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Running with Scissors (2006)

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100 out of 145 people found the following comment useful :-
Running with Scissors is strange and psychotically contagious, 21. Oktober 2006

Author: samseescinema von United States

Running with Scissors reviewed by Sam Osborn

I've become all too wary of memoirs lately. Not because of the James Frey debacle, but because they've become the literary equivalent of the biopic at the movies. Just as I've grown tired of seeing the rise and inevitable fall of infamous icons during Oscar season, I've grown tired of plowing through the literary lives of men and women compelled to account their abusive childhoods, sexual deviancy, problems with drugs and alcohol, and, the real must, their harebrained families. The books sell well because readers love gossip, scandal, and melodrama. Running with Scissors has no shortage of such pulpy details, as its hero, Augusten Burroughs, has all the makings of memoir sentimentality. He was born into a selfish, dysfunctional family, adopted by his mother's psychiatrist, attempted suicide, turned out to be gay, and was exposed to sex at a young age under the hands of a man much past his age. His life was, if nothing else, screwed up enough to put into a book. But while I'm a pessimist to the genre, Running with Scissors is strange and psychotically contagious.

To oversimplify the matter, the film is a collection of people dealing with their issues. Heading up the Burroughs family is Norman Burroughs (Alec Baldwin), a business man with the sedated lick of alcoholism whose only wish seems to be to sidestep his wife's raging narcissism. Dierdre (Annete Bening), his wife, is a selfish would-be writing starlet whose lack of talent is constantly at odds with the confidence that she deserves a Nobel Prize. Her failure she blames on the supposed acts of sabotage by Norman, of which she confides in her only son Augusten. The family begins counseling with Doctor Finch (Brian Cox), the man who eventually adopts Augusten when Norman walks out and Dierdre begins popping Valium like prescription Skittles. The Finch family seems to be no upgrade though, as Agnes (Jill Clayburgh), the mother, is first seen munching on dog kibble, Hope (Gwyneth Paltrow), the favored daughter, is known to talk to her cat Freud, and Natalie (Evan Rachel Wood), the second daughter, tries to open Augusten up by using electro-shock therapy. Their home is an old-money palace painted blazing pink, with various lawn furniture, cobbled windows, and a Christmas tree that's been erect for over two years.

My Mother happens to be mildly obsessed with Augusten Burroughs. She speaks of his stories and literary adventures as though they're the loopy reveries of a second son she birthed into paperback. So several months ago I took her to our hometown bookshop, The Boulder Bookstore, to see Mr. Burroughs speak on his most recent book, Magical Thinking. I'd read a few of his stories at my Mom's urgent requests and flipped through a couple chapters of his first memoir (the film's source), Running with Scissors, in preparation. I knew enough, I felt, to hold my own in a book signing. But as the first hand was raised during the Q&A segment of the presentation, a woman asked how Augusten's dog was doing, how his partner was holding up, if they'd purchased that house he mentioned, and if those shoes were still in mint condition. I was obviously behind the curve. Mr. Burroughs has entrusted so much of his intimate life with his writing. It's organic and swelling with humor drawn from a frank self-awareness that doesn't embarrass him or his readers. His audience isn't a third-party to his life, they're all his closest friends; quite a job for rookie feature Writer/Director Ryan Murphy.

Murphy approaches the material very cinematically, using every magic trick offered to him by his technicians. This is no shaky, documentary-style memoir that shreds cinema to the tatters of the broken characters on screen. Murphy's characters are heightened to hyperbolic altitude, but are anchored to a reality only gotten from the pages of non-fiction accounting. His film is tightly-knit, too, with every line of dialogue truly used and with characters' stories intertwined into a family of glowing psychosis. It makes for a film constructed from quirk and color, but Murphy's characters can't seem to escape from being so human. They deal with their issues, but like humans, rarely manage to solve them. It can be appalling and sometimes painful, but Burroughs and Murphy's stories are just too lovely to turn your back to.

Rating: 3.5 out of 4

Sam Osborn

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54 out of 83 people found the following comment useful :-
Worth the time, 29. Oktober 2006

Author: LLWheels-1 von Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

I have read 2 of Agustine Bourroughs novels and I was, frankly, a little afraid that this one might be ruined by being re-cast as a movie. With this story in the hands of this director and this cast, my fears were groundless: it translated beautifully. I am sure that this is in no small part due to Burroughs personal involvement in the production, but greater authors have had their work ruined right under their noses, so it is a credit to both Author and creative staff that the engaging story remains intact. I think it gives a truthful depiction of what it is like to grow-up with mental illness in the family and also presents a metaphor for the craziness and dysfunction which is, at some level, in every family. The cast was all superb, especially Annette Benning and Jill Clayburgh. Joseph Cross and Joseph Fiennes were equally superb -- in fact, EVERYONE was so good I almost don't want to single anyone out. I will recommend this movie to friends.

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47 out of 72 people found the following comment useful :-
Horrifically Hilarious, 27. Oktober 2006

Author: eyecandyforu von United States

Black comedies can be very subjective to an audience. Running With Scissors isn't for everyone. The humor comes from the often shocking dysfunction the characters struggle with. Annette Bening plays a woman so selfish, egotistical and full of anger that she would destroy her family to satisfy her needs. Ms. Bening's performance is raw and spontaneous. Brian Cox plays the doctor she turns to who may or may not be an out and out quack, another stellar performance. Natalie Rachel Ward stands out as the doctors younger daughter while Gweneth Paltrow seems lost amongst the fine acting surrounding her, and although it is always good to see Jill Clayburgh in anything, I was not as impressed with her as I have been in the past. Alec Baldwins turn as Bening's husband is small, but he holds his own. In the midst of all the over the top, almost Gothic insanity is Bening and Baldwin's son, based on the author, subtly played by Joseph Cross. Patrick Wilson has a difficult time with a difficult character, another victim of the doctor's "treatment".

I would agree with another commenter who stated that the director Brian Murphy uses every trick in the book when it comes to film making and then some. I fully expected a musical number or a dream sequence. As evidenced in Nip Tuck, Murphy relies on music to enhance a mood. The art direction and costumes capture the seventies and all it's weirdness. As others have said RWS also reminded me of American Beauty in it's anti-American dream nature. This movie covers dark territory, doesn't have obvious comedy and doesn't follow any typical scenario although it did suffer from "sappy" moments. I can guarantee that you'll walk out of the theater happy that you aren't anyone in the film.

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21 out of 23 people found the following comment useful :-
Love, Pain And Hair, 21. Dezember 2007

Author: alanbittencourtx von Brazil

Irritating at times but only at times when the writer, director, producer puts himself in front of the camera and all we see it's him. But, most of the time this is a surprising, smart comedy of pains with a sensational Annette Bening - her best performance without a doubt - her disintegration is, apart from everything else, shattering and absurdly entertaining. She descends her psychic road wrecking havoc wherever she wants to do "the best thing for you". Under the effects of the medication and the advise of her con-shrink she slides away, brilliantly. Alec Baldwin has three little moments that he manages to wrap with so much truth that his character lingers in my mind. Well, there you are, I'm talking about the performances because that's what makes this movie really fly. Jill Claybourgh, Joseph Finnes, Brian Cox, Gwynneth Paltrow, Evan Rachel Wood and Joseph Cross with his literary future and his thing for hair, they all transform this stranger than fiction real life tale into something memorable, yes, memorable. I don't quite understand why this film was so mistreated by critic and public alike. I found more rewarding elements here than in most of what 2006 had to offer at the movies. Give it a try.

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18 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :-
Augusten And The Flip Side Of Wonderland, 21. Dezember 2007

Author: marcosaguado von Los Angeles, USA

The true story of Augusten Burroughs's beginnings, sound like a demented work of fiction. That's true of most true things. Here, putting aside what's real and what may be a figment of Augusten's imagination, there is a movie. A slightly confused, a bit pretentious but unquestionably fun movie with some high caliber actors at the top of their game. Annette Bening to start with, extraordinary and without clinging to one of her delightful giggles. She is a magnificent, deplorable human spectacle. Reconizable and yet totally alien. Her character is in her way down from the word go and she (Annette or Deidre)don't shy away from the most devastating human blows. She is surrounded by a beautifully designed human zoo of extreme characters. They carry their eccentricities like badges of honor. Brian Cox, superb as the Dickensian know-it-all, his daughters , Evan Rachel Wood and the magnificent Gwynneth Paltrow who can tell you more with half a look than with two pages of exposition. Jill Claybourgh! Goodness gracious me! Where has she been? She's the throbbing heart of the matter, dog food an all. Her sanity, hidden behind a demented, neglected hairdo, is as real as Joseph Cross' Augusten Burroughs. Joseph Finnes's gorgeous nut doesn't have a great deal of sexual chemistry with his under age lover but maybe he wasn't suppose to. As if all this wasn't enough, Alec Baldwin, giving one of the best performances of his career in a character who's on the screen for only a few minutes. Woody Allen, John Irvin even Eugene Ionesco and Frank Perry are present in this engaging display of human frailty. Terrific surprise.

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47 out of 77 people found the following comment useful :-
I laughed and I cried., 27. Oktober 2006

Author: slanzet von boise, idaho

Usually when I read the book before the movie, the movie can't live up to book. This time, the book was great and the movie more than lived up to it. It's strange that we can laugh at others' misfortunes but these situations are so absurd that they are hysterical. Each actor truly inhabited their parts. Annette Benning should be nominated for an Oscar. Brian Cox, Joseph Cross, and a great Jill Clayburgh really were amazing.

Needless to say, I highly recommend this movie. It's even more amazing when you realize it's based on what really happened to Augusten Burroughs. And stay through the credits.

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52 out of 91 people found the following comment useful :-
Young man survives crazy mother and crazy shrink, 21. Oktober 2006

Author: ruthdiprops-1 von United States

Loved the movie. Annette Bening is sure to be nominated again for her performance. She was so crazy, and yet so sympathetic that I found myself crying for her. Jill Clayburgh was a real treat. I'm very happy that these women have decided to let themselves show their age and not become the plastic people Hollywood has come to expect.The soundtrack was also great. I had the feeling that a lot of the actors involved in this movie were in it because they believed in the material, not only for the money. Gwynth Paltrow has a fun, small part, and it was good to see Kristin Chenowith on screen. A wonderful story, and a wonder that Mr. Burroughs survived the reality.

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40 out of 68 people found the following comment useful :-
Loved it! Loved it! Loved it!, 30. Oktober 2006

Author: andi3716 von United States

I am such a fan of the book RWS, and I couldn't wait for the movie to come out. I was not disappointed! (I have seen it twice already.) The movie was marvelously true to the book. Joseph Cross as Augusten was wonderful. In fact, all the actors were great. Seeing Annette Bening and Jill Clayburgh playing interesting "middle-aged" characters without the use of Botox was refreshing. Joseph Fiennes as Bookman was scary and sexy all at the same time. Dr. Finch was, well... see the movie.

Joseph Cross was perfect as a young Augusten. He appeared bright and wise for his age, and at the same time insecure and afraid. His ability to portray genuine emotion in the midst of such insanity was superb. He seemed at times as though he too was just an observer, as though he could not believe this was actually his life. We have not seen the last of Joseph Cross.

I predict Oscar nominations for Bening and Cross, as well as Best Picture, Best Director.

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49 out of 89 people found the following comment useful :-
What a wild romp!, 14. Oktober 2006

Author: Kevin Martin von United States

Running with Scissors takes you inside the memories of Augusten, an endearing kid growing up under the roof of a dysfunctional household only to find himself uprooted and transplanted into another equally troubled one. The real unsettling twist is that his new surroundings are even more questionable and more Edward Gory than he could ever imagine.

From there the film is a wild romp of scenes that build on each other until every mentally challenged character is a pile of screaming chaos. As complex and unattractive as that sounds Running with Scissors is a must see, after all it is a comedy. It is highly-stylized and fashion conscious from the costume design to the glossy editing. The technical aspects of the film are as redeeming as the grade of the entire cast led by Annette Bening's iconic performance. I hope you'll find it as enjoying and engrossing as I did.

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14 out of 21 people found the following comment useful :-
Good depiction of the book, 28. Oktober 2006

Author: jsargent04 von United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I just got back from a screening of 'Running with Scissors' and it was pretty darn funny and emotionally charged. There was definitely a lot of crying and it certainly looked genuine. This movie really captured the spirit of the book. I feel like I'm loving this movie the more I think about it, despite some unfavorable reviews.

One thing that I would like to address as a Wes Anderson fan is that this movie in no shape or form is comparable to any of his films. I'm tired of all the references people have drawn between WA and this film. Wes creates entirely different worlds with his films, as if an alternate reality of the real world. RWS looks and feels like the real world. It seems like people associate Wes Anderson with 'quirky' and anything else that's quirky in any other film must be a Wes rip-off. This movie is definitely quirky and funny, but in it's own right. I love Wes Anderson and I love this movie. But this isn't about Wes' films at all.

This film faithfully depicts Augusten growing up with his pill-popping mom and the insane/loving Finches. The movie is heartbreaking in some moments and gut bustingly funny in a few. I'll mention the poop scene (both I guess) as some good ones. The acting is amazing. Annette Bening is so believable as a psychotic in this film that I'd be scared to be in the same room with her. There is such a heartbreaking scene where Augusten comes home to celebrate his birthday with his mom. He gets there and Neil, Dorothy, and his mom are there. She looks completely dead and drug-addled. She's in such a complete daze and stupor that Augusten can't help but cry. It's such an engaging scene. Brian Cox also delivers a stunning performance as the very funny and memorable Dr. Finch. He brings a much needed sense of humor to the film. Dr. Finch is definitely a shocking and amazing character. Brian is such a good actor and I've seen all of his films. If you haven't ever heard of him, you're probably lying since he's been in every film that's ever been released. Almost all of the verbatim and scenes are lifted entirely from the book. I'd say it's an amazingly faithful adaptation of Augusten's book. If you read the book, and at least liked it, then you'd be able to appreciate this movie. I don't want to ruin any other parts for anyone so I'd suggest you get off your arse and do something besides surf the internet. Go and add to the Running with Scissors average gross for the weekend. Love it or hate it, that's what makes the world great.

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