Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook a warm, fun, and emotional drama comedy. Bradley Cooper plays Patrick, a man suffering from a mental breakdown, but he’s a man with a plan, determined to get his wife back, through exercise and self-improvement. While home from the mental hospital he must contend with his loving mother (Jacki Weaver) and father (Robert DeNiro), and his father’s desire for connection through their shared love of football, all the while attempting to stick to his goal of connecting with his wife. He meets an unbalanced young widow, Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) who promises to help him, in return for his help in achieving one of her dreams.

Director David O. Russell creates some of the most natural scenes I’ve ever seen and heard, while characters talk over, under and through one another. The timing of the gags is perfect, which really adds to the genuine funniness of the film. I laughed a lot during this movie, and the reason being is that there’s no reserve with the characters. The rawness of the relationships and the dialogue of each character truly made a hilarious sight to both see and hear. The script is phenomenal and brilliantly thought out. Everything came together, one way or another in the film and there were many aspects of the film that seemed almost too complex to tie together at the end.

The effects of mental illness are felt and evident throughout, rather than simply talked about or seen once. Because Patrick and Tiffany lack inhibitions or filters, the kind of genuine conversations or interactions that are available to them elevate this from the dull to full excitement. Patrick and Tiffany are in another place, and as their families struggle to be supportive, they find that their illness has removed them from their lives. They find that their problems are what make them so perfect for each other. With a not-so-perfect final dance, they realize that they are meant to be, and the silver lining is found.