__link__ | Silver Linings Playbook -2013-
Released in late 2012 and gaining wide recognition throughout 2013, Silver Linings Playbook
Character Analysis
Rating (retrospective):
★★★★½ Best watched: On a Sunday afternoon during a football game you’re half-ignoring, with someone you’ve argued with recently. silver linings playbook -2013-
Directed by David O. Russell and adapted from Matthew Quick’s 2008 novel, Silver Linings Playbook arrived in limited release in November 2012 before expanding wide in early 2013. It was a film that masqueraded as a sports rom-com but revealed itself to be a raw, unflinching, yet surprisingly warm exploration of mental illness, familial pressure, and the messy, non-linear pursuit of happiness. It wasn’t just a movie about finding love; it was a movie about learning to manage the weather inside your own head. Released in late 2012 and gaining wide recognition
: Evaluate the film's balance of humor and the genuine struggle of being "barely functional". Quick Film Facts for Citations It was a film that masqueraded as a
Pat Solitano
The film follows (played by Bradley Cooper ), a man with bipolar disorder who returns to his parents' home in Philadelphia after an eight-month stint in a mental health facility. Pat is obsessed with reconciling with his estranged wife, Nikki, clinging to a philosophy he calls "Excelsior"—the idea that if he stays positive and works hard, he can find the "silver lining" in his situation.
Bradley Cooper’s Transformation
Most Hollywood films treat mental illness as either a joke (the quirky neighbor) or a tragedy (the institutionalized genius). Silver Linings Playbook does neither. It shows the ugliness. Pat’s violent outburst at the diner when he can’t find his wedding video is not quirky; it is frightening. Tiffany’s sexual compulsion is not sexy; it is self-destructive.