By: Samantha Roy
Silver Linings Playbook, directed by David O. Russell, was released in 2012 and oh, what a treat this movie has been to watch. The movie mainly follows Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) and Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) and their lives as they try to find a way to cope with their surroundings and find their happiness as they balance their mental health. This movie covers mental health in a beautifully non-stereotypical way and that is extremely refreshing from the way media portrays mental illness, especially conditions like Bipolar disorder. Instead of the almost cartoonish way Bipolar disorder is portrayed on most media platforms, we see how it actually is in reality: how subtle it can be, how violent it is for some and how unaware the people are of their change of attitude and moods. It is one of those few movies that try to normalize mental health; it doesn’t term it as just being ‘crazy’, but we learn how it is a medical condition. Pat or Tiffany don’t want to hurt the people around them but they cannot help the storm that follows them when they don’t have a proper escape and treatment for their illness.
Pat Solitano has recently been released from a mental institute after he attacked a man with whom his then-wife was cheating on him. His main focus after being released is to get on track to get his old life back. He goes to extreme lengths to get back to his ex-wife, who has a restraining order against him. Enter the whirling storm called Tiffany. She understands Pat better than anyone else as she sees a little bit of herself in him. Their illness bonds them and makes them understand each other in a way no one around them can. She uses Pat’s ex-wife to make Pat join a ballroom dance competition, and let me tell you if there’s anything you need in your life right now, it’s most definitely watching Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper dance, because trust me, these two make a gorgeous pair.
As we follow the life of this dynamic duo, we start noticing that this movie is not just about their mental health; slowly you start noticing things about almost every character in the movie and how they too portray one or the other form of mental illness. Pat’s own father Pat Senior has his own sets of extreme compulsive behavior. He believes in his superstitions and probably has mild OCD as pointed out by his own son. Needless to say, Robert De Niro just nailed this movie and did justice to his character as always. This whole movie is centred by the big bet on which both father and son are dependent on for how their lives will be after. For Pat Jr, it is the dance competition and for Pat Sr, it is the all-in bet he made on the Philadelphia Eagles baseball game. I won’t ruin the climax, but the way O Russell wrapped up the movie is just amazing.
There are many beautifully shot scenes in this movie: the camera work is almost perfect. The way music and dance play an important role also provides a visual treat for the audience. The fact that in the final dance too we see mild reference to Pat and Tiffany’s Bipolar disorder is so subtle yet meaningful. Jennifer Lawrence won a well-deserved Oscar for best actress for the role of Tiffany. I was honestly surprised to see her in this movie. Her acting was next to flawless as she covered the role of the spitfire woman who wasn’t afraid of anything but was deeply scarred because of the death of her husband, which she claims was her fault.
Honestly, if you haven’t watched this movie, I recommend you grab your popcorn, sit back and enjoy a movie that we all must watch to understand the reality of mental illness and people trying to find their “excelsior” in life. You’ll get the reference once you watch the movie, trust me.
Tabeer 