Distributor: The
Weinstein Company
Opening Weekend Box Office:
#17 with $443,003
Domestic Box Office
Gross to-date: $10,991,000
Gross Revenue: $14,809,969
Production Budget:
$21 million
Director: David O. Russell
Silver Linings Playbook may not have qualified as your typical highly-anticipated release, but if you take a minute to consider the level of talent involved in this project, then it is clear that The Weinstein Company was offering a critically-stacked film that would earn the distinction of festival sweetheart and likely remain a fixture on top-critics “Must-See” lists prior to the 85th Annual Academy Awards. She may be known to the casual moviegoers as Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games franchise, and she will always hold a special place in my heart as Mystique of X-Men: First Class, but many forget that Jennifer Lawrence skyrocketed onto the red carpet at the young age of 20 with an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her work in 2010’s Winter Bone; with that kind of résumé, it was not unreasonable to expect anything less than gold from her in this newest comedy-drama. And then there’s Bradley Cooper, a crowd-pleaser that has proven his talent across a number of genres; sure, we all love him from The Hangover, but I became a lifetime member of his fan club after 2011’s Limitless…simply put, I could not wait to see these two young A-listers work together. With the addition of Robert De Niro and the surprise return of Chris Tucker to the limelight, Silver Linings Playbook had more than enough talent in front of the camera, and it didn’t hurt as a selling point that the last collaboration between director David O. Russell and The Weinstein Company was 2010’s The Fighter. Needless to say, my interest was piqued, especially in light of all the early critical praise, and as a fan of the entire cast, Silver Linings Playbook certainly looked like a wise investment of time.
Based on the Matthew Quick novel of
the same name, Silver Linings Playbook
opens by introducing audiences to Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper), a bipolar patient
recently released from a mental health facility into the custody of his
parents, Dolores (Jacki Weaver) and Pat, Sr. (Robert De Niro), the latter of
whom is an avid Philadelphia Eagles fan and works as a bookmaker, finding that
football is the only way he can relate to his troubled son. Prone to violent mood swings and hesitant to
take his medication, Pat is desperate to reconcile with his estranged wife,
whose infidelity caused his mental breakdown, Nikki; though restraining orders
prevent Pat from making direct contact with Nikki, he tries to build a
favorable impression with mutual friends, Ronnie (John Ortiz) and his wife,
Veronica (Julia Stiles). While a dinner
with the couple, Pat meets Veronica’s sister, Tiffany Maxwell (Jennifer Lawrence),
a troubled kindred spirit who is still reeling from her husband’s recent death
and battling severe depression. Oddly
enough, the two neurotics develop a mutually-beneficial friendship, as Tiffany
agrees to deliver a hand-written note from Pat to Nikki, but only if Pat will
act as her dance partner at an upcoming competition. Finding reassurance in each other, Pat and
Tiffany grow closer, but end up struggling to find a balance between
commitments to each other and Pat’s attempts to show his family that he is
truly improving…thereby making the end-results of the dancing competition all
the more important.
As far as acting performances go, Silver Linings Playbook easily delivers
the most impressive showcase of the deep spectrum of human emotions that has
been seen in years, and the talented cast is helped by both stylish direction
and clever dialogue. Though he initially
comes across as simply odd, once Bradley Cooper starts one of his manic
episodes, his character becomes instantaneously more engaging and fun to watch…you
want to see Pat’s mental condition improve, sure, but you also find yourself looking
forward to one of his chaotic transitions, which Cooper handles with a
surprising amount of sensitivity. Cooper’s
interactions with the other characters continually adds depth to the plight of
his character and will draw-in audience members, one of the more notable
instances being the father-son dynamic shared onscreen with Robert De Niro, who
plays his role with a far stronger level of humanity than he has revealed in
years; however, the performance you will be talking about after the end credits
roll comes from Jennifer Lawrence. Simultaneously
charming and crazy, Jennifer Lawrence is nothing short of mesmerizing to watch,
clearly demanding respect from her veteran castmates and likely securing a Best
Actress Oscar in a few short months; whether it is the romantic chemistry she
shares with Cooper or the verbal blows she trades with De Niro, it is clear
that we are watching one of, if not the, most talented actresses of this
generation. Director and Writer David O.
Russell clearly understands the subtle impacts of mental illness and reflects
that enlightenment in both his camerawork and no-holds-barred dialogue, but for
as much as I enjoyed his film, it is far from perfect and clearly not meant for
everyone.
Though there is an undeniable
brilliance to the inside-look of the impact that mental illness has on family
dynamics that is offered by Silver
Linings Playbook, the risky subject material is offered in such a manic and
fast-paced way that several subplots remain underdeveloped, and the overall
presentation can come across as off-putting.
Despite the fact that I enjoyed the film in its entirety, I can admit
that my interest in the narrative waned considerably in the opening minutes…the
dynamics of Bradley Cooper’s character hit the ground running with almost no
coherence, and though a balance is eventually reached, I can see the manic
introduction acting as a severe turn-off for unsuspecting audiences. It was also disappointing to see multiple
subplots add very little to the overall story, whether that involved the
sentiment surrounding the family’s support of American football, or the
altogether misuse of Chris Tucker, whose character adds almost nothing to the
story other than sheer novelty. And, for
all the development that was given to the characters throughout the overly-long
running time, I was disappointed by the predictable ending that neither matched
the tone of the film nor flowed logically from the previous acts. In the end, the disparity between overall
acting quality and the simple shortcomings prevent Silver Linings Playbook from earning the distinction of an absolute
must-see, but that fact shouldn’t downplay the importance of the talented cast’s
contributions.
Given this film’s status as an
Indie sweetheart, any box office metrics need to be taken with a grain of salt,
so where a 17th place opening might spell doom for a big-budget
blockbuster, I doubt anyone at The Weinstein Company is fretting the welfare of
Silver Linings Playbook. Though the widest release covered 371
theaters, in its opening weekend, this heavily-stacked comedy-drama was only
available in 16 theaters, and no one from the Big Six studio system would scoff
at a $27,688 per-theater average. And,
as we draw closer and closer to The Academy Awards, it wouldn’t be at all
surprising to see popular interest in Silver
Linings Playbook absolutely skyrocket.
Jennifer Lawrence has a long and impressive career in Hollywood on the
horizon, and even though she missed out for her work in Winter’s Bone, I will be absolutely shocked if she is overlooked
for any accolades this time around…stay tuned. So, even though it isn’t exactly perfect and
isn’t going to be easy to find at your local theater, Silver Linings Playbook still remains remarkably strong and a wise
choice for anyone who counts themselves as a fan of the enjoyable cast.
Overall Recommendation: High
