Joseph Fiennes looks so different in an authentic porn mustache (his idea) and 1970s-style clothing that Running with Scissors was half over before I realized who the actor was playing Neil Bookman. A very difficult part for any actor (Bookman's a pedophile with multiple mental disorders), Fiennes was more than ready for the challenge of tackling such a risky role.
Approaching the Role of Neil Bookman: Running with Scissors is based on Augusten Burroughs' memoirs and Fiennes' character is based on a real person from Burroughs' past. The real Bookman’s a loose cannon, a real out-there kind of guy, but Fiennes said it wasn’t difficult to figure out how to play him. “It’s all in the writing. A lot of information is in the writing. You’ve got a great director who’s giving you great freedom as an actor, but completely disciplined in kind of everyone being cohesive and sharing the same world and target. Yes, people were suffering from serious conditions and people today are suffering from those conditions. I hope in a better light with better instruction than Dr. Finch. They are medicines out there for people suffering from schizophrenia in which they weren’t probably as advanced at that time. These are real people, so there is a whole collection of themes that you have to put together to realize it. But I think in doing that, I think you get the tone of the piece which is hysterical funny, witty, brilliantly observed, deeply sad and disturbing in the same kind of package.”
Analyzing His Character’s Relationship with His Psychiatrist: In the film, Dr Finch (played by Brian Cox) uses bizarre methods to treat his patients, none of which seem to have a healthy impact on anyone under his care. Fiennes believes Bookman probably viewed the doctor as the devil. “I mean, here’s this little boy [meaning Augusten Burroughs] who’s coming in. He’s innocent, and I think Bookman feels like he has to protect that innocence. [He] clearly is misdiagnosing everyone, I think Bookman as well, and giving them the wrong prescriptions. Pills sending him up, down, sideways and I think Bookman suddenly switches on to this and really challenges him and is also terrified for the survival of this young boy. But, at the same time, Bookman himself is deeply screwed up and thinking he’s protecting, but he’s actually treading on the innocence of this boy. It’s sort of complicated household.”
What’s Become of the Real Bookman?: Fiennes half-joked that he’s terrified Bookman will come back. “I’m convinced he’s going to be at Will Call [at the film’s premiere] looking for his tickets. But what do I think? In all honestly, I think he probably went to New York. He may have been one of those tragic characters that we see too many of, muttering to himself on the street. He may have OD’d. He may have died of AIDS. I think ultimately, my gut instinct is, he had a really, really sad and tragic demise.”
Fiennes thinks Bookman was too far gone to rescue himself. “Yeah, I think so. I think he knew he had to get out of that house or else he would take a pair of scissors to everyone. I think once he got out of there, I think he would never seek any help or medication having been with Dr. Finch. My sense is he probably went off the rails and continued. I imagine not a very glamorous ending.”
Using Augusten Burroughs as a Resource: “I can’t tell you how exciting it is for him to come into the Honey Wagon or the makeup [trailer]. Suddenly there he is and he’s going to talk to you about this relationship or these characters. He is that one connection. It’s like finding somebody lost in your family. You have no family and then suddenly you find a member of the family.”
Getting the Look Right: The events took place in the ‘70s which meant hairstyles and costume choices had to be truthful to that decade. Fiennes came up with his own look for Bookman, with help from writer/director Ryan Murphy. “I can’t remember if [the real Bookman] had a moustache or something. It’s weird. Having hearing Evan [Rachel Wood] talk today, and certainly myself, these characters have somehow arrived and so I think I really didn’t spend much time searching to get Bookman. Bookman just arrived, and he arrived with handlebars and a side chops. Of course that’s a 70’s thing. A little bit of research and a lot of photographs and finding a face that fits, that Ryan and I would agree on.”
