Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

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Overview

Adapted from a novel called "The Silver Linings Playbook," the screenplay for the film was written and directed by David O. Russell. The film stars Jennifer Lawrence as Tiffany and Bradley Cooper as Patrick. It tells the story of a former teacher, Patrick, who attempts to reconcile with his wife after he is released from a mental hospital; all the while, he becomes attracted to a young widow Tiffany.

Creation

Silver Linings Playbook was adapted from a novel written by Matthew Quick who was a high school teacher before writing the book. Matthew Quick described as life before writing his novel as a downward spiral. He would hide his depression when in front of his students and would break down when he had come home. Then as Quick recounts, he was overcome with the urge to write and do something or he would end up in "not a good place." Then he quit his job as a teacher and moved in with his parents. He then spent the next three years writing Silver Linings Playbook.

Eventually, the novel was found by producers, Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella. They forwarded the novel to director David O. Russell, who was interested in the novel because his teenage son was dealing with the same problems as the main character of the novel. Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella continued to meet with David O. Russell until their deaths in 2008.

Plot Summary

Danny is caught

Pat Solitano is a mental patient diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. After spending 8 months in a mental hospital, he is allowed to leave after doctors had viewed that he had shown signs of improvement. When Pat returns home, he learns that his father is gambling in order to start a restaurant. As Pat tries to talk sense into his father, Patrick Sr. changes the subject by asking Pat what he will do with his life. Pat tells him that he will try to make himself a better person to reconcile with Nikki. Patrick Sr. tries to speak some sense into him by informing him that Nikki had already moved away. However, Pat is determined to be reunited with Nikki and he tells his father that Nikki is still in love with him.

The next day, Pat visits his therapist as prescribed by his mental hospital. As he talks to the receptionist the song "My Cherie Amour" begins to play and Pat becomes frantic as he tries to turn off the song. Eventually his therapist arrives into the room and calms Pat down. In a meeting, he explains that he wanted to see if that particular song was still a trigger for Pat. Then Pat recounts the reason why he was sent to the mental facility. One day, Pat let off of work early. When he comes home, he hears the song "My Cherie Amour" and discovers that his wife is cheating with another teacher in the bathroom upstairs. Enraged, Pat assaults the man and nearly beats him to death. Back in the present, Pat admits that he had mood swings and weird thoughts all his life; he tells his therapist that he realizes that the incident had shed light on this fact. However, despite all this evidence of instability, Pat continues to refuse to take his medication.

Tiffany wants to go home

At a dinner party with his friend Ronnie, Pat meets a widow and recovering sex addict named Tiffany. At the dinner table they are able to get along really well, much to the confusion of the family.After dinner, Tiffany asks Pat to walk her home. During the walk, Pat brings up the topic of Tiffany's husband. Tiffany breaks down and hugs Pat. When Pat does not respond, Tiffany slaps Pat and leaves. When Pat returns home, he tries looking for his wedding video and awakens his parents with the commotion. He accuses them of losing the video and an argument breaks out. The uproar eventually turns into a fight and the cops are called in to resolve it. Pat is reminded to calm down and the police leave. After reflecting on the incident, Pat begins to take his medication.

The next day, Tiffany tries to hang out with Pat by following him during his run. Pat tries to be alone, but Tiffany continues to pursue him. Eventually, they have an argument where Pat calls Tiffany a slut. Tiffany tells him that there is always a part of her that is dirty, but she can at least forgive herself. At a meeting with his therapist, Pat recounts the events with Tiffany and the therapist suggests that Tiffany wanted to be friends with Pat and having sex may have made it easier for her to become friends with him. He also tells Pat that he may have been afraid of getting close to Tiffany because he thought it would spoil his chances with Nikki. At the ending of the meeting, the therapist tells Pat to help Tiffany because it will be good for him.

Pat and Tiffany have a date

On his next run, Pat invites Tiffany to a date at a diner. On their date, Pat asks Tiffany to deliver a letter to Nikki to tell her that he is mentally and physically sound. Tiffany warns him that she is on thin ice with her family after she lost her job. Pat asks how she had lost her job and Tiffany tells him that she did so by having sex with all her co-workers; she explains that after she her boss had accused of starting trouble, she was put on medication after accusing her boss of harassment After Pat tells her the story about how he got into the mental hospital, Tiffany agrees to help. Then the two have an argument after Tiffany implied that Pat was crazy things escalate until Tiffany storms out of the diner.

Pat follows her out of the diner as he tries to talk to her, but he is only able to attract her angry and kids who taunt him. Eventually a policemen arrives to warn Pat that he may have to go back to the mental facility. Tiffany decides to step in to help Pat. She explains to the police officer that it was the children's fault and not Pat's. When the policemen leaves, she calms Pat down and reassures him that she will deliver the letter. Excited Pat returns home to write the letter. The officer recognizes Tiffany as Tommy's widow and tries to get a drink with her. Tiffany tells the cop that she is no longer and slut and leaves. Pat supports her statement and leaves also. As they walk away, Pat apologizes to Tiffany for what he had said in the restaurant and Tiffany half heartily reassures him that she will deliver the letter.

On Pat's next run, Tiffany appears to tell him that she won't deliver his letter until she does a favor for him. She explains she ends with up with nothing despite how she does things for people. Pat asks her what she wants and she tells him that she wants him to enter a dance competition with her. Pat expresses that he does not want to enter the contest, but Tiffany reminds him that she won't deliver the letter until he enters the competition. Before leaving him, she instructs him consider her idea.

Pat and Tiffany practice dancing

At Tiffany's garage, Pat and Tiffany begin practicing their dancing. While dancing, Tiffany describes how Tommy had died. She tells him that Tommy had wanted children, but Tiffany was in a difficult time to have children. To help stir the mood, Tommy buys lingerie from Victoria's Secret, but he was hit by a car while helping another man fix his car. Shaken by the story, Pat watches as Tiffany turns on her Ipod. The Tiffany begins to teach Pat to waltz. After a while, Pat begins to fall in love with Tiffany and this confuses him because he still loves Nikki.

When Pat wakes up the next day, he discovers that his father his bet a large sum of money on an Eagles game with his friend Randy. Believing that Pat would bring good luck to the Eagles in their game with the Giants the nest day, Patrick Sr. wants to send his son to the game because he is banned from the stadium due to a prior violent outburst. Unfortunately, the game takes place on the same day that Pat had agreed to meet with Tiffany.

Pat and Tiffany have an argument

When Pat does meet with Tiffany again, she shows him the letter that Nikki had to written in response to Pat's letter. In the letter, Nikki tells Pat that she is glad that Pat is improving himself, but she needs further proof to let her know that they can resume the marriage. After listening to Pat reading it the letter out loud, Tiffany suggests that Pat could use the dance competition as proof that he has changed for the better.

When the day of the Giants game arrives, Pat and his brother Jake drive to the stadium. At the stadium, they encounter a group of fans persecuting a group of Indian fans. Jake jumps in to stop the fighting, but soon becomes overwelmed. Pat jumps in the defend his brother and they are soon kicked out of the game for fighting. When Pat returns home, his father is infuriated that the Eagles had lost because Pat was not present at the game. Tiffany arrives and Pat's father tries to pin the blame on her. However, she able prove her innocence and gain Patrick Sr.'s trust by pointing out that the Eagles have been winning since Pat had been dancing with her. Eventually the conversation leads to the subject of the bet that Randy had just won. Tiffany is able to convince Randy to bet double the money he had just won from the Giants' game on the Eagles' game with the Cowboys. Then after a series of changes to the bet, Patrick Sr. and Randy agree to the conditions on which the bet could be won. In order for Patrick Sr. to win the bet, the Eagles must defeat the Cowboys by 10 points and Pat and Tiffany must an average score of 5 points at their dance competition. Thinking that his father made a mistake, Pat decides that he won't go through with the bet and steps outside. When he is gone, Tiffany and Pat's parents decide that they must trick him into agreeing to the bet by telling him that Nikki will be attending. Outside, Pat rereads Nikki's letter and discovers that Tiffany was the one who had written it.

On the day of the competition, Pat and Tiffany arrive to a lounge full of professional dancers. When Pat leaves Tiffany for a moment, Tiffany spots Nikki, who actually decided to show up to see if Pat had really changed. Tiffany has a meltdown and goes to the bar for a couple shots of vodka.

Pat decides to go after Tiffany

Sitting at a table with his mother, Pat becomes aware that Tiffany is missing when his mother asks him where she is. He looks for her and finds her at the bar. They quickly get ready for their performance and are able to achieve an average score of 5 for their performance. With the Eagles beating the Cowboys shortly before the performance, Pat and family win the bet. After winning the bet, Pat catches up with Nikki and whispers something in her ear. Tiffany mistakes Pat's conversation as him reuniting with Nikki and storms out of the hotel. As she leaves, Pat's father tells him that he cannot let a moment like this slip through his fingers and he instructs his son to chase after Tiffany. Pat catches up with Tiffany and shows her a letter that he had written. In the letter, he reveals that he had known that she had lied to him about Nikki having shown up and he confesses his love for her. Pat and Nikki both look at each other and kiss.

Sometime later, Patrick Sr. and Randy are arguing in front of the TV as Randy tries to win his money back. Patrick Sr. is unwilling to make a large bet as he is using Randy's money to open his restaurant. Meanwhile, Dolores and Danny smile at Pat and Tiffany who are kissing each other on the coach.

Production

Casting

Originally David O. Russell had different actors in mind when he was writing the script. In an interview with HollywoodReporter, he stated that he had written the script for Vince Vaughn and Zooey Deschanel. Other stars that were attached to the main leads were Mark Wahlberg and Angelina Jolie; both turned down the film after becoming disinterested. Eventually David O. Russell had come across Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence who filming The Hunger Games during the casting of the actors. David O. Russell was most skeptical of Lawrence's ability to act,but a quick audition over Skype was able to relieve doubts doubts concerning her ability to act.

Production

Production of the film began in Philadelphia for a 33 day period. Scenes in the main character's home were filmed in the home of a local resident named Christine Higgins Gavigan. The diner scene was filmed in a local diner called Llanerch Diner in a township called Upper Darby.

During production David O. Russell would encourage spontaneity on the set such as adding trying new lines while the film was in production. In addition, Russell would also film variations of the same scene so he will have the choice of picking the one that best suited the film. To accommodating this style of directing, Masanobu Takayanagi, the cinematographer, placed cameras at a 360 degree range to cover all angles of a scene. The director also insisted on allowing movement and freedom for the actors. One of the ways he did this was by lighting the first floor of the house instead of just one living room.

Critical Reception

Silver Linings Playbook was highly praised by critic. It received a 91% rating at Rottentomatoes with 172 critics out 188 citing that the film was at least watchable. On Metacritic, the film received an average score of 81 out of 100 based on 45 reviews. Critics who liked the film praised lead actors' and its black humor regarding mental illness. Critics, on the other hand, cited that the film was the run of the mill Hollywood romantic comedy.

2013 Academy Awards

Toronto International Film Festival

At the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), there is no large body of jurors, and thus the top prize is considered the TIFF People's Choice Award, which is selected by the audience. In 2012, this award went to Silver Linings Playbook. Because of the scale and date of the TIFF, it is considered one of, if not the, premier film festival; therefore winning the TIFF People's Choice Award is a huge honor. Among the films Silver Linings Playbook defeated were The Master, Cloud Atlas, The Impossible, Rust and Bone, Amour, and The Sessions.

Campaign Strategy Controversy

Indie Spirit Controversy

The Independent Spirit Awards (or Indie Spirits, for short) are given out by a large non-profit dedicated to promoting independently produced films. Silver Linings Playbook received multiple nominations for the Indie Spirits, including Best Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Male Lead. However, after the nominations were announced, it was questioned whether the movie was eligible for the award. To receive and Indie Spirit nomination, a film must be made in the US, be independently produced, and have a budget not exceeding $20 million. Silver Linings easily met the first two requirements, but initial budget reports stated that its budget was in fact $21 million.

The Weinstein Company, which is distributing Silver Linings Playbook, claims once you factor in tax breaks the film could be as low as $16 million. Films are not required to officially release their budget and the final call goes to the people running the Indie Spirits. It appears they did not demand proof that no more than $20 million was spent.

The issue is upsetting many because unlike Silver Linings Playbook, most of the Indie Spirit nominees (like Keep the Lights On) have virtually no Oscar chance and this is one of very few chances to get their movies known. Furthermore, having Silver Linings Playbook in the running greatly hurts the chances for Beasts of the Southern Wild to win Best Feature and Best Female Lead. Southern Wild distributors are campaigning hard for their movie to get nominated in these categories at the Oscars, but since the movie was so low profile, lower budget, and not as well-received, it is an uphill battle. In other words, Indie Spirit Awards attention is going to help Silver Linings Playbook get Oscar wins (a nomination in Best Actress is a lock and Best Picture is very likely), while attention for Beasts of the Southern Wild will get that film nominations (it is not a guarantee in any slot at the Oscars).

The film was later able to win 4 awards including: Best Film, Best Director, Best Female Lead and Best Screenplay.

False Press Release

On the last day of Oscar voting, The Weinstein Company put out a press release saying that Silver Linings Playbook director David O. Russell would be directing the movie The Ends of the Earth, which is a drama about a real-life oil mogul who had a very controversial love affair with his adopted daughter. The script was written by Chris Terrio (Argo) and Jennifer Lawrence was (and still is) set to star. In the Weinstein Company report, a quote from David O. Russel was given. The quote read "Jennifer (Lawrence) possesses a self-deprecating humor that made all of the cast and crew feel at ease...She is that kind of person. She is the most dedicated person I know. She is devoted to her family and they have been the true inspiration for her character and integrity. Her acting is effortless and she always makes it look easy." Not surprisingly, this press release reflected very well on Lawrence and Russel.

Harvey Weinstein

When Oscar day came, Jennifer Lawrence managed to win Best Actress in a very close race with Emmanuelle Riva of Amour and Jessica Chastain of Zero Dark Thirty. In her speech, she thanked Harvey Weinstein, the head of the Weinstein Company who is personally involved in the campaigning for his studio's movies. She might not have been aware how much she owed him.

Apparently, the report was fake. The quote wasn't (that would be illegal), but David O. Russel had not agreed to direct The Ends of the Earth. In fact, he had not been particularly interested because he had already made a movie about incest (Spanking the Monkey) and he didn't want to be too associated with that controversial subject.

The whole point of the news report was to get free press for Silver Linings Playbook and Jennifer Lawrence right before voting. And it seems to have worked.