Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
“You have poor social skills. You have a problem.” – Pat.
“I have a problem? You say more inappropriate things than appropriate things.” – Tiffany.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Directed by: David O. Russell
Written by: David O. Russell, Matthew Quick
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver
Based on Matthew Quick’s novel of the same name, David O. Russell’s adaptation of Silver Linings Playbook went on an absolute awards tear in 2012, receiving eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and all four acting categories. The nominations weren’t surprising, with the quirky romantic drama-comedy film painting a unique and confronting look at life, loss and love. Put simply, it was Oscar bait, and the Academy bit hard.
The film focuses on Pat (Cooper), a former school teacher who is diagnosed with bipolar disorder and is sent to a psychiatric hospital after attacking his wife’s lover. After being released from the hospital, Pat moves back in with his mother Dolores (Weaver) and father Pat Sr. (De Niro), and plans to reconcile with his estranged wife. However, things become more confusing for Pat when he meets mysterious and eccentric widow Tiffany (Lawrence).
Despite all of its accolades, I didn’t get all the fuss in 2012. I think I expected a run-of-the-mill popcorn romance flick, and the deeper subject matter threw me on a first viewing. On the rewatch, I admit that I was clearly wrong - this is fantastic.
A refreshingly depressing romance film in the same vain as 500 Days of Summer, it’s actually incredibly funny, with the awkward exchanges between Cooper and Lawrence providing heartwarming comic relief throughout. Most of the jokes highlight the ridiculousness of human interaction and how people are expected to behave in social settings, with Pat and Tiffany enjoying themselves by bucking social conventions and doing and saying whatever they want. O. Russell really leans into this theme, with Pat and Tiffany – the characters categorised as ‘mentally troubled’ – often presented as saner than their ‘normal’ contemporaries. Pat Sr. is an obsessive-compulsive gambler with strange superstitions, Pat’s brother Jake is abrasive and rude, and Pat’s friend Ronnie is struggling to cope with his normal suburban life, yet Pat and Tiffany are the weird ones? It’s an interesting and honest look at the messiness of life and relationships, with O. Russell tackling the bigger topics of mental illness and marital failure with sensitive direction.
The film doesn’t try and present an edited and airbrushed couple at the heart of the film. Pat and Tiffany’s relationship is disjointed, it’s messy, it’s dysfunctional. But then again, so is life, right? So it’s a realistic and genuine depiction of the ups and downs a couple can go through. Obviously this has been magnified due to the explosive personalities of the two, but it’s an endearing love story you feel invested in throughout the film. They fight, they flirt, they try to navigate each other’s intentions, it’s cute. Their courtship eventually crescendos into a wacky choreographed dance number, which feels like an accurate and entertaining embodiment of their relationship throughout the film.
Ultimately, the success of this on-screen relationship is only due to the stunning performances by Lawrence and Cooper – they are able to embody the energetic characters throughout and bounce off one another seamlessly. Lawrence in particular does a great job of keeping the audience off balance with her representation of Tiffany – with the tonal shifts in her character meaning you’ll feel sorry for her one second then angry the next. De Niro and Weaver turn in fantastic performances as Pat’s parents, while Chris Tucker came out of nowhere with a fantastic cameo as Pat’s friend Danny.
Silver Linings Playbook is a typical David O. Russell rollercoaster of quirky dialogue and characters. The quick flip between comedy and depressing drama can be disorienting to those not in the mood, but if you are happy to invest two hours in an entertaining film with some fantastic performances, then definitely check this out. Highly recommend.
Rating: 8/10
Casting What-ifs:
The casting what-ifs list for this movie is insaneeeeee
Initially meant to be made with Vince Vaughn and Zooey Deschanel...strange.
Cooper was cast by Russell due to his “good bad-guy energy” from Wedding Crashers.
Actresses considered for Tiffany: Anne Hathaway, Elizabeth Banks, Kirsten Dunst, Angelina Jolie, Blake Lively, Rooney Mara, Rachel McAdams, Andrea Riseborough and Olivia Wilde. Geeeeez that’s a heavy hitting list.
Awards Success:
Received eight Oscar nominations, becoming the first film to receive nominations for the “Big 5” (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay) since Million Dollar Baby in 2004.
Then 22-year-old Jennifer Lawrence became the second youngest recipient of the Best Actress award.
Made $236 million worldwide at the box office, more than eleven times it’s budget.
Multiple movies:
O. Russell didn’t know what tone he wanted each scene to portray in the final cut of the movie.
Therefore he shot darker versions of the dance sequence, and all of De Niro’s scenes were shot in multiple versions, with his character on a sliding scale from harsh to warm.