Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- darkly comic
- unsettling
- melancholic
- thoughtful movie night
- memoir adaptation night
What critics said
Critics broadly found several strong performances, especially from Annette Bening, but felt the adaptation lacked the sincerity and emotional edge of the source memoir.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Augusten is delivered into Dr. Finch's eccentric household as his mother's mental illness and marriage collapse.
Augusten keeps a journal while navigating abandonment, emotional neglect, and an unstable domestic world.
The Finch household's eccentric behavior and Deirdre's unraveling are presented through a mixture of comedy and emotional disturbance.
The Finch home and its residents create a highly stylized, bizarre environment around Augusten's adolescence.
Films like Running with Scissors, and why
The Squid and the Whale
shared dysfunctional family dynamics, coming-of-age perspective, and darkly comic emotional register
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
shared adolescent alienation, eccentric adults, and bittersweet coming-of-age drama
August: Osage County
shared memoir-based family dysfunction, flamboyant performances, and painful humor
The Mudge Boy
shared queer coming-of-age themes, unconventional family life, and outsider perspective
Movie Details
- Director
- Ryan Murphy
- Release Date
- 2006-10-27
- Runtime
- 122 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (266)
Cast
- Joseph Cross
- Annette Bening
- Brian Cox
- Gwyneth Paltrow
- Joseph Fiennes
- Evan Rachel Wood
- Alec Baldwin
- Jill Clayburgh
- Gabrielle Union
- Patrick Wilson
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Hulu, Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Running with Scissors about?
- A troubled teenager finds an unlikely path toward adulthood after being placed in his psychiatrist's bizarre household.
- What is Running with Scissors like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Running with Scissors as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Running with Scissors violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Running with Scissors as mild.
- What did critics think of Running with Scissors?
- Critics broadly found several strong performances, especially from Annette Bening, but felt the adaptation lacked the sincerity and emotional edge of the source memoir.
- Which films are like Running with Scissors?
- Films with a similar feel include The Squid and the Whale, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, August: Osage County, and The Mudge Boy.
- How long is Running with Scissors?
- Running with Scissors runs 122 minutes.
- Where can I watch Running with Scissors?
- In United States, Running with Scissors streams on Hulu, Howdy Amazon Channel.
