Silver Linings Playbook

Rounding out “Best Picture” nominations of 2012, Silver Linings Playbook starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro and Julia Stiles. I remember seeing the trailer for this film last year, then thinking no more of it. Inexplicably this film garnered a mass of attention and an avalanche of popularity, so much so that it has been nominated for eight Academy Awards, including best picture, best actor and actress, best supporting actor and actress, best director, best editing and best adapted screenplay, earning Jennifer Lawrence her first Oscar win for best actress. I can only assume were there a best craft services award and best janitorial performance it would have been nominated for those as well.

“You let me lie to you for a week?!”

“I was trying to be romantic.”

Despite the snark in the previous paragraph, I am not going to say Silver Linings Playbook was a bad film. It wasn’t. The performances from everyone involved were done perfectly. At no time did any character on screen feel like a character, or even an actor that wasn’t at the absolute top of their game. Having seen the vast majority of the players in other roles, there were no hints of previous personas in their performances. The story was fresh and original; I’ve never seen any film that even comes near the subject or the way the subjects in the movie were addressed. While it may appear as a standard romantic comedy, it is not; there is a heart to this film, and it does tell significantly more than a cookie cutter rom-com.

With that said, Silver Linings does have a target demographic, and it’s not everyone. It does have a healthy (read: excessive) dose of romantic comedy, and the underlying elements of sports betting and football felt inserted specifically for the men who were forced to see this film by their significant others. That’s simply not enough to make it palatable for every audience. The next two paragraphs will deal specifically with the plot of the film, and may contain some spoilers, the value of this film is in its performances, not the storyline, so don’t let the content dissuade you from watching the film: you’d have been able to assume where the movie was going anyway.

“How old are you?”

“Old enough to have a marriage end and not wind up in a mental hospital.”

Silver Linings Playbook follows Patrizio (Cooper), as he is released from a mental health facility following a brief, court-ordered incarceration to deal with his bipolar disorder. The remainder of the film centers on his development, the breakdown that lead to his incarceration, his failed marriage, and new beginnings. He meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), who has more than a few of her own problems; and so goes the stage for the romantic comedy, leading to a dance competition.

The film is long. At just over two hours, by the ninety-minute mark I was checking my phone, and fidgeting. The verbose developmental cycle felt bloated and unnecessary, but again, this could be a symptom of not being the target demographic for the film. The level of predictability early on left me no surprise when they were revealed later. The screenplay for which it was nominated carried no originality or twists that kept the ideas fresh or intriguing.

“Do you feel that? That’s emotion.”

To nominate a film for “Best Picture”, a film should encapsulate everything that makes a film great. It should captivate audiences, refresh creativity and inspire new artists. To say Silver Linings Playbook falls in the same category as Sound of Music, the Deer Hunter, Schindler’s List, Titanic, and The King’s Speech is a bit silly. For the film to not be nominated for best acting performances would be insulting, as everyone involved does a truly amazing job. But at its core, this is a romantic comedy with an amazing cast and a fresh story. While it can’t be expected for all audiences to see the amazement and beauty that I found in a film like Cloud Atlas, Silver Linings just seems out of place when compared to other films nominated, like Life of Pi, Argo, and Beasts of the Southern Wild.

Silver Linings Playbook has completed its theatrical run, and is currently nominated for eight categories at the 85th annual Academy Awards. This is a solid date movie, with a sprinkle of machismo to keep the football fan from falling asleep (especially in the Philadelphia region), is to be released to DVD and Blu-Ray home video on April 30th 2013.