

Young Augusten Burroughs absorbs experiences that could make for a shocking memoir: the son of an alcoholic father and an unstable mother, he's handed off to his mother's therapist, Dr. Finch, and spends his adolescent years as a member of Finch's bizarre extended family.
Acting
Annette Bening's unhinged poet mother — Oscar-nominated chaos
Production
That house. The wallpaper alone deserves its own credit
Direction
Ryan Murphy's debut: all the camp, none of the Glee

Director
Ryan Murphy
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The real Augusten Burroughs sold the film rights for $600,000 — then bought a house with a pool shaped like the state of Massachusetts.
Burroughs' family sued for defamation; the case settled with the book's publisher adding 'some content has been disputed.' The movie kept the chaos anyway.