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Despite a few great performances, the film lacks the sincerity and emotional edge of Burroughs' well-loved memoir.
All Critics (132) | Top Critics (42) | Fresh (41) | Rotten (91) | DVD (8)
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
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.
Richard Roeper
As dysfunctional family movies go, this is one skip. It doesn't just run with the scissors, it falls on them. Oct 29, 2006 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…
As dysfunctional family movies go, this is one skip. It doesn't just run with the scissors, it falls on them.
James Berardinelli
Running with Scissors looks great, and works fine when Bening is on screen; otherwise, it's off-balance, teetering where it should hold steady. Oct 27, 2006 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…
Running with Scissors looks great, and works fine when Bening is on screen; otherwise, it's off-balance, teetering where it should hold steady.
Moira MacDonald
If the book was deadpan, the movie is more -- or less -- dead. Oct 27, 2006 | Rating: 2/4
If the book was deadpan, the movie is more -- or less -- dead.
Steven Rea
This is an Igby Goes Down without the laughs, a morbid miscalculation of The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou size. Oct 27, 2006 | Rating: 2/5
This is an Igby Goes Down without the laughs, a morbid miscalculation of The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou size.
Roger Moore
Anyone who has watched 10 minutes of Nip/Tuck knows [director] Murphy is adept at cramming all sorts of weirdness into a couple of hours, but in Running With Scissors he turns out to be inexplicably squeamish. Oct 27, 2006 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…
Anyone who has watched 10 minutes of Nip/Tuck knows [director] Murphy is adept at cramming all sorts of weirdness into a couple of hours, but in Running With Scissors he turns out to be inexplicably squeamish.
Connie Ogle
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. Feb 28, 2018 | Full Review…
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.
Paul Constant
Strictly for the Anderson-Baumbach crowd of privileged idiots Aug 28, 2009 | Full Review…
Strictly for the Anderson-Baumbach crowd of privileged idiots
Fernando F. Croce
Based on Augusten Burrough's memoir, "Running With Scissors" traverses the '70's American zeitgeist in eccentric personal terms when the American dream plummeted into horror with the aid of prescription drugs. Apr 24, 2009 | Rating: B | Full Review…
Based on Augusten Burrough's memoir, "Running With Scissors" traverses the '70's American zeitgeist in eccentric personal terms when the American dream plummeted into horror with the aid of prescription drugs.
Cole Smithey
Running With Scissors is a schizophrenic film. It simply doesn't know what it wants to be %u2014 a witty and wacky satire, or a serious and heartfelt drama. Feb 28, 2008 | Rating: 5/11 | Full Review…
Running With Scissors is a schizophrenic film. It simply doesn't know what it wants to be %u2014 a witty and wacky satire, or a serious and heartfelt drama.
Brandon Fibbs
For every aspect that is depressing, there something that is fresh and uplifting, and it is credit to writer director Ryan Murphy for capturing the mood of Burroughs' book so faithfully. Mar 23, 2007 | Full Review…
For every aspect that is depressing, there something that is fresh and uplifting, and it is credit to writer director Ryan Murphy for capturing the mood of Burroughs' book so faithfully.
Urban Cinefile Critics
The excruciating display of bohemian spoils wears the word "delightful" in quotation marks, with a theatre accent. Mar 15, 2007
The excruciating display of bohemian spoils wears the word "delightful" in quotation marks, with a theatre accent.
Mark Palermo
Cast: Annette Bening, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jill Clayburgh, Brian Cox, Joseph Fiennes, Evan Rachel Wood, Alec Baldwin, Vanessa Redgrave, Kristin Chenoweth, Colleen Camp, Patrick Wilson Director: Ryan Murphy Summary: When Deirdre Burroughs (Annette Bening) impulsively decides that her adolescent son Augusten (Joseph Cross) should be raised by her unconventional psychiatrist (Brian Cox), her choice to give him away changes the course of his life forever. My Thoughts: "Haven't read the book (although I want to) so I am not sure if its the same in writing as it is on screen. It's such a crazy movie.. A good kind of crazy. I had wanted to see this movie for quite some time now, and I am glad I finally got the chance to. It was such a great movie. All the characters are all insane but sane at the same time. The Dr. was my favorite. The lines he gave had me laughing. If you haven't seen it I recommend you do."
Super Reviewer
30/07/2010 (TELEVISION) This puts the "Drama" in "Dramatic" and makes it seem poetic. A very intense story with some major issues that weigh a ton, in madness. It started off seemingly normal and interesting but as the story unfolds it takes a very shocking turn with crazy characters and a fiery story that burns with insanity, but still managing to maintain my interest. Not my kind of flick but it's a nice change from my usual taste. A very hardcore drama indeed but a good check for those who are into "True Stories".
Very Strange! Joseph Cross has done better work in Jack Frost! What the hell was this?
Running With Scissors walk a tightrope between being a complete autrocity and being a work of mesmorizing genuis. I read the book a couple weeks ago and liked it a lot. The book managed to relate the bizare events without giving a feeling of "Woe is Me". Perhaps more importantly, the book was also believable - whereas in the film everything appears fairly ludicrious. The movie certainly has its moments. In fact, several scenes were absolutely masterfull. Most of the acting was pretty decent-though Even Rachel Wood is among my favorites. I was also overjoyed to see Kristen Chenoweth. The sound track was also pretty damn amazing! Idk, I find myself fairly torn on this one. It did not completely win me over at all, but its just too close to being really good to say its bad =\
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