Your Movie Mage: ‘Silver Linings Playbook’

Welcome back to another issue of Your Movie Mage, where I discuss underrated movies across genres. Last week we delved into the romantic sci-fi comedy, “Palm Springs” and this week we’ll be covering a more popular and well-known romantic comedy, “Silver Linings Playbook.” 

Discussion of mental disorders below. 

“Silver Linings Playbook” follows Pat (Bradley Cooper) and Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), as they’re both getting back up after their lowest points. Pat was institutionalized for eight months after physically assaulting the man his wife was having an affair with. Tiffany’s husband died and her subsequent coping actions got her fired and put on medication. Pat’s goal throughout the movie is to win back his ex-wife. He’s being treated for bipolar disorder, which he was diagnosed with after the incident that got him arrested, though he had unknowingly been dealing with it his whole life. Tiffany is dealing with an unnamed disorder, most likely depression and potentially borderline personality disorder, as theorized by some viewers.  

I’m not generally a huge fan of romantic comedies, but this one stands out to me. Like many rom-coms, it’s very obvious where the plot is heading; what makes this film different are the two main characters and their friends and family. Each character is well-thought out and feels very real. We know Pat and Tiffany are meant to be struggling because they are on medication or being treated for mental illness. However, it soon becomes apparent that everybody is struggling, and the line of mental illness can be blurry.  

Pat also reminds us that people who are judging him have no place to do so. He says this to his friend Ronnie, who is having marital issues. Pat reminds Ronnie he shouldn’t judge Tiffany or him for being in therapy, as he should be in it too. This is an important message and a significant change from the common portrayal of mental illness as incomprehensible.  

The movie has been criticized for its portrayal of bipolar disorder because it doesn’t show the depressive episodes involved in the disorder, which are often overlooked. This can be ignored because the focus of the movie is more on mania, which isn’t portrayed as much and is less understood.  

Having an accurate portrayal of a depressive episode would have altered the film greatly. So, at the expense of portraying each aspect of bipolar disorder, viewers get a more entertaining, albeit less realistic film. 

The portrayal of mental illness subverts typical stereotypes. Disorders aren’t blown out of proportion so viewers can laugh at Pat and Tiffany. Instead, viewers are meant to sympathize with and understand them. It highlights that mental illness doesn’t always manifest in extreme forms and can go undetected. Pat lived over 30 years without a diagnosis, despite having struggled with this disorder alone for a long time. This shows us an all-too-common problem for many people suffering from mental illness.  

Another aspect that I appreciated was the depiction of medication in treating mental disorders. Upon meeting, Pat and Tiffany get into a discussion about what medications they’ve been on. The entire discussion boils down to them not feeling good or like themselves on medication. Pat expresses this feeling throughout the film, although this does not mean the film is anti-medication. Rather, it accurately portrays issues involved in medication and why so many people, especially those with bipolar disorder, go off their medication—even when not advised by their psychiatrist. Once Pat actually begins taking his medication, he levels off and is much more balanced. From there, he’s able to put in the work to have a happy and fulfilling life. Medication isn’t portrayed as a fix-all, but rather an important aspect of treatment.  

A lot of Pat’s manic actions actually seem positive. This is another new way they depicted mental illness. Movie portrayals of mental illness often make it obvious why a person should be medicated but, in reality, it can be hard to tell. People feel productive and happy and decide to not go on medication or seek treatment. We can understand why Pat thinks he’s doing better and doesn’t need treatment.  

One discrepancy is some may take away that love beats mental illness, as Pat and Tiffany end up together and are happy. I personally do not read it this way at all and see it as two people pushing each other towards treatment and a more positive life. Ending up together just happened to coincide with other events pushing them towards recovery. Pat had the full support of his family and friends, which allowed him to work soley on his mental health. Tiffany was also living at home and had more freedom to improve her mental health as well.  

Could you assume the film implies their mental illness is fixed because they fell in love? Sure, if you want to. However, I assumed they stayed together but are still constantly working on staying on top of their mental health. They aren’t “fixed,” as they will still struggle, but they have a support system. Also, people with mental illness fall in love too. Those with mental illness are much better off with a support system and in a healthy relationship, so the ending is completely realistic while keeping the classic happy rom-com ending.  

It’s true that struggling with mental illness is not easy and there may be people who don’t want it portrayed in a lighter way. However, I thought it was a much-needed change in the depiction of mental illness. Movies that depict mental illness realistically and with a positive ending are few and far between, so I was happy to see one that instilled the viewer with hope.  

I give “Silver Linings Playbook” an underratedness score of 2/5, as the film has been recognized for its greatness and is beloved by many. I do think it’s still underrated because not many college-aged people have seen it, considering it came out in 2012. I have also seen a lot of criticism of its portrayal of mental illness and lack of representation of the lows in bipolar, which I don’t think it deserves.