Running with Scissors

Augusten Burroughs' mother, Deirdre, who wishes to become a famous poet, suffers from severe mood swings and erratic behavior. Augusten's alcoholic father, Norman, proves to be of no help. By the time he is a teenager, Augusten no longer feels safe in his own house. Deirdre loudly claims that Norman is the reason for her unhappiness, and that he desires to kill her. She ultimately sends Augusten to live with her psychiatrist, Dr. Finch, the eccentric patriarch of an oddball family, which consists of his submissive wife Agnes, religious older daughter Hope, and his rebellious younger daughter Natalie, who is slightly older than Augusten.