Positively Silver and Beautiful

 "You have to do everything you can, you have to work your hardest, and if you do, if you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining."

-Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

I recently read up on the Oscar nominees, expecting to see a long list of movies I have never heard of, let alone seen, but I was pleasantly surprised to see Silver Linings Playbook in so many categories. Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor...etc. Silver Linings Playbook is not your average movie. It highlights the difficulties of living with mental illness and how the people around those with a mental illness deal with something they cannot begin to understand.

Jennifer Lawrence delivers a stunning performance as Tiffany, a slightly neurotic but very wonderful girl who is full of pain, but also full of life. Bradley Cooper is stellar as Pat Solatano, who nearly killed the man he found in the shower with his wife and is afterward on a journey to improve his life and find a silver lining in every situation. These two are amazing onscreen and I seriously doubted the chemistry because of the age difference and my tendency to only see Cooper as the goofy guy from the Hangover. But he surprised me, and Jennifer Lawrence delivers a performance that exceeds her age and experience. She is a naturally talented woman who is not afraid to completely give herself over to a role.

Aside from the acting, the movie itself is beautiful. The message to find that silver lining in every bad situation is present throughout the film, but I was also impressed with the way Tiffany and Pat are portrayed as characters with obvious social problems and anger issues, but it was never depicted as something that made them less than human. Their "illnesses" (I only call it that because I am not sure how else to put it) become normal, especially when they are together because they wholly accept each other in all their faults.

I was stunned and blown away by the film's combination of drama and comedy. I wanted to cry sometimes and at other times I was laughing out loud. This movie is a must-see for everyone (well, not children) and I recommend everyone watch it with an open heart. It teaches us to learn to be accepting and loving and to understand that some people have problems, but that doesn't mean we can't help them feel wanted and accepted for who they are.