Adaptation, Comedy, Romance. Rated R. 2 hours, 2 minutes.

Photo by The Weinstein Company Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in The Weinstein Company's "Silver Linings Playbook" - 2012

|

Pat Solatano (Bradley Cooper) spends eight months in a mental institution and then is released out into the world. Is the world ready for him? or better yet, is he ready for the world? He lost his wife, his house, and his job. He then moves back home with his parents. His parents love him dearly and his father (Robert DeNiro) wants to spend more time with him because he feels guilty for spending more time with his brother when they were young. His father is heavily into football and is very superstitious, with OCD tendencies.

The ups and downs of family life begins. Pat's bipolar mood swings and violent temper has tamed down. He lost a lot of weight and has been on a lot of medication. One day he visits his best friend Ronnie (John Ortiz) and his wife, Veronica (Julia Stiles) and they invite him over for dinner on Sunday. He hesitates, then accepts. While there he meets Tiffany, Veronica's sister who is very mysterious. Tiffany's husband died so she is recently widowed. Pat and Tiffany keep meeting frequently jogging in the neighborhood. They have a very unusual relationship.

Pat wants badly to re-unite with his estranged wife, Nikki (Brea Bee), and wants Tiffany to hand her a letter expressing his love for her. He can't see her himself because she has a restraining order against him because of his past behavior. However, in the letter he explains that he is trying to get his life back on track and he is a changed man.

So Tiffany agrees to give the letter to Nikki, but she asks one thing in return. She wants him to join her in a dance competition. He finally agrees. During the next dance practice, she says Nikki responded to his letter. He is ecstatic and reads the letter. Sometimes things don't turn out as you would like. He now has to muster up courage to fulfill his promise to Tiffany.

David O. Russell directed and wrote the screenplay for "Silver Linings Playbook." It is based on the Matthew Quick novel of the same name. Scenes for this film were shot in Upper Darby, Penn., Lansdowne, Penn., Norristown, Penn., Delaware County, Penn., Philadelphia and in Ridley Park, Penn. It is rated R for language and some sexual content/nudity.

Silver linings appear eventually and I see how they get the title. Bradley Cooper's performance was fantastic and I thought it was the best of his career. I loved the movie and is wasn't as dark or depressing as the synopsis makes it sound. Quirky yes. I would recommend this movie.

OVERALL RATING: A

Graphic by The Weinstein Company

"Silver Linings Playbook" movie poster