This is my friend, with an "F"

Rating: 10/10 (22 February 2013)

I have to admit, more often than not I disagree with critic's choices for Oscar Contenders. I especially didn't expect to love Jennifer Lawrence's performance so much. But the hype about this film is 100% accurate.
When Pat and Tiffany first meet, I thought she was just as crazy as Pat does. Not just the "eccentric" kind of crazy, but completely bat-s**t crazy. But as you get to know her, and understand how she has gotten to this place in her life, you just want to give her a hug. I think it would have been easy for a young actress to try to over-act a character like Tiffany. But, Lawrence's understated performance depicts an isolated and misunderstood girl who had to grow up too fast when she lost everything that mattered to her. She shows us a girl with a tough exterior who just below the surface is a fragile and frightened child who doesn't want to be alone anymore and it is positively flawless.
The story is fresh and extraordinary. It gives a behind-closed-doors look at the stigma of mental illness in a way that doesn't beg for sympathy. It shows how everyone's family is a little dysfunctional and even a "normal" person could snap if given the right conditions. The moment Pat Sr. realizes that his initial opinion of Tiffany is completely wrong is priceless. She seems to be the only person who isn't afraid to tell him what he needs to hear. Instead of going postal like we would expect, he surprises everyone and we witness his realization that maybe what he (and his son) need isn't more medical mumbo-jumbo, but someone who doesn't pull any punches to try to appease them. I think at first, Veronica wanted to set Tiffany & Pat up to keep them both from bringing their messy pasts into her pretty new house. But following Pat's meltdown in front of the theater, it becomes apparent that what they're both in desperate need of is a friend who understands them. Lookout Jessica Biel, Rachel McAdams, Emma Stone, and Amanda Seyfried; America's new sweetheart has arrived and after this Sunday, she will likely have the words "Academy Award Winning Actress" in front of her name.