Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell, 2012)

[breakdancepanda]

I don't think I've ever seen a more mature, beautiful performance than Lawrence's. It's the best performance ever, I think.

You're such an ass.


But Lawrence's performance was one of the few things about the movie that I unreservedly loved.
So that pushback is a little weird to me.
And this is even with me recognizing that she's about 5 years too young for the part and the weird stretch where the film is just her jumping in a low-cut top for 10 minutes.

[Artimus]

I liked the film. I liked Cooper more because his role was WAY more challenging (Lawrence was borderline manic pixie at times, but not overall). I do agree Lawrence is probably too young for the role.

BUT I think she PLAYED the role the right age. She played it young. Which I think was right. I don't see why this character has to be mature, even if the actress should've been a tad older.

[breakdancepanda]

Though, admittedly, I may have been more sensitive to her performance because that easily could have been me.
I was married (and crazy) pretty young.

[Artimus]

Though, admittedly, I may have been more sensitive to her performance because that easily could have been me.
I was married (and crazy) pretty young.

But I feel like a lot of the criticism (including in this thread) about her being "young" is driven from a perspective where people are not willing to admit that she's still a realistic character. Like that's not the image of young women we want so we criticize the portrayal. When, really, it's COMPLETELY realistic and fair.

[hurricanesmith]

Agreed on Lawrence. I've known a ton of self-destructive young women (and men!) in their early-to-mid-20s, and Lawrence captured that particular brand of personality well.

HS

[ldw]

But I feel like a lot of the criticism (including in this thread) about her being "young" is driven from a perspective where people are not willing to admit that she's still a realistic character. Like that's not the image of young women we want so we criticize the portrayal. When, really, it's COMPLETELY realistic and fair.

Actually it is the image presented that is in all probability one of the main reasons the portrayal is receiving acclaim. Here is a woman who is dealing with the death of her husband, overcoming her own struggles, and stands by the male protagonist through thick and thin. The role is ready made accessible to be loved. And of course people exist in real life who have gone through that at that age. I've known plenty and I know that some of that character's behaviors are very real. I guess someone could argue that some critics or some people here are turned off that the character is revealed to have been promiscious after the death of her husband and they just can't deal with that in a young woman. Maybe you saw some reviews that you sensed that from. As for posters here, I have not seen one who has even hinted at that. The problem is the weak acting. I posted earlier that I think the focus on age may be a reaction to the acting. When a person sees something that does not work they often try to figure out why not. I think the focus on age by some may be due to wondering if the acting inexperience is contributing to the weak acting. That is not to say someone young could not play that role and make the character feel, as Moviefreak said, "organic". It is to say that this particularly individual didn't.

When she gets mad in that diner sequence, I saw someone acting. When she tells of how her husband died, I saw someone acting. These moments were not convincing and it was on Lawrence. Lawrence's performance repeatedly knocked me out of the film. It felt like someone reading lines who did not have the ability to convey anything in them. If someone relates to the character or if the character's struggles as written are enough for some that does not mean it is enough for all. Lawrence is hardly the first actor to be there.

I think it is good that persons here are being tough on the acting. I think it demonstrates that a character being likeable person who provokes empathy with their story alone does not immediately give the performance a pass. I think it demonstrates that relating to a character is not enough.

[breakdancepanda]

Actually it is the image presented that is in all probability one of the main reasons the portrayal is receiving acclaim. Here is a woman who is dealing with the death of her husband, overcoming her own struggles, and stands by the male protagonist through thick and thin. The role is ready made accessible to be loved. And of course people exist in real life who have gone through that at that age. I've known plenty and I know that some of that character's behaviors are very real. I guess someone could argue that some critics or some people here are turned off that the character is revealed to have been promiscious after the death of her husband and they just can't deal with that in a young woman. Maybe you saw some reviews that you sensed that from. As for posters here, I have not seen one who has even hinted at that. The problem is the weak acting. I posted earlier that I think the focus on age may be a reaction to the acting. When a person sees something that does not work they often try to figure out why not. I think the focus on age by some may be due to wondering if the acting inexperience is contributing to the weak acting. That is not to say someone young could not play that role and make the character feel, as Moviefreak said, "organic". It is to say that this particularly individual didn't.

When she gets mad in that diner sequence, I saw someone acting. When she tells of how her husband died, I saw someone acting. Lawrence's performance repeatedly knocked me out of the film. It felt like someone reading lines who did not have the ability to convey anything in them. If someone relates to the character or if the character's struggles as written are enough for some that does not mean it is enough for all. Lawrence is hardly the first actor to be there.

I think it is good that persons here are being tough on the acting. I think it demonstrates that a character being likeable person who provokes empathy with their story alone does not immediately give the performance a pass.

I assure you I do not find the character particularly likeable nor does she provokes empathy in me from story alone.
It's merely a difference of opinion.
I don't see that not liking a performance automatically means that you're holding something to a higher standard.

[forizzer69]

This forum will implode if/when Lawrence wins on Oscar night.

If Jennifer Lawrence wins the Oscar, I will smile and think nothing less and nothing more of he,. the Academy or anyone who likes either of them lots.

These are the Oscars and she is a girl. How much can one really get worked up about either of them in the grand scheme of things?

[makemeameteor]

These are the Oscars and she is a girl. How much can one really get worked up about either of them in the grand scheme of things?

Are you aware of the website you're on?

[bosk]

I assure you I do not find the character particularly likeable nor does she provokes empathy in me from story alone.
It's merely a difference of opinion.
I don't see that not liking a performance automatically means that you're holding something to a higher standard.

This. Tiffany's character (especially in the book) isn't one bit likeable. That argument doesn't hold water.

If Jennifer Lawrence wins the Oscar, I will smile and think nothing less and nothing more of he,. the Academy or anyone who likes either of them lots.

These are the Oscars and she is a girl. How much can one really get worked up about either of them in the grand scheme of things?

Well that wasn't entirely serious, but I'd assume some people could get pretty worked up. Especially if their favorite loses to a performance/actor that they don't particularly care for.

[ldw]

This. Tiffany's character (especially in the book) isn't one bit likeable. That argument doesn't hold water.

This isn't the book. It is the film. And I would opine that most audience members did find the character of Tiffany, as presented in the film, likeable. She is someone who shows resolve and toughness and refuses to give up. She fights to overcome her struggles. She sets a difficult goal for herself (entering a dance competition where she is out of her league) and ends up saving the day (while also helping the male protagonist turn the corner).

Anyways, Lawrence's weak performance is hardly the only problem with this film. That screenplay is a bigger problem.

[Submerge]

This isn't the book. It is the film. And I would opine that most audience members did find the character of Tiffany, as presented in the film, likeable. She is someone who shows resolve and toughness and refuses to give up. She fights to overcome her struggles. She sets a difficult goal for herself (entering a dance competition where she is out of her league) and ends up saving the day (while also helping the male protagonist turn the corner).

Once again, I have to agree with the above. I really don't see how the script presents her as anything but likeable and sympathetic. She's made out to be this tough, lovably crazy girl, so to speak. I would guess most audience members found her to be the most likeable character in the film. I mean, maybe it's just my audience's reaction (clearly BDP saw it differently), but I'm surprised this is even up for debate.

[Moviefreak]

Anyways, Lawrence's weak performance is hardly the only problem with this film. That screenplay is a bigger problem.

This is truly the biggest problem. I wouldn't put all the blame on the script for Lawrence's performance, but it really was the one biggest downfall of the film. While, I don't necessarily think these are poorly written characters, the story itself was just so uninteresting and formulaic. It's so strange, we criticize these kinds of films all the time, but for some reason (most likely because of the people involved), this one seems to be getting a pass. Besides the script, I think the film was really let down by some uninspired direction. Russell, who I typically like, was unable to do here what he did so well with The Fighter: take a stock film type and elevate the material to something better.

[TheBoss]

The diner scene is totally going to be Lawrence's Oscar clip.

[guany]

It's been about 5 weeks since I've seen this, and Lawrence's performance continues to dwindle in my estimation.

It's such surface-level work. There's nothing there.

[with_one_voice]

It's been about 5 weeks since I've seen this, and Lawrence's performance continues to dwindle in my estimation.

It's such surface-level work. There's nothing there.

You're making quite the 180!

[guany]

You're making quite the 180!

Like I said, it's been 5 weeks. The initial high has long since faded. Granted, I don't think Lawrence is bad by any means, I just don't think her work here is all that substantial.

[forizzer69]

Well that wasn't entirely serious, but I'd assume some people could get pretty worked up. Especially if their favorite loses to a performance/actor that they don't particularly care for.

I was just being cute because how many people don't get worked up over the Oscars or a girl?

[Sage]

I mostly liked this until I didn't. I suspect I'll like it more on DVD, when I don't have to watch it with an audience.

This is, essentially, pitched right at my wheelhouse. David O. Russell is one of those directors I keep hoping will make a movie that brings everything he does well together into one package. (Arguably, he did with Three Kings.) I'm a fan of Jennifer Lawrence, and I have residual good feelings to Bradley Cooper from Alias. Plus, sly tragicomedy is my favorite genre, and my favorite tone is "bittersweet," all of which this movie more or less has.

And I was with it right up until the very ending. I mean, we're literally talking the last two scenes, which I think otherwise sour what's a surprisingly nuanced look at mental illness by leaving the impression that everything is going to be all right, now that Pat and Tiffany are together. The film up until the third act has been about how hard it is to live with mental illness in your life, but it's also been about how everybody within its orbit is mentally ill, but they foist all of their accusations of craziness on the three people who've actually sought treatment. I really liked that the film didn't portray Pat and Tiffany as having their problems arise from the ends of their respective marriages, instead saying that Nikki's infidelity and Tommy's death were triggers that sent them into even deeper states of what they already had. And I liked how the movie used Pat and Tiffany as deflector shields that sent the mental illnesses building up in the supporting characters right back at them. In general, the film earns its first two acts, and it has some real insight into why Pat and Tiffany are the way they are. (I'd wager David O. Russell has some experience with mental illness. Actually, given his combative personality, I'd be very surprised if he didn't.)

And, look, I'm never going to begrudge a movie wanting to end by giving its characters a bit of well-earned, bittersweet happiness. And I felt ridiculously happy when Pat and Tiffany celebrated over scoring a 5.0, because the movie had earned that moment. But everything else that follows is, by and large, straight out of the romcom playbook. I don't object to the film saying that Pat and Tiffany are going to have a good relationship. I don't even object to it saying that they could be good for each other. But by playing along with the romcom rules, Russell implies that everything will be happily ever after, and that's a betrayal of everything the film has built up to that point. Up until that point, the idea of a "silver lining" is just that--a bit of goodness that chases away the awful (and, honestly, the film could have done more with Pat and Tiffany's respective opinions on this philosophy, which says so much about their respective mental illnesses). But when Pat and Tiffany are allowed to be together, the film implies that all there is is silver lining.

I know that Russell knows it's more complex than that, but he does a pretty terrible job of conveying that to the audience by giving into the romcom cliche bucket. Cutting to the others smiling at the two canoodling in a chair was just the worst. And the worst thing is that it would have been so easy to give this the right touch of bittersweet that would have made it work. Simply allowing for a more wistful glance from Pat's mom, or ending with Pat and Tiffany exchanging a smile across a crowded room... really, anything that left a touch of sad ambiguity in there wouldn't have gone against everything that came before. The film works so much better as a drama tinged with comedy than the reverse, and those final moments are all classical comedy touches.

It's a good movie, and I like what Lawrence does in it, especially, and I think Russell's script gets at some really profound things about certain strands of mental illness. (I've known girls like Tiffany my whole life; I've never seen one portrayed quite that well.) But it could have been so much more, and the third act is like a slowly deflating balloon. Ultimately disappointing, even if it's probably going to end up on my year-end top 10 list.

HS

I didn't really like the final shot, but this movie sort of announces from the get go that, fuck it, it's going to have an unambiguously happy ending.

As far as the audience laughing, a lot of this WAS played for laughs, I thought? I mean, it depends on what we're talking about. Hucking the book out the window was definitely meant to be comedic, for example. If people were laughing at Cooper clubbing his mother while flashing back to stomping on some dude's head, then...yeah, that's strange.

[Andy Hall]

This was okay? There were some good moments, I guess, but a lot of it felt very disjointed and all over the place. Cooper and Lawrence were exceptionally good, but it seems a little silly to think that the latter might actually win an Oscar for her performance. She's just so young.

Ehh.