'The world will break your heart ten ways to Sunday. That's guaranteed.'

Rating: Null/10 (4 May 2013)

Something there is about a movie that while in the theaters everybody loves and then the Oscars come 'round and awards pour in, you you're left with the thought 'how can two actors known for such films as potty mouth Hangover I – III and credibility challenging violence such as Hunger Games make a film worth all the hullabaloo?' Well, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK is the enormously successful answer. Based on the novel by the same name by Matthew Quick and freely adapted for the screen by writer/director David O. Russell, this stage brings an unusually fine opportunity to reveal the rather phenomenal talents of Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence while also demonstrating the brilliance of ensemble productions.
The story briefly outlined is as follows: Against medical advice and without the knowledge of her husband Pat Solatano Sr. (Robert DeNIro), caring Dolores Solatano (Jacki Weaver) discharges her adult son, Pat Solatano Jr. (Bradley Cooper), from a Maryland mental hospital 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 his 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 with Dr. Patel (Anupam Kher), 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 than some others who have never been institutionalized, such as his Philadelphia Eagles obsessed OCD father who has resorted to being a bookie to earn a living, his best friend Ronnie (John Ortiz) who quietly seethes over the control wielded by his wife Veronica (Julia Stiles), and Veronica's widowed sister, Tiffany Maxwell 9Jennifer Lawrence), a recovering sex addict. In their fragile mental states, Pat Jr. and Tiffany embark on a love/hate friendship based primarily on what help the other can provide in achieving their individual goals. But they may reevaluate their goals as their relationship progresses.
The entire cast is superb – including Chris Tucker as a mentally challenged friend Jake – and the joy of the film is that even while dealing with the controversial subject of bipolar disorder, the story and the actors portraying the characters (each bruised in a particular way) always seems real and gains our empathy. But it is the glow of Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence walking the very thin line of social adjustment with the grace of the finest of actors that makes this film so special. Highly Recommended.
Grady Harp