"..where the wind comes sweeping down the plain."

I know I'm hard on August: Osage County, and I wouldn't be if it weren't so unjustly praised by critics everywhere. On stage (I saw both the original and a Miami production) I found it to be a well-written overlong soap opera made palatable by an amazing stage set ( a complete three-story house).Last night I saw the movie, which was distinguished by superb actors and little else. The word that most occurred to me watching this film was  artificial". One watched the marvelous performances of Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Chris Cooper and other talents too numerous to mention and felt nothing. I have been more moved by episodes of Mama's Family. Maybe I'm too demanding. I would like to know why anyone would live in that remote non-air-conditioned house; how a poet ever accumulated any large amount of money; why someone with mouth cancer would talk and smoke so much; and why it took one character decades before scolding his wife for belittling their son. If people actually responded to this blog, which they don't, someone may be able to explain what's so good about A:OC.

Get out your hankies.

Very soon now there is going to be a major motion picture. It will be an all-star event and you will be encouraged to go because it's based on a play that won the Pulitzer Prize and the adoration of critics everywhere. I saw it it in New York with Estelle Parsons, who was brilliant, and spent $120.00 for my seat, more than I ever paid. I saw it again in Miami with a well-acted production locally. The play, you may have guessed is called August: Osage County, and it might surprise you to that I think it's really just an overwrought soap opera. I won't go into the dozens of reasons I think this is really the most overrated play of our time, but I will mention just one thing that drives me wild. The main character, who will be played brilliantly by Meryl Streep is suffering from mouth cancer.  Now, not being a doctor, I would think that was painful. But obviously not,  since this character never stops talking.  Remember this post because I'm sure almost everyone who sees this film will not agree with me in the slightest. I still think it's a soap opera.