Memoirs: Running with Scissors

         The first in my little tour of Memoirs, is Running with Scissors based off the Novel of the same name, written by Augusten Burroughs. The book being released in 2002, and the movie in 2006. This true telling is about a young man, coming to terms with himself and the life around him.

With great cinematography, and costume design this movie strives to take you to a place that seems like a true memory.

The movie starts with a Very simple and direct phrase:

My name is Augusten Burroughs.

Where do I begin to tell the story of how my mother left me, and then i left my mother?

       Then to our story, we start with what seems a life a little less than perfect, a loving and supportive son, admiring his seemingly irresponsible, self involved mother, Deirdre Burroughs (Annette Bening), and his disconnected father Norman Burroughs (Alec Baldwin). As Augusten (Joseph Cross) gets older life seems to have taken a wrong turn and the family looks to a certain doctor for help, Doctor Finch(Brian Cox). 

        When the doctor starts seeing patients at his all too eccentric and altruistic home. Deirdre leaves Augusten in the care of Doctor Finch. With nowhere to turn he must acclimate to this new way of living. Thrown into a point in life where he has to make his own decisions, he comes to terms with his this new era of freedom, he comes to terms with his new home, his new world and even his own sexuality.  

         An emotional crescendo, that seems to spiral down to new lows unlike anything seen before, this movie takes a turn into what seems like fiction,  our protagonist finds who he really is, and sees clinging to the life he had, isn't the best and sets off to make his life his own.

         A movie that inspires us to be ourselves, a movie that pushes us to be way more than where we came from. If you have ever felt like your life went into chaos and you want to see the light that comes after the trials and tribulations, this movie is for you.

I leave you with this. The picture of Augusten Burrough next to his on screen counter part. Proof that no matter how bad things seem. You can always come out on top. Sometimes you just need to take a step back and look at where you are, so you know where you are going.