Silver Linings Playbook

We watched Silver Linings Playbook last week. I was so enticed by the subject material--bipolar disorder. I debated long and hard about whether to watch it, but I heard from a friend how good it is, and I was sold. I'm so glad I did.

As a movie, it's touching, entertaining, thought-provoking, and just plain enjoyable. Jennifer Lawrence was hilarious and everyone did a fantastic job. I love the humor in it and the plot, though sometimes easy to guess, was mostly fresh.

But how do I feel about it as a movie about bipolar disorder? Here are some thoughts I had:

First of all, Bradley Cooper did an absolutely fantastic job portraying someone who has bipolar disorder. From talking to non-bp people, I can tell it's really hard to wrap their heads around what it's like to live with the illness. They say, "Oh, I have mood swings," or, "I've been depressed." And I'm not negating what other people experience, but it's not the same. Take the emotions "normal" people experience and multiply them times 1000 and you'll get bipolar disorder. And it's not just the emotions, though that's what everyone automatically thinks of (and most only know about it). So, for Bradley Cooper to come in and nail this role on the head ... I'm actually really grateful. He really gives compassion to the character and the illness, and you can tell he did extensive research. He shows that we're "normal" people capable of living good, independent, healthy lives. So, Mr. Cooper, thank you.
I loved that both of the main characters received redemption in the movie. I mean, we all love that, right? But what is so wonderful about this movie is they didn't find redemption from their illness. There is no redemption from mental illness BECAUSE THERE IS NONE NEEDED. Having a mental illness, whether chemical or one-time (like situational depression), is not a weakness. It's a condition, an imbalance in the body, like cancer or diabetes. It simply is, and yeah, it's not the funnest thing to live with, but there is nothing wrong with me as a person because of it. The main characters found redemption from their actions which might've been initiated by their illness but are not their illness. And, Cooper's character learns how to accept his illness fully, which is a journey he'd already started before the movie starts.
At first I was annoyed that both of the main characters were so awkward socially in conversation; i.e., no filter. I was like, "Hey! We're not all like that." But then I realized that when I'm very fixated on something, or very hypomanic, that YES, I do lose my filter. And let's be honest, it's a pretty flimsy filter to begin with. :)
One last thought (though I could discuss this for ages)--there are symptoms of bipolar disorder that the script specifically points out, such as Cooper's character mentioning his delusions regarding his wife and her boyfriend, but there many other things that are handled with a subtle touch. Symptoms that I'm not sure those unacquainted with the illness pick up on. One thing is obsessiveness and fixation (which are different things). So, in the scene where he's looking for his wedding video--yes, it's pretty obvious this is caused by bipolar disorder. (And I actually laughed during that whole scene because it was done so well and I dunno, it was funny to see how crazy we get.) But in one scene he's with his family watching a football game and he keeps harping on something over and over, even changing the topic to get back to it. I just thought, "Holy crud, that's me." And I doubt how many people picked up on that. They deftly handled him going from manic to depressed. People think that we're always either slit-your-wrist depressed or spend-all-your-money manic and that is very much false. When he shifted, it was completely realistic. A small shift at first that grows and grows until you are completely opposite. (Though he never got that depressed, but he did shift out of his hypomania.) And of course, there are the intrusive thoughts and triggers, and all that stuff. In other words--if I had stumbled onto this movie with no knowledge of Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Robert de Niro*, I would've thought they actually have their prospective mental illnesses.
And my favorite thing about the movie--it's uplifting. Like A Beautiful Mind, it's a compassionate movie that realistically portrays the struggles of mental illness but with characters who are ultimately able to find a way to successfully cope with their illness. Anyone watching this movie will feel better afterwards. As for myself, I cried simply from what a wonderful thing this movie has done and will continue do for us "crazies." ;)

**They never state that de Niro's character suffers from any specific mental disorder, but it's clear something's going on.