RUNNING WITH SCISSORS
Written, produced and directed by Ryan Murphy
Based on the book Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
Starring Annette Bening, Jill Clayburgh, Joseph Cross, Brian Cox, Joseph Fiennes, Alec
Baldwin, Evan Rachel Leigh, Gwyneth Paltrow, Gabrielle Union

Reviewed by Clement von Franckenstein
Watson Scale rating (0 being worst and 6 being perfect): 4.5



This wonderful, quirky, very dark little independent film, is the impressive directing feature debut of Ryan Murphy, the creator of the hit television series NIP/TUCK. Based on the best-selling autobiographical novel by Augusten Burroughs, the book details his macabre adolescence from the age of 12.

His psychotic bi-sexual mother (a poet with delusions of Anne Sexton), brilliantly played by Annette Bening who hates his alcoholic father (Alec Baldwin), gives him away to be raised by her unorthodox psychiatrist (Brian Cox in a great performance) who bears a striking resemblance to Santa Clause!

So the young Burroughs finds himself amidst Victorian squalor, living with the doctor's bizarre family and having his first gay relationship with a pedophile who lives in the back yard. It's the story of an outlaw childhood where there are no rules, the Christmas tree stays up all year round and valium is consumed like candy!

Burroughs is played by a wonderful unknown young actor named Joseph Cross (who is also in the upcoming FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS), and director Murphy elicits a multi-layered performance out of him, from wide-eyed innocence, to his awakening gay sexuality, then to coping with his eccentric home life and finally maturing as a young man.

He is given brilliant support from Bening in one of her finest roles (a sure Oscar nomination) from caring mother, to drugged out zombie, to lesbian psychotic would be murderess. Baldwin is fine as the alcoholic father who eventually remarries and dies of liver failure. Jill Clayburgh (another sure Oscar nominee) is a revelation and almost unrecognizable as Dr. Finch's crazy loyal wife who munches on dog kibble while watching old horror movies on television.

Evan Rachel Wood is the sexy younger daughter who bonds with Augusten after first trying to amuse herself by giving him electro shock therapy! Needless to say she hates her sister.

Gwyneth Paltrow is the dark moody favorite elder daughter who puts some of her dead cat "Freud" into a stew she is cooking, eliciting the great line from Joseph Fiennes gay lodger character, "I don't eat pussy!"

Fiennes is excellent, and also unrecognizable under a huge walrus moustache and muttonchops, as Augusten's first love when he is not raging psychotically at the imperturbable Dr. Finch.

Brian Cox (so good recently as Jack Langrishe on DEADWOOD) almost steals the film as the manipulative, scatological, lascivious, con-man shrink, who has his own "masturbatorium" next to his office, and rules his devoted family with a rod of iron. Gabrielle Union has a good cameo as Bening's rich, trust fund black lesbian lover.

As you can see, RUNNING WITH SCISSORS is a magnificent potpourri of craziness with incredible acting and a very funny script. If Paramount promotes it properly, it could be a cult hit.