influenced his portrayal of a father who was motivated to defend his son. "In the film, here's a boy who is a mystery to me and the father has this unconditional love for his son," Cooper said. "I thought that enough time had passed. I'm allowed to incorporate this now."

Read the article in full here

Starring Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Margo Martindale, Sam Shepard, Chris Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ewan McGregor, Juliette Lewis, Abigail Breslin, Dermot Mulroney, Julianne Nicholson and Misty Upham, the film will hit theaters on December 25th.

AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY tells the dark, hilarious and deeply touching story of the strong-willed women of the Weston family, whose lives have diverged until a family crisis brings them back to the Midwest house they grew up in, and to the dysfunctional woman who raised them.

Tracy Letts' Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name made its Broadway debut in December 2007 after premiering at Chicago's legendary Steppenwolf Theatre earlier that year. It continued with a successful international run and was the winner of five Tony Awards in 2008, including Best Play. AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY is directed byJohn Wells (THE COMPANY MEN) and features an all-star cast, including Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Abigail Breslin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Dermot Mulroney,Sam Shepard and Misty Upham.

Source: Variety

Photo courtesy of The Weinstein Company

To post a comment, you must register and login.