Running With Scissors

Running With Scissors
R
Running time: 116 minutes
USA

Such a head trip. A mind job, if you will. I'm still reeling from last night's viewing...even with a good night's sleep and some time to think about what happened. To me, that's the sign of a good flick...left me unsettled and picking up the pieces of my shattered subconscious.

This is another Sundance entry from a few years back (I got to be in the car fleet that drove them to the premiere...Evan Rachel Wood is FOXY btw) that I never got to see until now. It's actually based off of true events, which I didn't find out until the end of the movie. Augusten Burroughs (Joseph Cross) grew up in a CRAZY situation: a mother with delusions of grandeur (Annette Bening), an alcoholic father (Alec Baldwin) and a mixed personality that left him feeling like he didn't fit in anywhere. After a huge fight with her husband, Augusten's mother decides it's time to seek mental help and contacts a "doctor" named Finch (Brian Cox) to help her get out of the funk she's in. To make a long story short, this leads to the Finchs adopting Augusten when his mother goes to start a new life so that she can concentrate on writing poetry (or attempting to write, I should say).

Ryan Murphy did a fantastic job in this movie with attention to details. Set in the 70's, the costumes, cars, music, etc. are perfectly used. Most impressive, however, was Dr. Finch's house, one of three homes shown in detail throughout the picture. This was probably my favorite part of the movie in that each house was a different representation of the mental states that the characters were in. The Burroughs home was pristine...very ornate with that classic, HIDEOUS 70's furniture, linoleum floors and art all over the walls...to me, a representation of the attempt at maintaining appearances while underneath everything's in shambles. After Augusten moves out, Dierdre's new place is just as ultra modern but has a more disheveled look, again representing her slowly unraveling mental state. The pièce de résistance for me was the Finch house...an absolute train wreck, covered from head to toe in junk, oddities and, to top it all off, a fluorescent pink exterior paint job. Within its walls, the members of the household were no less strange. In fact, you realize quickly that they're all pretty much out of their minds (the casting/acting was really well done). However, (and this is where I'm still trying to wrap my head around how I feel) there are a few brief moments Murphy extracts from the chaos to show you that maybe there is more method to the mayhem than previously thought. In fact, there were a few really touching scenes, especially between Augusten and Mrs. Finch/Natalie, that I thought gave glimpses of hope and understanding where there appeared to be none at all. One of the reasons why I am so drawn to movies like this is because I see myself in them so much. Our minds have the tendency to appear like the Finch house at times while others can feel more like the Burroughs'. In the end, at least for me, I catch glimmers of sanity and understanding in very complex mental/emotional situations...which gives me hope. Good hell, I love film...when it's done well. I recommend you check this one out, if you're so inclined.