Running With Scissors

Running with Scissors is a 2006 American comedy-drama film based on Augusten Burroughs' 2002 memoir of the same name, written and directed by Ryan Murphy, and starring Joseph Cross, Annette Bening, Brian Cox, Joseph Fiennes, Evan Rachel Wood, Alec Baldwin, Jill Clayburgh, and Gwyneth Paltrow with supporting roles filled by Kristin Chenoweth and Gabrielle Union, among others.

Plot

Based on Augusten Burroughs' memoir of the same name, the film is a semi-autobiographical account of Burroughs' childhood. His mother, Deidre (Annette Bening), who wishes to become a famous poet, suffers from severe mood swings and erratic behavior. And Augusten's alcoholic father Norman (Alec Baldwin) proves to be no help. By the time he is a teenager, Burroughs (Joseph Cross) no longer feels safe in his own house.