Running with Scissors (15)

Review by Carol Allen

Based on a biographical memoir by American writer Augusten Burroughs and written and directed by Murphy, creator of television's Nip/Tuck, this is a bizarre and comic story of a dramatically dysfunctional childhood in the '70s. Augusten (Cross) is the child of an alcoholic father Norman (Baldwin) and a mentally disturbed mother Deidre (Bening), whom he adores and who has delusional ambitions that she is a talented and potentially famous poet, or will be when the world recognises her genius. With her marriage, not surprisingly, in crisis, Deidre falls under the spell of a dangerously charismatic and histrionic therapist Finch (Cox). When Norman finally cracks under the strain and walks out, Deirdre callously and casually sends her son to live in the equally mad Finch household, where the Christmas decorations are left up all year round and cleaning is rarely if ever done.

Apart from Finch, who sees himself as the ultimate, all powerful, patriarchal guru, there is his bible quoting elder daughter Hope (Gwyneth Paltrow), rebellious younger daughter Natalie (Evan Rachel Wood), with whom Augusten forms an alliance and their straggly haired, dusty mother (Jill Clayburgh) who nibbles on dog snacks as sweeties and who becomes a kindly surrogate mother to Augusten. There is also Finch's supposed adopted adult son Neil Bookman (Joseph Fiennes, virtually unrecognisable under a heavy beard), who lives in a shed at the back of the house and who seduces young Augusten.

Although based on a true story, this is almost a caricature of the "me, me, me", search-for-self '70s. It's a little bit like being dropped into a familial asylum, in which every character is barking mad in their own little way, with poor Augusten caught up in the middle of the mayhem, a bewildered observer trying to grope his way through his adolescence .

The starry cast make the film a feast of colourful comic acting albeit grounded in recognisable and often touching humanity. Bening is magnificently crazy, moving from feisty self confidence to Valium clouded delusion. Cox takes eccentricity to equally crazy heights, while Baldwin as Norman, in spite of his alcoholism, is almost solidly sane compared to the rest of them.

There were many parties like this 30-odd years ago, peopled with a cast of fascinating and entertaining wackos obsessed with their search for personal fulfilment and probably high on drugs. Their company might have been entertaining and times were good, but when the party was over, getting back to the real world was a relief. And this film is bit like those parties. It is pleasant to meet all the characters but difficult not to feel sorry for poor Augusten. It certainly wouldn't be fun to live with him.