Carving Fact From Fiction Futile in 'Scissors' ; Bening As Medicated Mom Real Star in Burroughs Memoir

Summary

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Mom eats kibble, the children consult the Bible about whether to eat fish sticks for dinner, and Dad, a psychiatrist, suggests keeping a scatological shrine starting with his own specimen, of course. What is this place, a freak show? Hell? Yes, sort of; and it's also the adoptive home into which "Running with Scissors" protagonist and real-life author Augusten Burroughs was exiled by his mother and where he grew up in an eccentric world first introduced in his best-selling memoir of the same name.

"Somebody has to write down what's happening to me," says the movie's youthful star while writing in his journal. "It's not to be believed." And in fact, the accuracy of Mr. Burroughs' (nee, Chris Robison) account has recently been called into question by a fairly major lawsuit. But James Frey vs. the nonfiction-writing establishment debate aside, this stuff whatever it is sure makes for a compelling film, and writer-director Ryan Murphy, the "Nip/Tuck" creator who obviously has a penchant for the sensational, does well here in re-creating or at least re-imagining this zany environment.

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Extract

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Carving Fact From Fiction Futile in 'Scissors' ; Bening As Medicated Mom Real Star in Burroughs Memoir

When audiences first encounter Augusten (Joseph Cross), he lives with his birth parents. His mom, Deirdre (Annette Bening), writes...

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