SF State alumna and Oscar-nominated actress Annette Bening starred in a new movie as a woman deluded by the idea that she was destined for greatness, but everyone else was out to sabotage her.

Sad and depressing with a twist of dark comedy, “Running with Scissors,” the film based on Augusten Burroughs’ memoir of the same name, will open in limited release on Friday.

The film shows Burroughs’ vivid story of how he dealt with his mother’s downward spiral into depression and delusion.

Joseph Cross starred as Augusten Burroughs and Brian Cox played therapist Dr. Finch. The film follows Burroughs’ life from being adopted by Finch, his mother’s therapist, to dealing with his mother’s unstable and deranged behavior.

Director Ryan Murphy brilliantly generated moving and emotional scenes, pulling a wonderful performance out of Bening, who played Burroughs’ mother, Deirdre.

In one scene, Deirdre is so over-medicated on drugs that she eats a candle. In another scene, she puts all her china out in the backyard for what she calls a moon bath, where the moon bathes the china with its lunar rays.

Tapping into the depressing core of this film, Cross does a fantastic job of portraying Burroughs’ confusion and pain in dealing with his mother’s mental illness and her episodes of psychotic behavior.

This includes a poignant scene in which he is forced to ask his adopted mother, Agnes Finch, played by Jill Clayburgh, to make him Hamburger Helper because he relates eating this particular food to the acts of a “normal” family. As he ate, the tears in his eyes depicted the pain and suffering Burroughs endured growing up.

Jill Clayburgh adds comedy and passion along with a terrific supporting cast including Gwyneth Paltrow as Hope, Dr. Finch’s favorite daughter, and Evan Rachel Wood as Natalie Finch, one of Burroughs’ only confidants while he is living in their house.

These characters, a lot of times, are the root of some of the ludicrous stories that are told throughout Burroughs’ autobiographical film. Fans of the book will be happy that the film stays true to the book.

Some of the absurd stories portrayed can be summed up by a quote Burroughs cites in the beginning of his memoir, which basically states that there are ridiculous situations in everyday life, look for them and you will find them.

Some of the situations that occur in the movie seem too far-fetched to be true, including a scene in which Cox’s character, Dr. Finch, believes that his feces are in direct communication with God.

The Finch family, including Augusten, surrounded a toilet as Dr. Finch explained that the tail end of his feces pointing up was a direct sign from God that their financial troubles would improve.

Although there are several one-liners that add humor to the film, it carries a feeling of darkness and depression, revealing what life must have been like growing up without any boundaries and without a real home.