Buy Running with Scissors on DVD

Running with Scissors

DVD Widescreen More Info Close Caption: Yes Region Code: 1 UPC: 043396159136 ISBN: B000M5B98A Languages: English Dolby Digital 5.1 (Primary), French Dolby Digital Surround, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, Cantonese subtitles, English subtitles, French subtitles, Korean subtitles, Portuguese subtitles, Spanish subtitles	Usually ships in 5-10 days	$13.49 (10% off) List Price: ~~$14.99~~
Blu-ray More Info Close Caption: No Region Code: 1 UPC: 043396181502 Languages: English Dolby Digital 5.1 (Primary), French Dolby Digital Surround, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, Cantonese subtitles, English subtitles, French subtitles, Korean subtitles, Portuguese subtitles, Spanish subtitles	Usually ships in 5-10 days	$32.99 (15% off) List Price: ~~$38.99~~

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Synopsis

Gay author Augusten Burroughs' memoir of his disfunctional teenage years has been adapted for a star-studded film by Ryan Murphy.

3 Reasons To buy this film

Joseph Cross - who you can also see as a gay character in Milk - makes for an adorable young leading man.
The cast of Running with Scissors is completely stellar.
Not only is the film based on a bestselling memoir from a gay author, it's adapted by a gay filmmaker.

Review

If you've read the book, you've been eagerly awaiting this big screen adaptation for some time. Like the book, the film is both hysterical and scary. Set in the late '70s, the film perfectly captures the era with picture-perfect sets, costumes and music. The autobiographical story by Augusten Burroughs tells of a childhood marred by family addiction, abandonment, just plain eccentricity and a love affair between Augusten, its 15-year-old protagonist (Joseph Cross) and Neil Bookman (a barely recognizable Joseph Fiennes), a 35-year-old schizophrenic man.

A simple plot summary can hardly encapsulate the craziness of this story as written and directed by the openly gay Ryan Murphy (creator of "Glee"). Augusten's mother Deirdre is played with aplomb and high style by Annette Bening in another in a long series of amazing roles. She's an unpublished, deluded poetess who's married to Norman, an alcoholic played with great subtlety by Alec Baldwin. After severe disfunction gets this wacky unit ground to a halt, Dierdre is sent to a new shrink Dr. Finch (Brian Cox). Dr. Finch recommends that Deirdre end her marriage to Norman and park her son with his family. This will give Deirdre "room to breathe." So Norman is packed off to a home that makes the Addams Family look like the Cleavers. The Finches, as played to a tee by Evan Rachel Wood, Jill Clayburgh and Gwyneth Paltrow, are truly insane. Augusten quickly adapts to his new surroundings. He and his adopted sister decided one day to cut a hole in the kitchen ceiling. When Dr. Finch sees it, he remarks "I like it, the hole gives the kitchen some much needed humor." When Augusten comes out to his sister Natalie, she introduces him to their 35-year-old banished gay brother Neil (Fiennes), who hears voices. They fall quickly in lust, and no one seems to disapprove of this relationship, which many parents might consider innapropriate – it's actually encouraged. Meanwhile Deirdre is busy re-inventing herself as a lesbian. One of her two girlfriends is the amazing and under-utilized Kristin Chenoweth. There's too much plot here to tell more – you'll have to see the film and get more nuggets to tell at parties.

Having gay people tell gay stories makes a difference. This film is clearly told from a gay point of view that went over most critics heads. Amazing performances, spectacular sets and costumes, fun soundtrack and lots of gay content make this a perfect film for the gay movie collector.

-- Scott Cranin

Product Format Information

DVD Widescreen: $13.49

Availability: Usually ships in
5-10 days
Running Time: 122 minutes
Close Caption: Yes
Region Code: 1
UPC: 043396159136
ISBN: B000M5B98A

Studio : Sony

Languages: English Dolby Digital 5.1 (Primary) , French Dolby Digital Surround , Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 , Cantonese Subtitles , English Subtitles , French Subtitles , Korean Subtitles , Portuguese Subtitles , Spanish Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen, 2.4
Features:
Featurette: "Inside Outsiders" - The cast discusses how they created their extreme characters
Featurette: "A Personal Memoir by Augusten Burroughs" - The author relates to how he wrote the book, why he selected Ryan Murphy to adapt it, and how he worked with the cast to help them step into this very specific world
Featurette: "Creating the Cuckoo's Nest" - The Production designer and director Ryan Murphy discuss how they created the crazy Finch home. Take a guided tour of this domestic freak show

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Blu-ray : $32.99

Availability: Usually ships in
5-10 days
Running Time: 122 minutes
Close Caption: No
Region Code: 1
UPC: 043396181502

Studio : Sony

Languages: English Dolby Digital 5.1 (Primary) , English PCM 5.1 , French Dolby Digital 5.1 , English Subtitles , French Subtitles , Korean Subtitles , Mandarin Subtitles , Portuguese Subtitles , Spanish Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic 2.4, 2.4

Customer Reviews

A Twisted Childhood

Amos Lassen wrote on 02/21/2011:

“Running With Scissors”
A Twisted Childhood
Amos Lassen
“Running With Scissors” has been a greatly anticipated movie due to the success of the book and it doesn’t disappoint. It is a fairly sick and twisted story of a young boy who is caught up in the mental abuse, drug use and mental illness in his family. Because it is a true story, it is sometimes not easy to watch but it is the story of survival against really challenging odds. I found that the movie had shades of Charles Dickens in it in that it is the story of a young man being orphaned by his living parents and the underlying psychological darkness of the youth’s adventures. The book by Augusten Burroughs (who gained instant fame because of it) was written in 2002 deals with the homosexuality of the boy and his mother as well as the sexual relationship between the boy and an older man and these aspects are much larger in the film than in the book.
We take a walk through Burrough’s adolescence and watch him discover himself—the discoveries he makes are based upon the estrangement of his parents who grew disillusioned with each other. This journey is one of experiences remembered and not experiences that actually came to be.
Annette Bening plays Dierdre, Augusten’s mother, and does so in an amazingly tender portrayal. It is rumored early that his is an Oscar caliber performance yet t was forgotten come nomination time. Yet the movie belongs to her and she is brilliant—no make-up, just a wonderful job of acting.
What colors the film is a child’s memories of a period left behind and just recently looked back upon. A world is recreated that seems distant yet painful. The adults in this world are the ghosts of ambitions never realized and all that is left of them is their poisonous eccentricity. Because of this the movie seems to go over the top in terms of realism. This is what makes the movie so funny as psychological manipulation is adroitly displayed.
Other great performances are turned in by Alec Baldwin and Jill Clayburgh but Joseph Cross as Augusten Burroughs acts like he is walking through and then fades into the background. For those who read the book, the movie is an unsatisfying adaptation. The film loses itself when it can’t decide if it is a drama or a comedy. But Burroughs had the same problem in deciding what his life was.
This could have been a great movie but instead it comes in as only a good one. The family that young Augusten is sent to live with—the crazy Finch family is a roller coaster ride of emotions. A lot of the laughter comes as a result feeling the sadness of the situation. Waxing nostalgic about one’s youth can be great fun but none when it is presented tastelessly. The gay sense were dry and bland and I think that the opinion we get of Augusten Burroughs is that his childhood was a sick experience that has him laughing all the way to the bank.
Many of the reviews that I have read completely discredit the movie and several call “Running With Scissors” the worst movie ever made. Guys—ease up. A great movie it is not but it is a good one. It is so far fetched that it seems as if it cannot possibly be true. I love the way Burroughs writes and the movie pays the same attention to detail as do his books. I like the movie—in fact; I liked it a great deal so I guess I am at odds with many of the critics. You make the decision.

Excellent!

SeattleFilmLover wrote on 06/23/2009:

This movie is hysterical. Joseph Fiennes and Annette Bening are outstanding. (So is Joe's 'stache.) Very entertaining. Great time capsule. Loved it.

Total Disappointment

Chicago Viewer wrote on 05/29/2007:

Total Disappointment!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pure Tripe!

notstraight wrote on 05/09/2007:

I was extremely bored with this film...it has NONE of the humor, style or substance the book did. Everything that was a part of the book was presented in tiny bits making NO SENSE what-so-ever! A lousy film with good actors...I guess the disaster pictures are coming back. This one proves it!

Run From This Mess!

bigdancd wrote on 03/15/2007:

I was waiting on this film to hit DVD and after I bought it, I thought; WHY? This film is way over the top in characters that you would like to kill from the very beginning. I can't believe that Annette Bening would even consider a role like this. I have never seen her in a film where she overacted as much as this epic. Joseph Fiennes was a total waste as the "older" man who brings out the gay sexuality in Augusten Burroughs as a teen. It never shows any emotion on their part and that fact that this film was promoted as a coming out of the main character is a complete rip-off. Sitting thru this mish-mash of off beat characters was a tedious struggle. SAVE YOUR MONEY!

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