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It’s often said that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. That’s definitely the case for author Augusten Burroughs, whose memoirs are stranger and more unfortunate than anything written by the most outrageous of fiction writers. The movie, based on Augusten’s memoirs (see Ann’s review of the book), shows the wildly dysfunctional world in which Augusten (who, as a teenager, is played by Joseph Cross) grew up.
The son of a violently alcoholic father (Alec Baldwin), Augusten spends more time with his mother, Dierdre (Annette Bening), an unstable, melodramatic poet who’s positive that she’s destined for superstardom. She’s more of a playmate to Augusten than a mother—and she often lets him skip school so he can do her hair and listen to her read her latest poem. When Augusten’s father leaves, cutting off all ties with his son, Dierdre becomes dependent on her therapist, the eccentric Dr. Finch (Brian Cox). And when a doped-up Dierdre decides that she can no longer take care of herself or her son, she sends Augusten to Dr. Finch’s house, to become Finch’s adopted son.
Things go from bad to worse for Augusten. Life is even crazier in the Finch household, where the same Christmas tree has been set up in the living room for two years, and where they use the Bible like a Magic 8-Ball (which leads them to eat fish sticks and grapes for dinner). In order to get out of going to school, where Augusten doesn’t fit in, Dr. Finch encourages him to plan a fake suicide attempt to make him appear emotionally unfit. And as Dierdre grows more and more self-centered and distant, fourteen-year-old Augusten begins a relationship with Neil (Joseph Fiennes), another one of the Finches’ adopted sons (who just happens to be 35).
Though commercials make Running with Scissors look like a darkly quirky, outrageous comedy, that’s not really the case. Granted, there are moments that will make you laugh, but it’s that awkward, uncomfortable kind of laugh. The woman seated behind me, for instance, giggled nervously through the whole thing. But it’s just not a fun movie to watch.
While some movies about dysfunctional families make the characters seem lovably goofy, the characters in this movie don’t give off the feeling that they’re just fun and eccentric. They’re seriously messed-up in an unhealthy—and even dangerous—way. And that makes it hard to just sit back and enjoy the show—especially knowing that the story is, for the most part, the real story of someone’s life. It’s not funny. It’s just plain sad.
There’s no shortage of good movies in theaters right now—so don’t waste your time on this one. It may make you feel a little better about your own childhood, but it’s even more likely to leave you feeling depressed—and in serious need of a good stiff drink.
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