August: Osage County is a 2013 American comedy-drama film written by Tracy Letts and based on his Pulitzer Prizeâ€"winning play of the same name, and directed by John Wells. It is produced by George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Jean Doumanian, and Steve Traxler. The film stars an ensemble cast consisting of Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Abigail Breslin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Dermot Mulroney, and Julianne Nicholson as a dysfunctional family that reunites into the familial house when their patriarch (Sam Shepard) suddenly disappears. A modest commercial success, August: Osage County received mixed to positive reviews from critics. While much praise was given to the cast, the screenplay was praised by some and seen by others as too dark and lacking in humor. For their performances in the film, Streep and Roberts received Academy Award nominations for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively.