my love for silver linings playbook

This scene from the Silver Linings Playbook is one of the best scenes I've seen on film in a long time. Every element is perfect. The song, Girl from the North Country, is beautifully used.  Sweet is an understatement of how this scene makes me feel. Something about Pat's (Bradley Cooper) oversized hoodie and Tiffany's (Jennifer Lawrence) effortless hair and facial expression, combined with such a nostalgic, romantic tune,  makes the entire scene so heartwarming I became Marshall Eriksen.

I love this film because the characters are flawed, just like each and every one of us. It's a story of a bipolar man named Pat who was recently released from a mental facility after he beat the shit out of his wife's lover. He then met Tiffany, a young widow, who recently battled depression over her husband's untimely death. The road to their friendship is rocky, funny, and full of "crazy." Pat is determined to get his wife back. He's still delusional about mending his marriage despite the fact that he's under a restraining order from his wife. Tiffany sees Pat as someone she could be friends with, given his story of mental imbalance and her promiscuous road to recovery. Just like the movie 50/50, Silver Linings Playbook tackles a heavy subject, mental imbalance, in this case, and makes it lighthearted enough without sacrificing its depth.

The other moving parts of the story include Pat's family. Robert de Niro plays his obsessive-compulsive father who's a big football fan (Philadelphia Eagles for that matter). Jacki Weaver plays his mom, a sweet lady who tries to balance everything in her family. Pat has an older brother whose life is the exact opposite of his: normal, successful, and on the right path. Pat's parents are doing their best to support their son's recovery. You can see how much they love one another despite their crazy. At the end of the day, all they want is for Pat to get back on his feet. 

Tiffany is obviously Pat's love interest. She's my favorite character because she's very unapologetic about who she is. Below is a particular dialogue in the movie which pretty much sums-up who Tiffany is:

"Tiffany: Hey!

Pat: What the fuck? I’m married!

Tiffany: So am I!

Pat: What the fuck are you doing, your husband’s dead!

Tiffany: Where’s your wife?

Pat: You’re crazy!

Tiffany: I’m not the one who just got out of that hospital in Baltimore.

Pat: And I’m not the big slut!… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry.

Tiffany: I was a big slut, but I’m not any more. There’s always going to be a part of me that’s sloppy and dirty, but I like that. With all the other parts of myself. Can you say the same about yourself fucker? Can you forgive? Are you any good at that?"

And there's a whole lot of scenes that will make you wanna hug this girl. I can't stop watching the scene where Pat and Tiffany had their first pseudo-date in a diner. Her facial expression upon realizing how deep Pat's delusion is makes me laugh ten ways to Sundays. And the way she says "I opened up to you, and you judged me. You're an asshole." hits close to home. How many of us have felt this at one point or another? Now I'm not sure if I'm more in love with Tiffany or Jennifer Lawrence. It's a tie.

For me, the hallmark of a great film is a group of characters you want to root for. Silver Linings Playbook easily achieves that. You care for these characters. You see yourself in them. You want them to win. Another hallmark of a great film is when you forget that you're actually watching Bradley Cooper onscreen. You momentarily forget that he's the sexiest man alive just because you are so into the character he's portraying. That says a lot.

It's a cliche to say that each one of us has our own brand of crazy, and the only question is whether we embrace it or not. But just the fact that Silver Linings Playbook showed me another unique way to dust-off the crappy reputation of romantic dramedies is enough to make me a very big fan.

It's definitely one of those movies which will entertain you, make you laugh, and even cry... in no particular order.