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Running With Scissors

R Released Oct 27, 2006 2h 0m Comedy Drama List
32% Tomatometer 136 Reviews 56% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
As the son of an alcoholic father (Alec Baldwin) and a mentally ill mother (Annette Bening), young Augusten Burroughs (Joseph Cross) faces a challenging childhood at the very least. His life takes an unexpected turn when his mother gives him to her unorthodox therapist (Brian Cox), and the boy becomes a member of the doctor's own strange, extended family.
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Running With Scissors

Running With Scissors

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Critics Consensus

Despite a few great performances, the film lacks the sincerity and emotional edge of Burroughs' well-loved memoir.

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Critics Reviews

View All (136) Critics Reviews
Joshua Rothkopf Time Out Rated: 4/6 Feb 3, 2007 Full Review Will Lawrence Empire Magazine Well-acted by the superb ensemble cast but there just isn't a likeable character amongst them to care about. Rated: 2/5 Jan 29, 2007 Full Review Richard Roeper Ebert & Roeper In the real world, mental illness is a serious problem. In this film, it gives everyone a license to run around like characters in a Lewis Carroll story -- all of it set to predictable pop hits from the 1970s. Oct 31, 2006 Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins A few hysterical moments can't compensate for the prolonged weirdness that blankets the picture. Rated: 4/10 Nov 21, 2020 Full Review Paul Constant The Stranger (Seattle, WA) This movie doesn't work because an honest adaptation of Running with Scissors can't work. Without Burroughs's narration, we're left with a Tobe Hooper horror film. Mar 1, 2018 Full Review Fernando F. Croce CinePassion Strictly for the Anderson-Baumbach crowd of privileged idiots Aug 28, 2009 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Temple s Read the brilliant, darkly funny and heartbreaking memoir. Skip the movie. It's one of the most shallow, disappointing book-to-film adaptations I've ever seen. I hope in the future someone else will try to do a better job of adapting this gem of a memoir to film. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 08/09/23 Full Review ira m Boring. Never found out why anyone cares about these people. I certainly didn't. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 05/04/23 Full Review colin m Random plot with not much going for it. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Delightfully mad. Young boy battles through his father's alcoholism and mother's deep mental illness. When Dr. Finch takes his mom on as a patient, he gets sucked into another wild family's swirling mental issues. New mom eats kibble. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review Audience Member I love this film. It made my weird childhood feel relatively normal. The mother son relationship feels right at home. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review steve d I found it to be trying too hard, with a bunch of over the top performances. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Running With Scissors

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Cast & Crew

Alive and Kicking 86% 66% Alive and Kicking The Savages 90% 75% The Savages Man About Town 38% 29% Man About Town Lies & Alibis 57% 53% Lies & Alibis Lonesome Jim 60% 57% Lonesome Jim Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis As the son of an alcoholic father (Alec Baldwin) and a mentally ill mother (Annette Bening), young Augusten Burroughs (Joseph Cross) faces a challenging childhood at the very least. His life takes an unexpected turn when his mother gives him to her unorthodox therapist (Brian Cox), and the boy becomes a member of the doctor's own strange, extended family.
Director
Ryan Murphy
Producer
Brad Grey, Ryan Murphy, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner
Screenwriter
Ryan Murphy
Distributor
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co
Plan B Films
Rating
R (Strong Language|Sexuality|Substance Abuse|Violence)
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 27, 2006, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
May 14, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$6.8M
Runtime
2h 0m
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