I read the book this was based on by Augusten Burroughs a while back, but never saw the movie until just recently. I wasn’t sure how well such a quirky book would translate.

In a very unusual twist, I actually liked the movie better than the book. Perhaps because so many bizarre and horrible things happened in Burroughs’ life that the movie gave me a bit of distance. Reading the book was just too close and personal.

That being said, both have remarkable wit and are in no way “poor me” sagas. Burroughs’ parents are dysfunctional to put it mildly. Probably the only person more dysfunctional than they are is his mother’s shrink who convinces her to sign her parental rights away and give the child to him.

He’s apparently done this to more than  one patient in the past. In case you think that maybe he’s just a little over involved in trying to help his patients, he bilks the non custodial father  for child support money which the mother has no idea he’s even receiving.

Oh, and, his office has a nifty “mastabatorium” right off it which he explains to his patients (with children right there) is where he um….amuses himself… in his off time.

Somehow, Burrgoughs grew up to be an amazing writer and this movie based on his book is just as good.