Pat Solitano, a former school teacher fresh from a bit of time in a mental institution, moves back in with his parents and tries to make up with his ex-wife. But as you’d expect, there’s a catch. He meets a girl named Tiffany, who has problems of her own.
“Silver Linings Playbook” will be playing at the Eastern Michigan University Student Center at 8 and 10:30 p.m. Friday, April 12. Admission to both showings is free.
Jennifer Lawrence won the Academy Award for Best Actress as Tiffany. Lawrence also starred as Katniss in the “Hunger Games,” but in this movie she has proven that she is more than just a “teen book made into movie” kind of actress. Lawrence is a real artist with talent as she proved by winning the Oscar. And a Golden Globe. And a Satellite Award. But who’s counting?
Bradley Cooper is the film’s official star, though. Cooper, who played Phil in “The Hangover,” was nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars. Pat, who has bipolar disorder, teams up with the recently-widowed sex addict Tiffany Maxwell, who says she will help Pat get his ex-wife back if he agrees to help her win a dance competition. As they train, they become closer, constantly re-examining their relationship with one another helping each other deal with their disorders.
Robert DeNiro plays Pat’s father. DeNiro was nominated for an Oscar for the fifth time for “Silver Linings Playbook.” But that’s ok—he’s won two others. This is the second movie that DeNiro has made with Cooper, the other being “Limitless.” Jacki Weaver plays his mom. Weaver was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress in this movie; this is the second time she’s been nominated for an Oscar as Best Supporting Actress.
Chris Tucker plays Danny McDaniels, Pat’s best friend who he met at the mental hospital.
It’s not just the critics that loved “Silver Linings Playbook” either; according to IMDB.com, the movie made about $214 million, nearly ten times the $21 million budget. “Silver Linings Playbook” was almost made Best Picture and Best Screenplay at the Oscars, the Austin Film Festival and the Golden Globes. It’s not often that any movie, no matter what genre or who’s in it or who made it, gets nominated for all four acting categories.
