‘Silver Linings Playbook’ review
By Parker Thompson, Contributor
5/5
Let’s face it: we all have problems, and life is about finding the happiness in-between. Adapted from the Matthew Quick novel of the same name, Silver Linings Playbook (released November 21) brings us this premise through exciting characters and compelling drama. I was emotionally invested in the story right from the beginning.
The film opens with Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) at what is probably the lowest point in his life; after eight months in a mental institution, he gets out only to have lost his wife, job, and home. Worst of all, he discovers that he’s been living undiagnosed with bipolar disorder his entire life.
Pat moves back in with his parents and attempts to put his life back together—he’s set on uncovering the silver linings. He believes this to be rekindling his relationship with his wife. However, Pat’s life takes an unforeseen turn when he meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence)—a beautiful woman as equally distraught as he is.
This film gets a gold star for characters that are believable, but is also incredibly interesting to watch. I know people like Pat Solitano in real life and, while they all have their issues, I still care about them. In fact, those issues usually make you care about a person even more, and that’s what happened to me while watching this film.
