Silver Linings Playbook BD [Blu-ray]

Patrick Solitano (Bradley Cooper) is ready to face the world! After a stint at a mental health facility, Pat wants to go back to teaching and to pursue his wife (Bea Bree). If he works hard enough, she’ll remove the restraining order and give him another chance. But is he all better? He still goes through manic episodes, and his parents (Robert DeNiro and Jacki Weaver) suffer the consequences. He’s not taking his medication — doesn’t want to feel “foggy” all day. But then he meets his friend’s sister-in-law, a beautiful young widow named Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), who appears to have mood-related issues of her own. Pat wants his wife back and Tiffany offers to help. How? With dance lessons. She’s not a great dancer herself, but it helps relieve stress, and she thinks Pat could benefit from a few dance lessons. Tiffany has a hidden agenda though. She’s falling in love with Patrick. She hopes he will feel the same way. She also bonds with his football-obsessed father — aiming for more meaningful enmeshment. But will Patrick ever see past his self-inflicted fog?I didn’t know what to make of this movie at first. Seemed risky — a story about a man with such a controversial mental health problem (controversial due to the constant stigmatization, but more on that later). I never read the book this movie is based on, so I dived in without knowing what to expect. I love it! LOVE. IT. Bradley Cooper shines in this film! He shows the depths of his talent, and he humanizes a man with little to no control of his emotional faculties. And Jennifer Lawrence? She won an Oscar for this role, need I say more? Even though no one knows what Tiffany’s problem is (even Patrick is at a loss), it is clear that she suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder. I can see why the writer might have done this. People confuse BPD with BD all the time. Bipolar is a mood disorder and Borderline is a personality disorder. They both have mood swings, but the similarities end there.Bipolar Disorder — once known as “Manic Depression” — is marked by radical changes in mood, energy, thought patterns, and behavior. Borderline Personality Disorder is when you have difficulty regulating your emotions, most of which is triggered by an extreme fear of abandonment. BD is treatable through medication and mood-stabilizing exercises. BPD is also treatable, but not through anti-depression, anti-anxiety or anti-psychosis medication (like Zyprexa). (Hence the scene where she tells Pat that Xanax and Klonopin don’t seem to work on her.) BPD is not a chemical imbalance in the brain — the Borderline’s brain is literally underdeveloped, from low levels of Oxytocin in the frontal lobe. This leads to self-destructive behavior, like cutting, substance abuse or sleeping with multiple partners. Dialectical Behavior Therapy is the most effective treatment for BPD. They have to do this for a lifetime. By dancing, Tiffany has come up with her own version of DBT, but she still needs the real thing. Borderline is one of five personality disorders in the Cluster B (the “Wild” cluster). Unfortunately, that means BPD is clustered with narcissists, sociopaths and psychopaths. Unlike those three disorders, people with BPD still feel love and empathy toward others (at least those who don’t have narcissistic or psychotic tendencies), and therefore they’re more treatable than the others. When we think of BPD, we think Glenn Close in FATAL ATTRACTION, but Tiffany is a more realistic portrayal of a borderline. (Another realistic borderline is Clementine in ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, played by Kate Winslet. And a good example of a sociopathic borderline is Amanda Seyfried’s character in CHLOE.) BPD and the other Cluster B disorders are grossly misdiagnosed all the time, hence the reason why Tiffany and the others don't know what is wrong with her.So I love this movie! I love movies that make me think, and this one does it for me. It has complex characters, but the plot is still fun and full of heart. It has such an amazing cast. Besides Cooper, Lawrence and DeNiro, we also have Chris Tucker, Julia Stiles and Paul Herman, but the true star is the theme of this movie. People stigmatize mental health disorders an awful lot, especially Bipolar Disorder. If someone exhibits high levels of emotion, that person is immediately labeled a “bipolar.” We MUST stop doing that. 1) People with Bipolar Disorder deserve to live a dignified life, and they don’t need some jerk belittling and stigmatizing their condition and 2) unless you have a PhD in Psychology, you have no business diagnosing others (or yourself).Great movie! It gets five solid Coconut and Hazelnut Cold Brew Iced Coffees (with a touch of brown sugar)!

This film has tremendous relevance for me personally, as mental illness runs in my family. Bradley Cooper portrays a retired school teacher who lives at home with his two parents, and suffers very profoundly with manic-depression after staying in a hospital for a while. His manic episodes are centered around a wife who cheated on him at his former place of employment, a public school where he was an English teacher. He has to live within the confines of a restraining order against him (from his ex), and his friends, parents and siblings who want him to find love again. He shows up on a blind date with one of his married couple friends, to meet Jennifer Lawrence...a lot younger than him, but a widow who is ready to re-enter the singles dating scene. She has a dance studio where she spends all her time, and is planning to enter a dance contest on New Years Eve. Bradley Cooper very reluctantly but at the advice and hard pushing of his parents, engages as her dance partner. His running addiction makes him a fit partner for her. She doesn't care that he is Bipolar, she just needs a partner. I have seen this film a couple times and it won best actor for Jennifer Lawrence, based on a scene in the dance contest in the end that showed her determination and hope, and how Bradley Cooper held her up like an Olympian doubles figure skater. I saw this film in theaters first, then purchased it. Cooper finally admits to himself that he doesn't want to reconcile with his wife after the restraining order elapses, and some uncomfortable, but true, adult lessons are learned for the viewer throughout the film.

Since Silver Linings Playbook came out, I've watched it close to three dozen times. I love the movie so much that I purchased a digital copy on Amazon.This is romantic comedy in many ways, but it's also a drama. It's as much about love as it is about finding yourself. It's the type of movie anyone can find common ground with and enjoy.Many people criticize this movie because of it's pacing and the age difference between Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper; neither criticism holds water.I could go on and on about this movie, but I'll keep it simple:1. The themes and overall message of this film are very realistic and even the "Silver Lining" makes sense and doesn't feel cheap and contrived.2. Cooper and Lawrence absolutely have amazing chemistry and their age difference does not take away from the film.3. The setting is perfect given the plot and script4. Speaking of the script, it's very well written, with only very small areas that come off a bit cheesy.5. Every character is well fleshed out6. There's something for everyone in this film. It has the romance, mental health issues, redemption, infidelity, the fallout of a marriage breaking down, the love between a father and son, and hitting rock bottom and standing back up. Sure, I'm probably coming off like a sap, but I just can't emphasize enough how much I love this movie.In sum, if you're considering watching this, please do, I promise you you're not wasting your time!Cheers!

As a Bipolar sufferer I always dread the usual cliche'd portrayal of mental health conditions in the vast degrees of forms they appear to us in, But perfect screen couple Jennifer and Bradley do an excellent job in what is a really funny, sweet, beautifully acted movie with a top-notch soundtrack.Why do I never seem to attract gorgeous women eager to dance with me when I go jogging?A real feel-god film, life affirming movie deserving a place in everyone's collection

This movie well deserved all of its award nominations including its four, outstanding Oscar Winners! All of the leading characters were seen to have mental health problems of one kind or another, and that made for some really intense acting and some difficult scenes - but the overall likeability of them all shone through and you were willing them all on to succeed throughout! At the climax of the story - the dance competition and its immediate aftermath - we were glued to the edge of our seats and I've rarely seen such a satisfyingly brilliant ending to a film!!!This is a MUST SEE for EVERYONE!

I'm not a Rom-Com fan. I find the comedy lightweight, the stories fluffy & the outcome is always predictable. But this is an exception. The story is predictable, but the performances & the comedy are top notch. There's a real air of charm from every character, who all appear to have hang-ups of some sort (don't we all). But I ended up warming to them all & it's not just the two leads who steal the show - the phenomenal cast are all on their game here.And Robert De Nero has finally appeared in a decent movie turning in a great performance, considering the poor choices & some of the rubbish he's appeared in from recent years.A film to be seen & even if you're not a Rom-Com fan, this stands head & shoulders above all the others. I loved it!

Ich schätze Jennifer Lawrence und Bradley Cooper grundsätzlich sehr, und ich kann auch nicht behaupten, dass sie in diesem Film einen schlechten Job gemacht hätten. Doch alles andere wäre auch eine Faustdicke Überraschung - sowohl die Handlung als auch die Charaktere bleiben so oberflächlich, blass und eindimensional, dass diese Rollen vermutlich auch drei Klassen schwächere Schauspieler sturzfrei hätten ausfüllen können.Ich hatte mir gerade ob der Besetzung und der Auszeichnungen eine etwas anspruchsvollere Komödie erwartet, welche auch dem Thema der angeschlagenen Psychen der Protagonisten mit der angemessenen Tragikkomik begegnet. Letztlich handelt es sich leider aber doch nur um eine 08/15-Hollywoodkomödie von der Stange, nur eben mit einem etwas ungewöhnlichen Rahmen. Natürlich gibt es zwei, drei gelungene Gags, das war es dann aber auch schon wieder.Noch dazu werden viele fachliche Fehler bei den Erklärungen und den Begriffen bzgl. psychischer Erkrankungen und Störungen gemacht, welche diese in ein teilweise falsches Licht rücken. Dies wirkt dem mangelnden Verständnis in der Bevölkerung gegenüber Betroffenen - vorsichtig formuliert - mit Sicherheit nicht gerade entgegen.Wofür dieser Film so viele Nominierungen und Auszeichnungen bekommen hat, ist mir komplett schleierhaft. War 2012 filmisch tatsächlich ein dermaßen desaströses Jahr?

This is one of my favourite movies - it presents dysfunctional people in real and compelling ways. The story line is great and I felt I really cared what would happen to each of the individuals in the film.Acting from everyone is spot on - Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, though playing 'strange' flawed people, are easy to fall in love withAmazon had this discounted at £1.42 for prime delivery - bargain for a brand new DVD - thanks!