Running With Scissors [Blu-ray] | Annette Bening, Brian Cox

Running With Scissors [Blu-ray] | Annette Bening, Brian Cox | Nightmare On Shrink Street

DVDs:

Running With Sciss...

	Running With Scissors [Blu-ray] Annette Bening, Brian Cox Sony Pictures, 2007 average customer review:based on 95 reviews view larger image
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Tristar Running With Scissors (Blu-Ray)
Based on the personal memoirs of Augusten Burroughs, "Running With Scissors" is a wickedly funny, brave and moving tale of surviving a most unusual childhood. Augusten's (Joseph Cross) mother (Annette Bening) is a deluded aspiring poet with bipolar disorder whose marriage to his dad (Alec Baldwin) is in ruins. Soon, she is seeing a very eccentric therapist named Dr. Finch (Brian Cox), while Augusten is left in the care of Finch's wacky family, including his tightly-wound daughter (Gwyneth Paltrow). Abandoned by his parents and adopted by the Finches, he findsa kindred spirit in youngest daughter Natalie (Evan Rachel Wood) and motherly support from Finch's long suffering wife Agnes (Jill Clayburgh). Constantly recording the events of his life in his journals as a way to cope, Augusten finds himself avoiding school, learning about love from an older man (Joseph Fiennes), and making big decisions at the tender age of fifteen.

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Dysfunctional childhood one would not wish to anyone

Several years ago, I attended C-SPAN's book tour in Chicago. Amongst many writers promoting their upcoming books was Augustin Burroughs. Although I never read his work, I knew his name and that he had a best selling memoir out -- at the time, when people were fabricating their own. I guess Augustin's childhood was such a preposterous one that other writers tried to match it to some degree by fictionalizing parts of their own. In any case, book reading was fun and Augustin was reading from his new book. I could see that this is a writer who prides himself on seeing humor in the obscene world around us. I was also struck by his openness and frankness that inlcued his sexual orientation as well. So when this movie came out I had to see it. I was hoping to capture his childhood and see how he became the man and writer that he is today. And while the film will keep you mesmerized about his growing up, his parents, his parents' divorce and unbelievable life afterwards, you will truly enjoy Annette Bening's portrayal of the middle aged bi-polar woman who is incapable of being a mother and cannot cope with her own miserable life. What does get lost in the film is the author's humor. Hence, four stars. But this story is so original that I guarantee you have never seen (or read) anything like this before.

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Nightmare On Shrink Street

Based on Augusten Burroughs' 2002 memoir about his dysfunctional childhood, "Running With Scissors" (2006), is like a blend of "The Upside of Anger"(2005) and "Tideland" (2005). The film was not commercial enough for widespread theatrical release but has built up a decent size cult following and probably sold some books. If you don't like the film (or at least relate to it) it is probably because your family was not dysfunctional enough.

As Paul Newman discovered when he made "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds" (1972), stories about mentally disturbed mothers engaging in screaming matches don't make for upbeat movies; even with a theme of a child successfully overcoming adversity. So director Ryan Murphy was tasked by his producer with the objective of lightening up his screen adaptation of "Scissors." Unfortunately he was not entirely successful and the obvious comedic elements are awkwardly inserted and don't really work, as comedy anyway.

Fortunately (at least for those able to relate to the film) his production designer and his post-production team save the day and the film achieves a nice lyrical quality. So watch for those moments that work best. These are the intricately edited montages matched to the playing of popular songs from the period (the film is set in the 1970's) including "Bennie and the Jets", "The Year of the Cat", and "Blinded by the Light". My favorite is the match-cut screams at about the midway point of the story. The film's final credits go out to "Teach Your Children", a little too obvious perhaps but a good match with the ironic tone that flows throughout the film.

Momma's boy Augusten (Joseph Cross) is sent to live with his mother's well-intentioned but deeply disturbed psychiatrist Dr. Finch (Brian Cox), so basket case Mom (Annette Bening) can be properly sedated and focus on her bad poetry. Dr. Finch's household is a product of his own extreme weirdness, and is housed in a dilapidated pink mansion under the constant threat of IRS repossession. Rebellious daughter Natalie (Evan Rachel Wood basically playing her "Upside of Anger" character but with mega eye makeup), her Bible-directed sister (Gwyneth Paltrow-who nicely teases her role), his kibble-snacking wife Agnes (nicely underplayed by Jill Clayburgh), and a 35 year-old prone to violence adopted son (Joseph Fiennes).

Augusten's mother is not a one dimensional Mommie Dearest. She's a complicated bundle of unfulfilled ambition with the occasional lucid moments when she is not pumped full tranquilizers. As the story moves forward she goes from being an Auntie Mame toward her adoring child to a self-absorbed free spirit. There is an anti-permissiveness subtext in much of this, with Augusten yearning for rules and structure in place of constant (usually unpleasant) surprises.

Everyone in the cast delivers first-rate performances. If you can relate to the material, focus in on the best individual sequences, and overlook the director's inability to find a precise focus you should enjoy the film.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

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Running with Scissors - The Movie

I was somewhat disappointed in this movie. I felt the book was far more intense and gave you a deeper understanding of Augusten's life. Although there was an excellent cast in the movie, it just didn't match the intensity and craziness that was in the book. Had I not read the book first, I may have appreciated the movie more. I give the movie a B-.

Natalie was FAT!

First of all, Natalie was a big girl, however Hollywood will never allow that, and whatever. If I had never read the book, I mightve liked this movie, but the book was sooo much more. I cant let it go. The movie was just lacking, thats it. Annette Benning I thought was distracting in a good way, she was the best part of the movie. But I just cant get over the fact that Natalie was a skinny sexy Hollywood type. Shame.Running With Scissors

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Not worth your time

There were small elements of the story that I appreciated, but not enough of them to make it worthwhile to watch the whole movie- and usually I really love artistic independent-type films. It drags on and on in really odd directions with no real punchline. Weird.

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