“August: Osage County” does an amazing job portraying people who have come to the end of their lives having lost all hope and are searching desperately for an escape from pain and even a reason to live. Tracy Letts wrote to “the bone,” pulling no punches, capturing this family’s dysfunction. The rage and the pain come through, as does the contempt for family and its “skeletons in the closet.”

Violet’s behavior may seem “over-the-top” but as the many layers of her pathology unfold as it’s clear that Letts and Meryl Streep have captured it spot-on. She is vulnerable and evil at the same time, and her self-destruction, and the destruction she wreaks on others, are profound.

In the chaos, daughter Barbara (Julia Roberts) has become “the parent.” She’s trying to walk away from the craziness but can never seem to cut herself loose. I was struck by her desperation as she tries to keep her sister Ivy from revealing that she is romantically involved with “Little Charles.” She fights in that moment with life-and-death intensity. Then a stand-up-and-cheer moment came for me when the elder Charles (Chris Cooper) stands up to wife Mattie Fae (Margo Martindale) to say if she couldn’t find it in her heart to say something positive about their son, their long marriage wouldn’t make it through another year. Finally, a man with some healthy values and the conviction to express them amidst the chaos and toxicity.

“August: Osage County” captures the reality of a family in pain. It’s a gripping drama, and yet it’s a dark comedy, too, with some genuinely funny moments that make you feel guilty for laughing. Most comedy comes from pain and here is a perfect example of that truth.

Actually, between you and me, it felt a little bit like a McGraw family reunion, the people were just prettier!

Psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw is the host of syndicated TV’s No. 1 rated talkshow “Dr. Phil” and the author of seven No. 1 New York Times bestsellers including “Life Code: The New Rules for Winning in the Real World” and “Family First: Your Step-by-Step Plan for Creating a Phenomenal Family.”