RUNNING WITH SCISSORS (2006)

Written & Directed By: Ryan Murphy 
Based on The Memoir By: Augusten Burroughs 
Cinematography: Christopher Baffa 
Editor: Byron Smith 


Cast: Joseph Cross, Evan Rachel Wood, Brian Cox, Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Annette Bening, Jill Clayburgh, Patrick Wilson, Alec Baldwin, Gabrielle Union, Kristin Chenoweth, Dagmara Domincyzk, Colleen Camp 


The story of how a boy was abandoned by his mother and how he, later, abandoned her. The year he'll be 14, the parents of Augusten Burroughs divorce, and his mother, who thinks of herself as a fine poet on the verge of fame, delivers him to the eccentric household of her psychiatrist, Dr. Finch. During that year, Augusten avoids school, keeps a journal, and practices cosmetology. His mother's mental illness worsens, he takes an older lover, he finds friendship with Finch's younger daughter, and he's the occasional recipient of gifts from an unlikely benefactor. Can he survive to come of age?

I read the book and was a big fan of it. So I was looking forward to seeing on the big screen the memoir of author Augusten Burroughs.

While the book managed to keep a comedic yet serious tone at times to remind us of the craziness and that these were real people. It also showed the good times and the fun relationships that were formed.

The tone is never quite right he treats the characters as eccentrics but also then treats them and their problems as real either through mental illness or as a reaction to their current situation or even the way they were raised and believe their own behavior to be normal and certified sane because their father is a psychiatrist. Even though he has his fair share of problems and isn’t exactly dealing with a full deck.

So that their problems are played for laughs but then with a serious tone that drains all humor out of the scenes making them more downtrodden and making the audience feel remorseful as the film has already gotten us to like these characters and care about them. Then we see the extent of their problems and how they aren’t getting any better and it depresses us.

They changed one character from the book who was more gross and overweight into pretty much a nymphette which changes the dynamics a bit.

The film plays like it wants to be more clinical with some 1979’a eccentric chic grown in that tries to excuse the behavior of the characters by using the Times were different in those days type of presentation and mentality.

It just feels like a different interpretation then most Will have. As there are missing themes and motivations. That leave the film being more of a greatest hits version where the mother and son relationship angle is more pronounced and focuses on that with little side stories that feel there for more cynical humor.

Even those who are unaware of the book might feel displeasure over the way things are presented.

The overall mood throughout the film is melancholy which only adds to the depressive state of affairs throughout. As the many storylines feel like they are all over the place and needs more room to give each justice with them all coming together. The film also feels stuffed with recognizable actors. Yet the material is so disappointing that it seems like the film wants to distract you with their presence rather then pay attention to the film.

It seems that this would be the perfect vehicle for Ryan Murphy who usually can find the Heart if tragedy and tragic stories and make them something universally personal and touching but here he makes it feel more like a case study in dysfunction while trying to throw in some quirk. He just didn’t get quite the right formula for this to be quite the success the audience might hope for.

The casting for the movie is strong, yet except for Annette bringing they all seem either lost or like they are trying to show off in their roles. This is writer director Ryan Murphy’s first film after being a successful show runner and writer. So he stacks the deck for this film and it should work but it seems just a misfire. Where it all comes topping down.

The film just feels inauthentic and dirty


Grade: F