Running with Scissors
The story of how a boy was abandoned by his mother and how he, later, abandoned her. The year he'll be 14, the parents of Augusten Burroughs (1965- ) divorce, and his mother, who thinks of herself as a fine poet on the verge of fame, delivers him to the eccentric household of her psychiatrist, Dr. Finch. During that year, Augusten avoids school, keeps a journal, and practices cosmetology. His mother's mental illness worsens, he takes an older lover, he finds friendship with Finch's younger daughter, and he's the occasional recipient of gifts from an unlikely benefactor. Can he survive to come of age?
The film disappointed at the box office against its tight budget of $12.0M, earning $6.8M globally (-44% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its unconventional structure within the comedy genre.
3 wins & 7 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Running with Scissors (2006) exhibits meticulously timed narrative design, characteristic of Ryan Murphy's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 11-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 56 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.8, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Young Augusten lives with his unstable poet mother Deirdre and alcoholic father Norman in a dysfunctional household filled with tension and neglect.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 15 minutes when Deirdre sends Augusten to live with Dr. Finch and his family, abandoning him to pursue her poetry career and focus on her own mental health.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 29 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Augusten accepts that his mother isn't coming back for him and makes the choice to adapt to the Finch household, beginning to engage with this bizarre new family., moving from reaction to action.
The Collapse moment at 87 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Augusten's relationship with Neil falls apart violently, and he realizes that the Finch household isn't a refuge but another manifestation of the same dysfunction he fled from—he has no real home or stability., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 93 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Augusten moves to New York, begins to build an independent life, reconciles with the experience by writing about it, and finds closure with his past while forging his own identity., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Running with Scissors's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 11 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Running with Scissors against these established plot points, we can identify how Ryan Murphy utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Running with Scissors within the comedy genre.
Ryan Murphy's Structural Approach
Among the 2 Ryan Murphy films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Running with Scissors takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Ryan Murphy filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Ryan Murphy analyses, see Eat Pray Love.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Young Augusten lives with his unstable poet mother Deirdre and alcoholic father Norman in a dysfunctional household filled with tension and neglect.
Theme
Dr. Finch tells Deirdre that she must embrace her authentic self and not let societal expectations constrain her, foreshadowing the film's exploration of sanity, identity, and what it means to be "normal."
Worldbuilding
Establishing Augusten's chaotic family life: his mother's mental breakdown, his father's drinking, their bitter arguments, and Deirdre's increasing dependence on her eccentric psychiatrist Dr. Finch.
Disruption
Deirdre sends Augusten to live with Dr. Finch and his family, abandoning him to pursue her poetry career and focus on her own mental health.
Resistance
Augusten resists his new living situation, horrified by the Finch household's chaos: the dilapidated house, bizarre therapy sessions, and strange family dynamics. He wants to return to his mother.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Augusten accepts that his mother isn't coming back for him and makes the choice to adapt to the Finch household, beginning to engage with this bizarre new family.
Premise
Augusten explores life in the Finch household: dropping out of school, creating a beauty salon in the shed, forming friendships with Hope and Natalie, and navigating his relationship with Neil while embracing the unconventional freedom.
Opposition
The dysfunction intensifies: Dr. Finch's manipulation becomes clearer, Neil's instability grows, Deirdre's mental health deteriorates further, and Augusten begins to see that this "freedom" is actually another form of abandonment and chaos.
Collapse
Augusten's relationship with Neil falls apart violently, and he realizes that the Finch household isn't a refuge but another manifestation of the same dysfunction he fled from—he has no real home or stability.
Crisis
Augusten processes his despair, confronting the reality that both his birth family and adopted family are deeply damaged, and he must find his own path forward without relying on others to save him.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Augusten moves to New York, begins to build an independent life, reconciles with the experience by writing about it, and finds closure with his past while forging his own identity.