Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.

Director:

David O. Russell

Writers:

David O. Russell (screenplay), Matthew Quick (novel)

Stars:

Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro

Won 1 Oscar. Another 57 wins & 71 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bradley Cooper	...	Pat
Jennifer Lawrence	...	Tiffany
Robert De Niro	...	Pat Sr.
Jacki Weaver	...	Dolores
Chris Tucker	...	Danny
Anupam Kher	...	Dr. Cliff Patel
John Ortiz	...	Ronnie
Shea Whigham	...	Jake
Julia Stiles	...	Veronica
Paul Herman	...	Randy
Dash Mihok	...	Officer Keogh
Matthew Russell	...	Ricky D'Angelo
Cheryl Williams	...	Tiffany's Mother
Patrick McDade	...	Tiffany's Father
Brea Bee	...	Nikki

Storyline

Against medical advice and without the knowledge of her husband Pat Solatano Sr., caring Dolores Solatano discharges her adult son, Pat Solatano Jr., from a Maryland mental health institution after his minimum eight month court ordered stint. The condition of the release includes Pat Jr. moving back in with his parents in their Philadelphia home. Although Pat Jr.'s institutionalization was due to him beating up the lover of his wife Nikki, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Nikki has since left him and has received a restraining order against him. Although he is on medication (which he doesn't take because of the way it makes him feel) and has mandatory therapy sessions, Pat Jr. feels like he can manage on the outside solely by healthy living and looking for the "silver linings" in his life. His goals are to get his old job back as a substitute teacher, but more importantly reunite with Nikki. He finds there are certain instances where he doesn't cope well, however no less so ...

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Plot Keywords:

philadelphia eagles | restraining order | institutionalization | beating | ex wife | 

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Taglines:

Watch for the signs

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexual content/nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Happiness Therapy

Filming Locations:

Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$21,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$443,003 (USA) (16 November 2012)

Gross:

$131,422,968 (USA) (26 April 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Weinstein Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Throughout the movie Pat and Tiffany use their wedding rings from their past marriages, although these are finished. But in the last scene it can be see that they no longer use them.

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Goofs

Near the end of the film, Danny's mouth does not move when asking Dolores a question about her recipe. The lines were dubbed in after filming the scene.

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Quotes

Pat: You look nice.
Tiffany: Thank you.
Pat: Oh, I'm not flirting with you.
Tiffany: Oh, I didn't think you were.
Pat: I just see that you made an effort, and I'm gonna be better with my wife. I'm working on that. I wanna acknowledge her beauty. I never used to do that. I do now. Just practicing. How'd Tommy die?
[Tiffany looks shocked and sad]

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Connections

Referenced in Rock Center with Brian Williams: Episode #1.58 (2013)
Seen on a movie theater marquis and on a movie poster behind Chelsea Clinton and Judy Blume during the interview (segment: 'In Full Blume').

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Soundtracks

"Hustle and Cuss"
(uncredited)
Written by Jack Lawrence and Alison Mosshart
Performed by The Dead Weather
Published by Domino Publishing Company of America Inc.
Courtesy of Third Man Records, LLC.
By arrangement with Warner Music Group

User Reviews

Stunningly accurate look at the bipolar life.

I am bi-polar. I have been that way since I was a young man. I am approaching 60. I have been in treatment for many years. There have been relapses and time spent in hospitals. There have been good times. Before I received good treated, I left a trail of emotional, professional, and relational disaster behind me. It broke apart the lives of others as much as it did my own.

I did not know what to expect from this movie. It is a stunningly accurate trip into the mind of a BP sufferer. It shows the disease from the outside, too. It is amazing in its accuracy. The mood swings, the detachment from reality, the failure to learn from past errors are there. Here is a guy who has so messed up he is in the hospital. He is released into the custody of his parents. He improves himself physically yet cannot see what he has done, what he is now, and what the future portends with any sort of reality.

There are other situations in the film which mirror the BP life. There are job losses, broken relationships, unlimited optimism, anger, and a feeling that no one understands you. But he doesn't even understand himself. He thinks he is the only sane person around. He is in complete denial yet goes along with treatment just to get along with others.

The obsession with his estranged wife drives him. Everything he does is to make himself look desirable to her.

Then there is the hair trigger and the propensity toward violence which ultimately put him into the hospital. He has the belief that he sees with much more clarity than anyone else. There is also the hatred of medications and the belief that he doesn't need them.

Yet, there is hope. There is no miraculous cure. There is a negotiated peace between his illness and the way he must be to survive in the world.

The only thing I felt was missing was the crushing depression. But I understand that. Depression makes for lousy movies. The film is strictly about a manic life that wants to be better but cannot accept that he is badly off dead center normal.

If you are bi-polar and under control, see this film! If you live with or deal with a BP, see this movie. If you are untreated, you won't get it because BP clouds the mind.

My new wife and I went to see it. Up front I told her that I had this mental illness. She still married me. She is a health care worker with an understanding of illness and of treatment. After the film she asked me what I thought.

I told her that I was a bit frightened to tell her that the portrayal is spot on and that I had seen all of it before.

But like all bipolar sufferers, I wanted her to know that "I was never that bad." The truth is, I was....but we BP people don't handle reality all that well.