_August: Osage County_ is an award winning play. In fact in 2008 it won 5 Tony’s including the award for Best Play. It chronicles the interactions of a semi-estranged family in the wake of a death and funeral. The play –which I’ve seen– is amazing and knowing that it’s not surprising at all that they’ve managed to get so many stars, established and upcoming, on board. And now there’s a new trailer.

So first off I’m just going to point out that the casting is encouraging. This about this for a second: Meryl Streep and Sam Shepard and Julia Roberts and Benedict Cumberbatch and Chris Cooper and Abigail Breslin And Ewan McGregor and Juliette Lewis and the list goes on. This calibre of talent is generally only assembled when you have really good material.

However, this trailer is not selling the movie that you’re going to see. this trailer is selling the “man, families are quirky and weird!” movie. The play is about a wholly dysfunctional family, headed up by the domineering drug addicted matriarch (that would be Streep) who habitually belittles and abuses her children and her children’s families. I really don’t want to go into anything that might actually be a spoiler, but this trailer looks like uplifting family movie whereas the play is an emotional gutpunch.

So just be aware, this movie could be good (although early buzz says it’s not great) but it’s not going to be what this trailer is advertising.

August: Osage County hits theatres on 8th November.