Augusten Burroughs' memoir Running with Scissors sold a lot of books, but is the movie worthwhile?
Scissors takes us through the troubled life of a young teenager who suffers the consequences of his various parents' and guardians' misguided choices. Augusten (Joseph Cross) is given up by his mother (Annette Bening) to be raised by her psychiatrist (Bryan Cox). And that's just the beginning of his troubles.
Despite the fact that this is apparently a true story, Christian film critics think that story is too sordid for moviegoers.
Bob Hoose (Plugged In) says, "This is a vulgar, loathsome film that looks at pedophilia, homosexuality and homosexual pedophilia with the same non-judgmental attitude as its scatologically challenged Dr. Finch does. Not that anyone should expect anything less from director and writer Ryan Murphy, the man responsible for one of television's most repugnant series, Nip/Tuck."
(Infuze) says, "The laughs are inevitable, though you quickly realize that this film outlines a real person's life, thus quieting some of the hilarity of it all. … Don't come expecting comic antics, but a dark blend of humor woven into a very good film."
Mainstream critics aren't impressed, going so far as to call it "loathsome."