Edges of seats will require reinforcement, given all the leaning forward in stupefied amazement that August: Osage County (Álbum de Família) inspires. That’s not a recommendation, unless uncut hysteria is your bread, butter and plate.

While Tracy Letts’s revered Oklahoma-set stage drama delivered plenty of live fireworks as the bitter Westons tore into each other scene after scene, no one here (certainly not director John Wells) reminded his A-list cast that they were, in fact, making a movie and thus could tone it down a notch. The result isn’t far off from the screeching family dinner of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, with Meryl Streep as Leatherface in a black shock wig, rolling eyes and a declarative, finger-jabbing wag.

‘Where’s the meat?!!’ Streep’s Violet hollers, guffawing at a misremembered Wendy’s [restaurant] commercial (and ignoring her cowed daughter’s correction). To be sure, you’re simply not a movie fan if juicy melodrama like this – more awaits, like Julia Roberts immortal delivery of ‘Eat the fish, bitch!’ – doesn’t make you smile.

But a reality check is needed: it’s pure lunacy to argue that Letts’s three-hour play has retained any of its subtle power, or is a prestige Oscar candidate. Nor is anyone going to convince me that the material has been properly adapted to the screen simply by shooting it on farm country. Even if you put your own clan’s knockdown brawls in mind, this film doesn’t occur anywhere close to reality.