Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell, 2012)

[Matt24]

I see where you're coming from, but I'm not sure this is entirely fair. I think people are so used to seeing the As-Good-As-It-Gets/Garden-State "I-Will-Fix-You" story that they're reading it into a story where it doesn't exist. Cooper's main struggle with mental illness throughout this movie is agreeing to go back on medication. But for the most part this is a story about a guy who is coming out of years of institutionalization that's really worked for him, and despite a few stumbles along the way, he has largely taken control of his illness. For me the fact that it doesn't dwell on how fucked these people are is a large part of this movie's charm.

Yeah, I agree. I don't think it dwells on it though, because I don't think they're really THAT fucked up. I mean, Pat says it in the movie 'I have one incident'. He made one dumb decision in the heat of a moment where anyone would be furious. It always seemed to me that Pat had obtained enough ways of dealing with his illness through his stay at the hospital. The challenges he faced throughout the film to me seemed to have more to do with coming back into society and re-introducing himself after everyone being aware of the incident and his stay in the hospital. I think THEN and only THEN is where it says some profound things about the stigma of mental illness in our society. I think the fear and anxiety in Pat throughout the film indicates this especially at the beginning, I.E.: Not wanting to go to dinner at Ronnie and Veronica's. I find it ironic and slightly troubling that some think Pat is some raging lunatic and that the ending his problems are cured, when I always thought the movie's main trick is proving everyone around him is just as crazy. I think Russell is trying to say throughout the film that Pat isn’t really that bad, he just made one bad decision that cost him a lot, so the people saying Pat is complete nutcase almost feel like they’re feeding into the stigma Russell is trying to shed light on. I think the movie is about finding people to surround yourself with that can co-exist within your own 'crazy'. So I did think it was the right decision for the film to end at home with all the characters gathered together, even though I agree the final shot is boring and too pat.

[Aurelius]

I can agree with that (obviously Pat is not a raging lunatic; in fact, there's nothing wrong with him), but that doesn't change the fact that his struggles with re-entering society are taken much more serious in the first act than they are as the film progresses. Once he meets Tiffany and they get their dancing going, his struggles are much more in the traditional rom-com vein. Not that much of a problem, but the film becomes very pedestrian and uninteresting,

[Matt24]

I can agree with that (obviously Pat is not a raging lunatic; in fact, there's nothing wrong with him), but that doesn't change the fact that his struggles with re-entering society are taken much more serious in the first act than they are as the film progresses. Once he meets Tiffany and they get their dancing going, his struggles are much more in the traditional rom-com vein. Not that much of a problem, but the film becomes very pedestrian and uninteresting,

Fair enough, I just find the claims that this is an 'offensive' portrayal of mental illness (and I've heard them) completely off base. Plenty of people can live capably and keep their illness under control. There's different levels of mental illness and no one film is ever going to be able to encapsulate everyone's struggle. Like I said, I feel like for the most part, Pat already knew how to do this coming out of the hospital. The fear and anxiety of what people think of him NOW is what causes him to fall back temporarily. I think if Tiffany ‘teaches’ him anything, it's that everyone's fucked up to an extent and when Pat finally realizes this, the release happens and he's able to finally utilize the strategies he learned in the hospital. Do I think this is a 100% accurate depiction of mental illness? No. Do I like that they're treating it as such for award purposes? Fuck No. Is it more genuine in its depiction than the vast majority of Hollywood entries? Hell Yes.

[Bean]

This was good without blowing me away in any particular way. I think Russell is a better director than most for this sort of material, and the cast is quite good (though 4 Oscar nominations seems...excessive). It's middle of the pack in the Best Picture field (yet to see Life of Pi and Amour), but I won't yell if Lawrence or Russell win.

[Thomas]

In Sweden, this is called You Drive Me Crazy!

[Luc]

The ending of the movie didn't bother me at all. It's called Silver Linings Playbook, so I'd expect at least one actual silver lining in the story.

What's so wrong about a happy ending?

[erikdean]

A happy ending is not the same as a silver lining. Like, at all.

[Ali D]

In Sweden, this is called You Drive Me Crazy!

here in Turkey it was called My Hope Light or sth like that, i think you get it

[Luc]

A happy ending is not the same as a silver lining. Like, at all.

Indeed, but I think that's besides my point anyway... the ending is a commonplace in Hollywood rom-coms, but after watching the movie and knowing the main characters I'd hope for at least one "commonplace" with people like that.

I guess that's my silver lining.

[Critix]

A happy ending is not the same as a silver lining. Like, at all.

This will likely descend into semantics, but I don't see why it can't be.

[erikdean]

This will likely descend into semantics, but I don't see why it can't be.

I'm anti-semantic.

[faina]

I wish he would just dismember her and gave her flesh to Jackie Weaver to make cannelloni for Robert De Niro. Then, it would have been praised around here as daring and "auteur".

[cdmc]

A happy ending is not the same as a silver lining. Like, at all.

I agree. I never received a silver lining the last time I visited the masseur.

[erikdean]

I agree. I never received a silver lining the last time I visited the masseur.

[filmy]

I wish he would just dismember her and gave her flesh to Jackie Weaver to make cannelloni for Robert De Niro. Then, it would have been praised around here as daring and "auteur".

A new spin on crabby snacks! It would be called "LOVE."

[Souler]

A happy ending is not the same as a silver lining. Like, at all.

hs elaborated on that very well in this post I thought.

[Thomas]

I wish he would just dismember her and gave her flesh to Jackie Weaver to make cannelloni for Robert De Niro. Then, it would have been praised around here as daring and "auteur".

omg yes that would have been perfect!

But hey! This succeeds far more as a rom-com than it does as a dramedy about Issue.

[Critix]

I wish he would just dismember her and gave her flesh to Jackie Weaver to make cannelloni for Robert De Niro. Then, it would have been praised around here as daring and "auteur".

[Luc]

hs elaborated on that very well in this post I thought.

I really like this post. The ending did feel out of place but maybe the characters needed something "out of place". I disagree that it implies that it's going to be happily ever after - for me it just states that at that moment both of them were happy. That's fine with me.

I gave it a 9/10.

I happen to agree with this post though - an ending like The Graduate's would've been perfect.

[McTeague]

I guess I just don’t see how the ending is such a happy one. Yep, the couple you were rooting for ends up together, but “happily ever after” is not implied. They still have their mental issues and their problems, it’s not like families suddenly stop having their dysfunctions. His relation to his father will still be cold, her insecurity problems will still be there, and while there’s a certain implication that Pat finally overcomes his obsession for his ex-wife, it’s obvious it won’t be like suddenly the night has ended and he doesn’t have any more doubts about that. The movie is about Pat overcoming his obsession with his ex-wife, so in the end he does so or takes the biggest step to do so, but everything else (his bipolar disorder, his complicated family life, her complicated self-security problems…) is not solved and it’s left open-ended.