“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.
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
5 out of 5 stars
Beautifully Dysfunctional, Heartwarming, Inspirational, an
Emotional Ride!