Did Silver Linings Playbook Deserve It’s Oscar Nomination?

The Oscar winner returned to theaters in June 2023 with her first full comedy: No Hard Feelings. However, Jennifer Lawrence has dabbled in the world of comedy before. In fact, Silver Linings Playbook is a romantic comedy. This is where the 32-year-old actress first won her Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role Oscar. Starring opposite Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook is based on the novel of the same name by Matthew Quick.

The film follows Pat Solatano (Cooper), who is fresh out of the mental institution and returns home to his parents. He wants to reunite with his wife, but that outcome looks very bleak given the circumstances surrounding their relationship. Then Pat meets Tiffany (Lawrence). She offers to reconnect him with his wife if he does something very important in exchange. The David O. Russell film was a huge hit with critics and audiences when it was released. The 2012 feature was even nominated for eight Oscars including Best Picture. Looking back at this romantic comedy, was Silver Linings Playbook as good as it was hyped up to be?

The Story Misses The Opportunity To Truly Explore It’s Complex Themes

The biggest problem with Silver Linings Playbook is the lack of exploration for mental issues. Pat is Bipolar. So is Tiffany. The film more often than not treats their illness as jokes. Admittedly, there’s a charm to Silver Linings Playbook. It was funny to see Pat angrily toss out his Ernest Hemingway book. It was also funny when Tiffany slapped Pat and then cried on his shoulders. The movie itself is never mean-spirited towards people dealing with mental issues. It’s towing a gray line on how the subject is tackled.

Russell doesn’t get into the underlying problems about being Bipolar and how it can ruin your life mentally. Most of the symptoms are treated as jokes for a budding romance between Tiffany and Pat. It can be passed off as if Russell is simply trying to document them as regular people dealing with their issues.

It would’ve been nice to get deeper into the psyche of someone who’s Bipolar, but Russell doesn’t mask it either. They’re flawed human beings trying to survive in this world the best way they can. Silver Linings Playbook never feels offensive and the overall story of Tiffany and Pat’s relationship is sweet. It helps that Cooper and Lawrence have amazing chemistry. They feel real and their relationship is organic. The story itself isn’t anything you haven’t seen in dozens of other romantic comedies. But it’s a good enough film that’s held back because it doesn’t go beyond its surface level.

Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper Are The Stars

Silver Linings Playbook is pretty much their film. That’s a, “well duh” statement, but there’s more to these characters that are never explored. It feels like a broken record, but Tiffany crying into the arms of Pat should’ve had more gravitas. Tiffany’s husband tragically died and that’s not easy to forget. Pat’s “quirks” are documented above. Pat and Tiffany have a lot of meat on their bones. But they’re never elevated past the basics of what we’re shown. Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper are certainly the stars of this and they carry themselves brilliantly.

Since we don’t get much beyond the surface level, the supporting characters aren’t much to write home about. No one is bad in Silver Linings Playbook. Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver serve their purpose as Pat’s parents. Chris Tucker is fun as Pat’s good friend. But there’s no substance beyond what we see. We never get an intimate moment on how Pat’s parents are feeling about him fresh out of the mental institution. They love and care about him, but how do they cope with his Bipolar disorder? There are tons of details left out from the book. Everyone can’t get the spotlight, but in this case, Silver Linings Playbook is a two-person show.