Running With Scissors

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Running With Scissors

R

Released Oct 27, 2006

2h 0m

Comedy

Drama

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Popcornmeter

32%

Tomatometer

135 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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Critics Consensus

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

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Joshua Rothkopf

Time Out

Rated: 4/6

Feb 3, 2007

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

Strictly for the Anderson-Baumbach crowd of privileged idiots

Aug 28, 2009

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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

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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

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Ryan Murphy

Director

Annette Bening

Deirdre Burroughs

Gwyneth Paltrow

Hope

Brian Cox

Dr. Finch

Jill Clayburgh

Agnes Finch

Joseph Fiennes

Neil Bookman

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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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