August: Osage County ***

A Southern gothic family tale transplanted to the plains of Oklahoma, "August: Osage County" has the sweaty heat and long-hidden secrets worthy of Faulkner or Williams. As the Weston clan gathers for a funeral there are more than enough pills, liquor, and wine to keep the tongues of the three sisters and the woman who raised them wagging.

Considering the time we spend with the brutal Violet (a scenery-chewing Meryl Streep), it's something of a wonder that her daughters turned out as well as they did. There's Barbara (a very strong Julia Roberts) whose marriage has hit a rough patch, Karen (a tarted up Juliette Lewis), and poor Ivy (a long-suffering Julianne Nicholson). There are plenty of revelations, and the men in their lives, played by an able stable of actors - Chris Cooper, Dermot Mulroney, Ewan McGregor, Benedict Cumberbatch - have their share of secrets as well.

The screenplay is adapted by the playwright of the original himself, Tracy Letts, but as so often happens, attempts to open up the play still leave the remnants of the fourth wall and a stuffy literary atmosphere. Remarkable mostly for the performances of Streep and Roberts, who do break free from the constraints imposed by the structure, "August: Osage County" delivers some strong emotions, a good dose of humor, and portraits of four fearsome women.