Silver Linings Playbook Film Review: "A Beautiful Look at Dysfunction, Disorder and the Healing Power of Love"

“The World will break your heart 10 ways to Sunday - that is guaranteed, and I can’t begin to explain that or the craziness inside myself or anyone else, but guess what, now Sunday is my favorite day again. You have to work your hardest and if you do, if you stay positive you have a shot at a silver lining.”

This film review has been a long time in the making. I first saw SLP at the Memphis Indie Film Fest in November 2012. It had not been released in mainstream theaters yet. I had only heard about this movie the week before and had a feeling that it would be a perfect psychological dramedy. I was blown away by the emotionally raw performances in this little film. Judging by my own emotional reaction and the reaction and energy in the theater where I had initially viewed the film, I knew that this film would be an instant hit. This small little independent film is quite a gem. 

Silver Linings Playbook has the right combination of heart, humor, emotion, a unique plot and an amazing cast. This film covers a topic very near and dear to my heart – mental illness. As a psychologist, I see the impact of mental illness on numerous lives every day. It is painful and intense for the person suffering from the mental illness and for their family and friends as well. It is not a topic that is openly discussed, but it seems that America is slowly starting to explore this issue with a little trepidation. SLP blew that door open, and my hope is that the film industry continues to fuel a movement that will help to de-stigmatize mental illness and the therapeutic interventions necessary to improve the lives of millions of people around the world.

The key to de-stigmatizing mental illness will be to start discussing this issue and handling it directly. Trying to hide mental illness or living in denial only breeds shame, fear and anxiety. I’m hoping with the momentum that SLP has built that audiences will begin to talk about mental health more and not feel scared to open up about their own life struggles.

This was a very brave film, and the risks they took paid off tremendously because Pat and Tiffany’s characters bared their souls to us and we took them into our hearts. The rawness of these characters pull me in every time. I appreciate how brave Jennifer and Bradley were with their portrayals of Pat and Tiffany. They let themselves reach places that they had never been before in previous roles, and it led to a raw and vulnerable delivery that felt very real and tragic. 

Cooper and Lawrence captured the emotional turmoil, the unpredictability, and the gut wrenching grief that comes with a life of chronic mental illness. I see this every day in my office with clients and the pain is so raw that it will cut right to the center of your heart because you bled so deeply for their pain. This could not have been an easy task to achieve but these actors went with their instincts and followed their gut to find the right balance of pain and hope, which often don’t go hand in hand in the psychological world. This film is so inspiring and hopeful, which is not what I would have predicted for a movie about Bipolar Disorder; however, it is exactly what we need to see because fostering hope is part of the road to recovery.

Pat’s mother, Jeanie, and Tiffany have different approaches to Pat’s recovery. Tiffany believes that direct confrontation is best. Jeanie wants to protect Pat from anything that might upset him, including his brother’s marriage to Caitlin. Obviously, as a psychologist I don’t condone the approach of sweeping the problem under the rug and hoping it will resolve itself on its own because that is never an effective strategy.

Tiffany may seem reckless and misguided; however, her direct approach to dealing with psychological issues is dead on. She knows that hiding details about Pat’s past or avoiding certain topics with him is not the way to foster healing. His family means well, but they are misguided and are stuck in the past when it comes to how to interact with Pat and how to set up a conducive environment for recovery. Tiffany has no filter and is very direct which is refreshing.

I think she is very therapeutic for Pat and aids in the healing process. She challenges him, calms him and pushes him to grow by pushing him outside his comfort zone and nudging him in the direction of self-discovery. You can track his personal growth throughout the progression of the film. This fosters hope that anyone can find a silver lining no matter what tragic circumstances they may face in their lives. The dance scenes offer a much lighter mood as we see Tiffany try to spark a connection with Pat and help him move on from his grief over his divorce. She may come off as pushy and demanding but somehow along the way a romantic relationship develops.

SLP takes us through a wide range of emotions. It is heart-warming, fun, tragic, hopeful, sad, uplifting, beautiful and magical all at the same time. We feel those deep depressive lows and the high, elated moments throughout the film. What I find beautiful is the way the writer and the director created a world that showed darkness alongside a silver lining. The movie could be uncomfortable and unsettling to watch at times; however, the humor and levity of some of the scenes would balance out the heaviness of the content just enough that we, as an audience, felt comfortable enough to explore the depths of this story. That balance is important as most people don’t deal with these difficult matters, and it can be quite uncomfortable for them to admit to themselves that these circumstances actually exist in the real world. 

The writer of the original book is quoted as saying that he wrote this story to convince himself that there were silver linings in the world as he had struggled himself with depression and feeling lost in the world when trying to transition in life from being a teacher to writer. He wanted people who read it to feel less alone, if they had similar problems in their lives. The producer revealed that he has been waiting for a film to come along to show mental disorders in their true light because of his own experience in his life with his son who has struggled with a severe mood disorder. The writer and director both knew what it felt like to deal with mental illness. This reality comes across powerfully in the film. Their mission was to show others with mental illness that they are not the only ones in the world suffering in this way. They wanted to impart hope and to reach out to people feeling alone in the depths of their despair. They wanted to put a spotlight on the pain that comes with mental illness. They were able to do this so brilliantly because they actually lived it. They know the pain and heartache first hand and to me that always comes across well on the screen. 

This film’s message and mission is so important in our society. It gives us a vehicle to talk about these severe psychological issues, and in this format, it makes mental health accessible. My hope is that we continue to have discussions on these disorders and work together to promote acceptance of mental illness. The more we discuss mental health, the more likely the individual will seek treatment, if they are no longer scared to reach out for help or to reveal personal struggles to their loved ones. By directly facing what scares us, we begin to take back control and take charge of our own recovery. The human connection that jumps off the screen opens us up to what is possible in this world when we show our hearts to at least one other person in the world.

I decided to read the book since I was so moved by the film. It was quite surprising to see how different the book and the film were. The book shows a more severe case of Bipolar with more severe depressive episodes and very elated manic episodes. The film chose to tame that down quite a bit, and I think the balance they struck worked. Tiffany’s character is much more prominent in the film, which really works. She brings such humor to the screen, which is necessary in a film like this to give us frequent breaks from the dark content of the rest of the film.

Jennifer Lawrence brought her own flare for dramatics to Tiffany’s character as her crazy rants seemed showcased more in the film than in the book. Jennifer is a fearless actress who isn’t afraid to push the boundaries of a character or a scene. It is this courageousness that won her the Oscar for this role. The camera loves Jennifer! She can charm anyone with just a glance, yet she is as real and genuine as an actress can be. She is essentially the girl next door who just happens to possess an immense talent for acting. 

The score for the film conveyed heart breaking emotion, yet lifted us to the sky during the scenes when Tiffany and Pat finally come together at the end and work as a unified team. The dance scenes offer us humor, vulnerability and highlight the budding connection between the two main characters. Jennifer really shines in these scenes and her charisma is undeniable. You can't help but root for these two to fall madly in love with each other despite their epic flaws. One aspect that attracts me most to this film is the sense of dysfunction. I find the flawed characters who are dealing with distress and turmoil to be the most interesting to watch. 

The cast was perfection! Bradley Cooper was electric, charming, touching, emotional, and truly amazing to watch in this film. Jennifer Lawrence tackled an extremely complicated character and completely nailed the performance. After reading the book, I can truly appreciate her take on the character as she made this role her own. It was clear to me that Tiffany suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder, which is truly complex. She was explosive, needy, and clingy. She has extreme emotional mood swings, is very manipulative, and an all around drama queen. She uses sex to get attention and approval and acts out behaviorally to cover up the guilt she feels for her husband’s death. Tiffany embraces her emotional baggage with a great quote, “I will always be crazy but I like that part about me can you say the same.”

Separately, Tiffany and Pat are dysfunctional and defeated. As a couple they are a beautiful disaster that completely works. The development of the relationship with Pat and his father was especially satisfying. His father keeps quite a distance from Pat during the first part of the film. It appears that he can't wrap his mind around the struggles that Pat has with his mental disorder. Robert Deniro delivers a funny yet emotional performance, which is rare for this seasoned actor.

Deniro offers many of the humorous scenes in the film as he obsessively arranges the remote controls prior to all the football games as a ritual every Sunday. Some of my favorite scenes include Pat bursting in to his parents bedroom at 3 am to discuss his rantings over a book he just read and disagreed with and throwing the book out the window to express his disdain. The supporting cast of Chris Tucker, Anupam Kher (Dr. Patel), Julia Stiles, John Ortiz, and Jacki Weaver came together to deliver a powerful portrayal of dysfunctional relationships that some how work together flawlessly. This role was quite a departure for Bradley Cooper. This character was one of the first roles that he has chosen which requires a real sense of vulnerability. Bradley shows us that he has a very promising career ahead of him. The roles that he has taken on since SLP such as American Sniper and American Hustle show his range as an actor. I can't wait to see what he tackles next. 

The entire family has psychological issues. Jeanie, Pat's mom, is a classic enabler and codependent mother. Pat's father suffers from OCD and lives in denial about that fact. Pat and Tiffany both have personality disorders in addition to their severe mood disorders. But somehow it all works together as a heartwarming homage to the American dysfunctional family that we all know.  It was very satisfying to see all of the main actors and actresses get Oscar nominations. This small independent film was nominated for a total of 8 Oscars which is a huge feat itself not to mention that it was the first film to be nominated for all 4 acting roles since Reds in 1981.

I think this film has real staying power and should be an instant classic!

5 out of 5 stars

Beautifully Dysfunctional, Heartwarming, Inspirational, an Emotional Ride!