Good start, but then it gets ruined

An action-packed slog

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Augusten Burroughs' childhood is colored by his eccentric aspiring poet mother Deirdre (Annette Bening). His alcoholic father Norman (Alec Baldwin) is distant. As a teen in 1978, he (Joseph Cross) witnesses his parents fighting ending with his father's bloody head. They call in psychiatrist Dr. Finch (Brian Cox). Norman leaves the family. Deirdre and Augusten move in with Dr. Finch and his weird family. His wife Agnes (Jill Clayburgh) eats dog food. Daughter Hope (Gwyneth Paltrow) is religious. The other daughter Natalie (Evan Rachel Wood) digs in Augusten. After confessing to be gay to her, he befriends the older adopted son Neil Bookman (Joseph Fiennes). A drugged up Deirdre signs her money and Augusten over to Dr. Finch.This weird family seems to be too unreal to be taken seriously. It's filled with wild antics. I expect the quirkiness would lead to laughs but none of it is funny. Cross is fine but I don't feel for his character. Ryan Murphy needs to either make this darker or make it more of a comedy. It doesn't really work as either.

I really wanted to see Running with Scissors when in opened in Britain, as I love the book. Unfortunately, it was only on for a week at a few screens in London before closing, and having bought the DVD I can appreciate why.The book is Burrough's account of his childhood when his crazy mother leaves him to be looked after by her even crazier shrink and his family. It's a remarkable achievement as the author manages to make the often alarming events of his upbringing touching and funny.The film, though an accurate (but abridged) reflection of the book, seems to miss out on the fact that it's supposed to be a comedy. This is chiefly because it makes Augusten's mother the focus of the plot, when in the book it's her absence which is the driving force. Annette Bening does a fine portrayal of mental derangement but only captures the flavour of the novel occasionally, in for example, a bizarre poetry-reading she organises for her would-be literary friends.I liked Evan Rachel Wood's performance as Augusten's friend Natalie but she's only given a little screen time, when she should really be a central character. My favourite scenes in the novel - diving through the college waterfall and a trip whale-watching off Cape Cod - involve her but are omitted entirely here.The only time the movie truly flickered into life for me was during the closing credits, when the real-life Augusten Burroughs stands next to the actor playing his young self. But this single moment of playfulness and humour (qualities seen repeatedly in the book), isn't enough to save a film.

Murphy adapts Augusten Burroughs's memoir into a movie that is chaotic, insane, erratic and absolutely brilliant. It is a film where the characters are very difficult to like but they remain fascinating and the story grabs the viewer's attention without letting it go. Given that it's an adaptation I don't know how much of it is true but at the same time that makes the viewing better because Murphy has used a lot of imagination and dark humour to balance the intensity. Some of the scenes feel positively surreal. The camera-work is terrific and the editing is equally great. 'Running With Scissors's highlights are clearly its performances, particular those of Annette Bening, Brian Cox and Jill Clayburgh. Bening once again demonstrates (or at least that's how it looks) how easy it is for her to play someone so complicated. Cox isn't new to dark characters and once again he manages to be hateful. Clayburgh is equally fantastic as the 'burned out' housewife. Of the supporting cast Gabrielle Union springs a surprise while Kristin Chenoweth, Alec Baldwin and Joseph Fiennes are wonderful. Gwyneth Paltrow and Evan Rachel Wood are adequate as is Joseph Cross. Arguably, this might not be the movie for everyone as some might deem it to complex but if one is looking to experience something a little less simple but at the same time a rewarding movie experience then 'Running With Scissors' fits the bill.

I am a big movie fan. I like movies of all types. This is arguably the worst movie I've ever seen.I get that it follows the book closely, which raises the point that not everything should be made into a movie. Especially since the authenticity of the experiences in the book have been called into question more than once.These characters are not quirky, they are mentally ill. The things that happen are not funny, they are disturbing; especially considering they are supposed to be true.This movie had the feel of The Royal Tenenbaums, another movie I hated, only Running With Scissors was even more dysfunctional and less funny.I will never get those hours back. I wanted to wash my brain after watching.