In the end, all you need is a friend to put a smile on your face.

Rating: 10/10 (11 April 2014)

Up front, I am a sucker for movies that show the power of love and friendship. Silver Linings Playbook is a rom-com that thoroughly embodies those two things. No, that does not bias me.
The movie exemplifies what it is like to live with a mental illness. It shows how it does not affect the sufferer, but also the ones around him/her. It has brought greater awareness to people everywhere that mental illness is not a minute detail, but a headline that is constantly on the front page of a person's life. But, like Pat showed, it can be cured by a lifestyle change and a bit of luck of having the right person enter your life at the perfect time.
Silver Linings Playbook does not have the sappiness , cheesiness, or predictability that the romantic comedy genre has come to be associated with. Obviously, Pat and Tiffany finally getting together and Pat, Sr. winning so much money is sentimental, but the idea is to have a happy ending. Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, and the rest of the cast put on an amazing and very lovable performance and demonstrate they all had the chemistry required to act as a family and troupe of friends.
The film does a good job of explaining moments that arouse some questions. For example, how is possible for Tiffany to know the exact location of Pat's run? Pat's mom was in on it. Boom. A simple explanation to keep the audience from questioning the overall quality of the movie.
There were some imperfections. Undeniably, errors like Pat's chain moving from on his chest to slung over his shoulder are present, but those are not the type of mistakes I am speaking of. Every movie has a few. The major point I am discussing about is the screenplay matching up with the dates. There is a scene showing the characters celebrating Christmas immediately followed by the big day of December 28th. I was not sure at first whether or not they were showing an extended Yuletide celebration or they simply skipped to the Sunday. Anyway, the number of words dedicated to this flaw is way out of proportion.
In the end, I had some laughs and heart-warming situations. I cannot give it a 9 and remain guilt- free. I am glad I have been a spectator to another terrific piece of work. I hope this trend of perfect-score films continues! Watched and written 04/11/2014.