It is the 70s and Augusten Burroughs (Joseph Cross) is a young gay child who spends hours upholding his mother Deidre Burroughs (Annette Benning) with emotional support as she attempts to forge her career as a poetess. Augustens father Norman Burroughs (Alec Baldwin) is an alcoholic whose relationship with Deidre has eroded to the point that they spend most of their time aggressively attacking each others values and physically attacking each other as well. Augusten connects with each parent in certain ways but most of his time is spent skipping school, dressing up, and doing things like acting as audience to his self-involved mother. When the parents decide to give Augusten to Deidres psychologist Dr. Finch (Brian Cox), the young child must learn to live with a family of misfits whose primary activity seems to be to express their innermost feelings regardless of how it affects those around them. Augusten discovers his homosexuality with Neil Bookman (Joseph Fiennes) another adopted son of Dr. Finch and also befriends Natalie Finch (Evan Rachel Wood) who has issues of her own. Together Augusten and Natalie develop a way of dealing with the crazy environment until they discover a way out.