На острой грани (2006) Online

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.

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.

If ever a movie taught me not to let critics influence my decision to see something, this is it.

I remember when this came out in the theater and the overall consensus of the major critics was that this film was a huge disappointment, if not a complete failure. Wow. (scratches head)

Having been a huge fan of the book (I read it twice before I saw the film) I went to see it anyway without high expectations, and was surprised to say the least. I love this film, and it brought me to tears several times. And like other posters, I thought that it was a rare film adaptation that does justice to the book and then some.

Aside from the fact the film remains true to the book, which will please many fans, the performances are excellent across the board. Annette Bening, in my humble opinion, was robbed of an Oscar nomination. She delivers nothing less than a tour-de-force. I mean, it truly amazes me how she was overlooked along with this whole movie. And Joseph Cross should have had a nomination as well. He shines the light and the heartbreak in this boy with dead-on accuracy. This is a remarkable story that I guess is hard to believe for many people, even in the strange, dysfunctional world we live in. I think all of the actors made this story truly believable. Even Gwyneth, who has very little screen time unfortunately, makes the most of it, with a wonderfully low-key, quirky turn. Her scene cooking "the stew", in braids, is one of my favorite moments. And how could they not notice Jill Clayburgh??!! She manages to ground this story, ironically, with sanity. She conveys grace and maternal love and kindness, wringing these emotions from an almost grotesquely-written character. No easy feat. I will admit Evan Rachel Wood is the only actor I felt was a bit miscast if you are being true to the book. She's just cooler and sexier than I imagined the character to be. But she reminded me of someone else i grew up with in an uncanny way, that's how good she is at balancing smart and damaged, as a girl who grew up too fast for her own good, but somehow manages to prevail. I loved her nonetheless, just in a different way than I did in the book.

The pacing, the tone, the lighting, the music, the respect the director showed this story is really stunning as well. Anyone who grew up in the late 70's (like myself) in a dysfunctional home with a rather eccentric mother will probably experience this as movie magic, and feel uncomfortably at home watching this, like being transported back in time. You may even smell your mother's shag carpeting and scented candles like I did. The clothing the characters are wearing, especially Augusten, made me feel like I was back in grade school myself...wearing a polyester plaid vest and tie and out-of-synch with my peers. The imagery really rang true for me, along with "Your the poetry man" playing in the background.

Maybe the problem was that not a lot of people can relate to this story, and it seems too preposterous for them to even suspend their disbelief for a couple of hours? I've never felt compelled to write a commentary up here until now because I really believe this work was done an injustice by the critics. However I don't think, as a viewer, you would necessarily need to relate to this story to enjoy the film. But I can't help but wonder if I'm wrong about that, because it might explain the poor reception from so many critics.

I also trust completely that over time many will discover this movie and be moved to both laughter and tears, and be completely absorbed in it. It's a twisted, sometimes hilarious but mostly heartbreaking tale, based on true events, and it is, in my opinion, a beautiful film. It's a gem.

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

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. Joseph Fiennes 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 Ryan 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

As I was sitting in the theater with 20 other people, there was a palpable feeling of impatience and boredom. I believe a truly great film has one outstanding quality that separates it from mediocre films-- we CARE about what happens to the characters at the end. This movie tries extremely hard to achieve that but fails. You will not want to see this a second time ('re-watchability' is another sign of a standout film). While Augusten Burroughs may feel his life is fascinating, I believe he is self-absorbed to the point of narcissism. He had some unusual circumstances in his upbringing to be sure, but certainly some vignettes are exaggerated or not truthful, and some of his choices in life that failed were HIS choices. Ultimately, not only do we NOT care about these pathetic characters, we blame them for their own poor decisions. Okay, now having said that, it must be pointed out that 'Running With Scissors' not only contains some of the best acting of the year, but as an ensemble, the cast is EXCELLENT. This is easily Annette Bening's best performance ever; a real tour-de-force. She runs the gamut of emotions without chewing the scenery. My mother suffered a nervous breakdown when I was 12, and suffered many emotional problems which had an affect on me. So I could relate to the truthfulness of Annette Bening's character's ups and downs. I had thought that Meryl Streep in 'The Devil Wears Prada' would be my choice for Best Actress Oscar, but now it is Annette Bening. Brian Cox (HIS best ever), Alec Baldwin, and Evan Rachel Wood are top-notch. Due to the limitations of the character, Gwyneth Paltrow is muted, and though I adore her, and she's good here, this isn't her best. Joseph Fiennes is NOT a great actor, but this IS his best job yet. Kudos to Jill Clayburgh-- she was a mess, and let her skills shine through it all. It was a real treat to watch her. Surprisingly, Joseph Cross as the protagonist is a bit weak. He is 20 years old playing a 14 year-old. I couldn't buy it. Obviously, a true 14 year-old may not have been able to carry this film, but another late-teen might. Had Ryan Gosling been 18 and cast in this, HE might have caused us to care more. We needed a deeper actor than Joseph Cross. One nice thing about the movie is how it captures all the BS of the 70's in referencing over-medication and over-analysis for problem-solving. It even shows how electro-shock therapy was acceptable at one point for many ills, but no longer. Finally, there is something about this film that truly bugs me-- the trailer! We were led to believe that this would be a quirky film, with some wacky and interesting characters, a la 'The Royal Tennenbaums'. But the scenes in the trailer that came across as humorous carry serious weight in the film. I think the studio realized how heavy this movie was, and chose to market it as quirky to get more folks in. That isn't right, but typical of a studio. So I'm doing my part to tell you to NOT go see this, but maybe rent it on DVD to see some great acting (particularly Annette Bening). P.S. I just added this. I noticed another reviewer wrote that there was info about the characters at the end credits. I like reading credits, yet got out of there as soon as they started because I was so glad it was over. So there you go...

Running With Scissors is based on memoir of the same name written by the film's main character, Augusten Burroughs. The story revolves around Augusten (Joseph Cross) and his relationship with his narcissistic, increasingly psychotic, and increasingly drug dependent mother Deirdre (Annette Benning), and later with the eccentric family of psychiatrist Dr. Finch (Brian Cox).

After being both physically and emotionally abandoned by Augusten's alcoholic father, a wasted (no pun intended) Alec Baldwin, Augusten and his mother become immersed in Dr. Finch's suspect treatment.

If this sounds like melodrama, that's because it is. Benning's performance is clearly the star of the show, but it suffers from the same superficiality that comprises most of her work (see American Beauty), and her character degenerates into caricature.

Not that the script is blameless, as these one note highs carry into the rest of the films characters as well. Evan Rachel Wood, Brian Cox, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Joseph Fiennes are so thoroughly eccentric as the various members of the Finch clan that any complexities that may have arisen are drowned.

Only Jill Clayburgh as Dr. Finch's long suffering wife Agnes culls any depth from the material.

The director, Ryan Murphy, seems to apply the same soap opera qualities to this film that he does to his television show, Nip/Tuck. While that works for a fun trashy TV show, it is badly off target with more serious fare.

The greatest weakness of the film, however, is its lead actor, Joseph Cross. Though he could expect to remain dim in contrast to buzzing lights shining all about him, he diminishes to the point of non-existence.

With its mish-mash of ridiculous characters in deadly serious situations, it is unclear whether Running With Scissors is supposed to be a comedy or drama. It is clear that it fails at both.

Amusing but unsatisfying adaptation of Augusten Burrough's autobiography. Burrough's mother (played by Annette Bening) fancied herself a poet. After constant fighting with her husband (Alec Baldwin) she becomes entangled with a quack psychologist (Brian Cox), who drugs her up and convinces her to give custody of her son over to him. Augusten (Joseph Cross) lives between his mother and the psychologist, along with his quirky family (Jill Clayburgh, Gwyneth Paltrow and Evan Rachel Wood). He also becomes romantically involved with the doctor's other adopted son (Joseph Fiennes, whom I didn't recognize at all). The film has a hard time deciding whether it's a comedy or a drama. I imagine Augosten Burroughs had a hard time deciding which category his life fit into, as well, if this is how it all went down! The doctor and his family are endlessly quirky. The man graduated from Yale, but lives in a hell-hole where nothing is clean, Christmas decorations are kept up all year around, and the doctor's wife eats dog food while watching Dark Shadows. Oh, and the guy interprets his stool to tell his fortune. But then, this is supposed to have really happened, so it certainly has a tragic angle to it all. The doctor doped Burrough's mother into oblivion and stole all her money, and the child support his father sent. The movie is often very funny, especially near the beginning, before we realize the tragic aspects of it. It does also contain one of the funniest lines of the year, concerning the doctor's private room, which he refers to as his "masturbatorium", read with aplomb by Brian Cox. The movie starts falling apart when the drama and comedy don't mix. Several scenes don't work well at all, especially a completely nonsensical montage mixing three disparate events together, at least one of which doesn't fit into the movie whatsoever. The pop music score is especially amateurish, even worse than the one in The Departed. The movie is far from great, but it's worth seeing for the performances. Everyone is very good here. Wait for video, though.

I really wanted to love this movie. The trailer made it look wonderfully zany, a bizarre romp through a dysfunctional family, much like The Royal Tenenbaums. And of course the family is bizarre and dysfunctional! And the acting is terrific. Annette Bening must be the best actress in Hollywood today: she takes us through four or five conflicting emotions with every sick line she speaks, and is always overwhelmingly convincing as a mother who doesn't deserve love but somehow inspires it nonetheless. The screenwriters haven't given Gwyneth Paltrow much to work with, but she lights up the screen nonetheless. Jill Clayburgh is wonderful as the doctor's dishrag wife who somehow finds it in her woefully depleted and depressed self to mother a boy who desperately needs mothering--and in the end gives him the nest egg he needs to escape.

Unlike The Royal Tenenbaums, though, this movie is fatally flawed--I think by its point of view. The problem is that Joseph Cross's Augusten Burroughs is our only point of view, and he can only react to the madness he finds himself trapped in with a single obsessive attitude: moral indignation, driving him to want to escape. Since what he is indignant about, what he wants to escape, is the movie, by identifying with him we come to hate the movie and want to escape it. And in fact a good quarter of the people in the theater when I saw it left before the end. I too was tempted, many times, but forced myself to stay. Other users here on IMDb.com tell similar stories. Not a good narrative strategy!

Of course, there are ways around this problem. You can make the other characters so lovably and incorrigibly weird that the viewer feels torn--you both want to escape and want the main character to get over himself. You can make the main character a boring prig that everybody hates and nobody feels inclined to identify with. But Ryan Murphy doesn't find his way to either option--maybe because the whiny main character is his co-writer and co-producer? None of the other characters makes the movie any more enjoyable than its protagonist. None of the characters, including its protagonist, has a character arc. Nobody changes. Nobody grows. Nobody wants anything worth wanting, and nobody gets anything worth getting--except the protagonist, and all he wants is to escape, and while he does get his escape in the end, there is no reason why he couldn't have gotten it 45 minutes earlier or later. Nothing leads up to his escape; we never have a sense of a plot building up to it. All we get, all through the movie, is a little Republican in the middle of dysfunctional chaos, longing for a little middle-class morality, for rules and boundaries, and whining about being victimized when he doesn't find any.

In fact if this movie dramatized anything for me, it was the Christian Right's acting out of its victim status in a "liberal" America. The movie is set in the seventies, when sixties counter-cultural values began to percolate through mainstream America, especially (for this film) psychotherapy and the women's movement, and Burroughs caricatures both mercilessly. And while I'm sure he really did live through something like the events depicted in the book and the movie--this isn't just an allegory of the Christian Right's bathetic suffering in a liberal world--the movie's satirical portrayal of liberalism's social values and practices is way too congruent with evangelical conservatives' militant moral indignation to be accidental.

I would have left the movie halfway through if I hadn't been with people who liked it. The movie is based on real incidents, but it's so over the top it didn't feel real at all. I have some psychological background, hang out with a lot of psychotherapists, and have known seriously crazy people, so it's not that I think people like this don't exist. But in the film, the only characters who seemed consistently human were Augusten's father (Alec Baldwin) and the young Augusten (Jack Kaedin). (Although Evan Rachel Wood was an intriguing diversion - very sexy with a wicked sense of fun). There were a few amusing moments, but the overall tone of the movie was grim, bizarre, and nasty. What a waste of an outstanding cast! As I watched them go through their turns, I just felt like I was watching an acting class. This was brought home during the credits, when a couple of people were shown just sitting there, not acting, not talking. Those few moments were more entertaining than the previous 2 hours.

Let me state this first: I never walk out of movies. However, after enduring an hour's worth of this I was forced to. A recurring theme in the beginning of the movie is Annette Bening's character ranting about her husband trying to get her to kill herself. This quite fittingly foreshadows what we as the audience are about to experience. No character is likable, with the exception of the (Alec Baldwin father) who leaves the insanity, as any sensible person would do when confronted with these people. I can't identify with any of the characters, and although the movie is marketed as being funny because of their absurdity, it deliberately avoids possible humor in numerous cases. Yes, it takes itself quite seriously. For a vastly superior film about dysfunction, please go see the excellent Little Miss Sunshine.

I realize that this movie is based on a memoir, and is more or less a true story. However, even if it happened to be a compelling tale on paper, it does not translate well at all to film. Instead it becomes like that cocktail party story we have all heard. You know, the one that seems really funny to the person telling it, but everyone else finds it quite dull because they apparently are not in on the joke. Do not see this movie.

This is one of, if not THE, best book-to-film adaptation I have ever seen. The screenwriters stayed very true to the story, in terms of style, humor, mood, etc. Augusten Burroughs himself said he couldn't have been more happy with the way the film turned out - though I'm always skeptical at what authors say, because they don't exactly want a poor turn out to their film. This time, though, I'm with Augusten! The amazing cast did, funnily enough, an amazing job. It's hard, sometimes, to see a film so loaded with star power because it tends to take away from the story. Not this time. Annette Benning, stunning. Joseph Cross, beautiful. Even Gwyneth Powltrow sunk into her indie role with style and poise and creepy humor. I can't say enough about this film, when it's out.. see it!

to make up a movie-going audience - I'm certainly stunned by the number of positive comments this wretched film has garnered here. I can't credit it, can't help but be suspicious, for that matter, of back alley payoffs to critics who are touting Annette Bening for an Oscar; the hole in the kitchen ceiling might be more appropriately attributed to her scenery chewing. She's a wonderful actress but this is an unfortunately unbalanced performance, lacking that essential quality film actors must master of catching the cadence of the screenplay and maintaining it for the duration of the disjointed madness that is a film shoot.

I don't really want to blame Miss Bening or most of the other performers (well, Gwyneth Paltrow has no excuse for her muzzy work), however, because this is a horrendous adaptation, a classic case of mistranslation (I am prepared to assume. I haven't read the book and don't think I will after this). The script launches us into the middle/muddle of unaccountable behaviour and extreme emotional angst spewing from mystifying characters who have developed relationships neither with us nor each other. It quickly becomes a grotesquely excessive tsunami-like assault that sullies characters and audience alike and left me like a survivor shaking my head at the detritus left at the end of each repetitive episode. Shock and awe would describe my reaction to frantic, bi-polar mood swings between ranting and oh-so-quiet sensitivity, the latter telegraphed by one of the most irritating, manipulative, droning soundtracks I've heard - that is, when all this isn't being set to ludicrously incongruous toons - period stuff, ya know, but chosen with an astounding disregard for the tone of the scenes.

How this fine cast got mixed up in this I don't know - I can't believe they saw the screenplay before signing. They certainly apply their skills with commitment - I felt so sorry for the wonderful Jill Clayburgh saddled with a cartoon bag lady costume and wig trying vainly to wrench something of significance from sketchy and clichéd dialogue. In contrast, somehow, Alec Baldwin rises above the material to deliver a consistent, nuanced, real performance. Can somebody give this man a lead role of substance, please? And how about Rachel Evan Wood - or Joseph Fiennes? You'd think the industry could make better use of him, and without appearing as hirsute as Elliot Gould in M.A.S.H.

My vote? A standup turd, all right, but no link with heaven.

I just want to say that this movie sucks. The preview for this movie is so much better than the movie. I had wanted to see this movie so bad when it was in the theater but my boyfriend did not want to go because he thought it would suck. I was so happy when I rented to the DVD because I thought I would prove him wrong and instead I wasted 4 bucks. IT IS NOT WORTH SEEING………..I really thought this movie would be funny but it was depressing and not in the usual way. This movie was so boring I thought I was going to shoot myself.

I have to type two more lines. I was also disappointed with Gwenth Paltrow she was almost funny. I guess I am upset that the preview was so misleading just like in the preview for that Dennis Quiad and Sharon Stone movie.

The movie, "Running with Scissors" follows the book exactly. I loved both! If Augusten didn't tell you at the beginning (of the book and movie) that what you are about to see (read) is based entirely on facts, you wouldn't believe it, and probably a lot of people don't! The music was great and the content was so accurate for the time period represented. I was 18 in 1978 and vividly remember this really cool time! Deidre's house (after the divorce) looked so much like some of the places I used to hang out in. The clothing was accurate too! Annette Benning is my favorite actress, and up until I saw this movie, I didn't think she could perform better than she did in "American Beauty" or "Mrs. Harris", but she did. "Running with Scissors" also accurately portrays the emphasis of "finding the self", becoming self-aware, and ultimately becoming "self actualized", some of the psychological buzz words that seemed so important at the time (the 1970's). Oh what a simple and glorious time that was!

Based on the memoir of the real life Augustan Burroughs, this film adaptation tells of Burroughs' unusual journey through adolescence. As if that isn't enough he must deal with his neurotic wannabe poet mother (Bening) who decides he would profit from living with her therapist while she sorts through her own personal issues. Augustan (Cross) is introduced to a household that is anything be ordinary. A mother who enjoys snacking on dog kibble, a daughter who has an unhealthy attachment to a cat named Freud, and finally the therapist himself who finds premonitions coming from his toilet (Cox). Augustan also befriends the younger daughter (Wood) who seems to be the only one who has their head screwed on correctly.

From the get-go you can tell this story is far from conventional, however director Ryan Murphy fails to bottle-up any consistent thread of drama or comedy, which makes the film really disjointed and cold. There are actually some poignant moments but they are overshadowed by the shock-value of certain scenes, which Murphy seems more interested in. It's rather unfortunate because there are some great performances here from Bening, Cox, Cross, and Joseph Fiennes, who plays the adopted son who lives in a shack in the back of the house.

I am an avid moviegoer and typically I love every movie I see for one reason or another, be it the plot or the cinematics or the performances. But Running With Scissors became my most DISAPPOINTING major motion picture experience OF MY LIFE. here's why: 1- it lacked a true sense of connection for the characters with the audience. I had no interest in Dierdre's mental state, or any other character's development for that matter.

2- The dialogue was boring and uneventful. There is a BIG difference between a film with little dialogue and a film with bad dialogue. This is bad dialogue at its ugliest. I understand that it is an emotion based movie, but the actors were practically stone faced, trying to show their utter numbness for how bad their lives have been.

3- Did the actors care at all about this movie? 4- Even the good scenes such as the homicidal outburst of Fiennes' character or the bus stop goodbye were all ruined by the fact that the rest of the movie was awful.

My husband and I saw this film today. After seeing the trailer it looked interesting and quite entertaining. We noticed after about 15 minutes into the film that one couple just down from us got up and left. Another couple followed shortly afterward. There were only about 2 dozen people who were watching the film and most left at the end shaking their heads and saying things like "well that was not at all what I expected" I am disappointed" and "We will have to tell so-so it isn't very good." Gwyneth Paltrow was not really much of a character to be able to judge her acting ability. I did love Evan Rachel Ward, Jill Clayburgh and Joseph Cross as Natalie, Agnus and Augusten (respectively). There was far more cursing than I thought was needed and the feel of the film was just...well it made me thankful for the childhood I had though it was not a bed of roses - at least I didn't grow up with the Finches. Not only was the plot depressing but frankly I felt they could have wrapped it up in about 1/3 to 1/2 the time and it would have been less painful. Agnus and her love for Augusten as an adopted son along with the great soundtrack (which brought back childhood memories of the 1970s and early 1980s for me) were the ONLY redeeming qualities of the film. You definitely feel sorry for the real Augusten after this. Save your money and check the book out from your local library and maybe buy the soundtrack. Unless you have 2 hours you wish to waste away in a film full of foul mouthed psychotics, then I would not see this film. And if you do, stay long enough into the credits to read what happened to everyone. At least then you don't leave thinking it was entirely depressing even though it is quite depressing.

I just watched "Running With Scissors" (RWS) this evening and immediately came to IMDb to see what others thought of the film. I could barely keep my head from exploding when I saw how low of rating this film had. What a brave and beautiful film! Annette Benning should be up for an Oscar for her performance, and Jill Claybourgh even more so. I had not read Augusten's book, so I'm coming from completely the film's perspective with no comparison to the his writing. To think that "Little Miss Sunshine" which I did like, is up for "Best Picture Oscar," and RWS is not being recognized at all, is a cinematic crime against humanity. The entire cast is superb! If you like smart, introspective films the cover the entire emotional canvas, in the tradition of American Beauty, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Little Miss Sunshine, Prozac Nation, Hard Candy,Hedwig, and others of the same genre. Then you will love this film. Hopefully more people will see it and the ratings will eventually soar!