Movie Spoiler SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK (2012)

The film starts out with a patient, Pat (Bradley Cooper), conducting his daily routines at a psychiatric facility.  He had suffered a violent episode after learning that his wife was cheating on him with one of their colleagues.  His mother Dolores (Jacki Weaver) picks him up and fellow patient Danny (Chris Tucker in his first non-Rush Hour film in fifteen years!) hitches a ride.  They return him to the facility, before they arrive in their Philadelphia home where Pat Sr. (Robert De Niro) is watching football.  Father reaches for his son’s necklace and observes it.  Pat believes he is now better and there is still an opportunity to save his marriage and get his job back.  His motto is: “Excelsior.”  Everyone goes to bed and Pat stays up all night reading Farewell to Arms.  Not liking the ending, he throws the book out the window, and wakes his parents over his disappointment. 

The next day, Pat exercises and then his mother drives him to therapy.  His therapist Dr. Cliff Patel (Anupam Kher) plays “My Cheri Amour” while Pat waits in the reception area, triggering him to freak out.  During the session, there’s a flashback to his wife’s affair. 

At home, Dolores tries to convince her son to take his medication and Pat Sr requests his son watch the game on the TV with him for good luck.  A kid shows up at their front door to interview Pat about mental illness.  Pat jogs by the school he used to teach at and corners one of his old colleagues to extract information about his wife.  Later, he bumps into his friend Ronnie (John Ortiz), who invites him to dinner prepared by his wife Veronica (Julia Stiles in a casting stroke of genius as Jennifer Lawrence’s sister).  Cop Keogh (Dash Mihok) shows up at the door to warn Pat to stay away from the school, as there is a restraining order against him.  Pat attends another therapy session. 

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When Pat in a sport’s jersey arrives that evening for the dinner invite, Veronica’s sister Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a recent widow, is also in attendance.  They get a tour of the house and then eat, while Tiffany is combative with her sister and trades barbs with Pat.  Tiffany decides to leave abruptly and Pat walks her home.  She hits on him (“I hate the fact that you wore a football jersey to dinner, because I hate football, but you can fuck me if you turn the lights off, okay?”), cries, they embrace, and then she slaps him.  Led Zeppelin “What Is & What Should Never Be” plays while Pat looks for wedding video.  He wakes up his parents, an argument ensues, and then the entire neighborhood is involved.  There’s a flashback to Pat beating his wife’s lover.  When he accidentally hits his mother, his father attacks him.  Officer Keogh shows up, then the kid who’s conducting an interview.  Pat Sr visits the kid’s parents.  The next day, Pat takes his pills and replaces the window he broke with his copy of Farewell to Arms.  During his jog, Tiffany (literally) runs into him and begins chasing him when he wants to be left alone.  Pat attends another therapy session. 

On Halloween, Tiffany runs into Pat again during a jog.  Later, he picks her up for a date.  At a diner, he has cold cereal and she orders tea.  She agrees to give his ex-wife Nikki (Brea Bee) a letter, which is against the conditions of her restraining order against him.  They get into an argument, and Tiffany swipes everything from the table onto the floor and leaves.  The waitress stops Pat from leaving before paying, “Slow down, Raisin Bran.”  Tiffany makes a scene outside.  “My Cheri Amour” plays, while Cop Keogh shows up.  Realizing Pat might get in trouble, Tiffany steps in and calms him down.  The cop hits on her and she leaves.  Pat catches up with her. 

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The next day, Pat Sr looks for an envelope.  Dolores prepares food.  Pat Sr, along with his friends, press Pat about the contents of the envelope.  He visits Tiffany, along with another man, Jordie (Phillip Chorba), and her parents try to shoo them away.  During a jog, she asks Pat to be her dance partner for an upcoming local competition ala Dancing with the Stars. 

Danny visits Pat and becomes Pat Sr’s latest OCD superstition good luck charm.  Ronnie gives Pat an iPod as a present.  Pat’s brother Jay is there.  Cop Keogh arrives to pick up Danny.  Tiffany shows Pat her home, which has a first floor comprised totally of a dance studio.  She plays a song while they stare at each other’s eyes as part of an exercise to loosen Pat up.  There is a montage of the two of them practicing, indicating the feelings he’s developing for her.  Pat’s Mom reaches out to him on behalf of his father.  

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In the studio, Tiffany demands more of Pat’s attention for their rehearsal time.  Danny shows up and they show him some of their routine.  Pat Sr wakes his son up, because he’s worried his football team will lose their next game and he believes his son’s attendance (Pat Sr is permanently banned from the stadium) will result in a victory.  They go downstairs and Randy (Paul Herman) is there.  At the studio, Pat and Tiffany practice “the big move,” in exchange for the letter “Nikki” wrote for Pat. 

Pat arrives at the stadium for the tailgating party and Jay introduces him to all of his friends.  Pat runs into his therapist and some racist asshole starts some shit.  Fights break out, preventing Pat from making it to rehearsal with Tiffany on time.  Pat Sr loses a fortune on the game to Randy and rips into his son.  Tiffany arrives and expresses her own anger at Pat.  Pat Sr blames the Eagle’s bad juju on Tiffany who, in turn, details Pat’s whereabouts in relation to the team’s performance and tears apart his argument.  She then gets into it with Randy and suggests double-or-nothing against the Cowboys.  Pat Sr and Randy agree to a parlay, which includes Pat and Tiffany scoring at least a five average at the dance competition.  Pat steps outside and realizes (major spoiler, that’s easy to see coming) that Tiffany wrote the letter.  Parents agree to lie to Pat that Nikki is going to be at the dance competition. 

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Pat runs in the rain.  Pat and Tiffany stretch at the studio, and tape their shoes.  At Pat’s house, the family celebrates Christmas Bing Crosby's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."  Tiffany dresses Pat for the competition.  Everyone arrives at the dance hall and the competition is pretty fierce.  Danny arrives.  Tiffany sees Nikki with Veronica and Ronnie.   Pat checks in with Tiffany.  She confronts Veronica about bringing Nikki and has a drink at the bar.  Pat watches the dancers compete.  He spots Nikki.  A lawyer hits on a now drunk Tiffany.  The guys watch the football game.  Pat looks for Tiffany.  The announcer calls their names.  Having just watched their team win the game, the guys run to watch Pat and Tiffany dance, as there is a great deal of anticipation in the air.  Pat and Tiffany perform a dance medley, which is, pretty awful, to say the least.  Their “Big Move” is the cherry on top of what essentially is a comical number.  But, they help win the parlay with a “five” average.  Pat beelines for Nikki and Tiffany leaves hurt.  After he parts ways with Nikki, Pat Sr gives his son the business.  Pat runs after Tiffany and gives her the letter.  They kiss.  There are shots of them together at her studio, Pat’s home, in a montage including family and friends.  Roll credits.  

Box-Office / Oscar Potential 

Harvey Weinstein was able to shepherd a silent film to $45M last year, so he should have no problem meeting that figure and then some.  Playbook is essentially a romantic comedy dealing with main characters who suffer from mental illness.  It's audience friendly, with an easy-to-follow-plot, complete with a happy ending, which is aimed directly at middle America (the football business, mostly, and perhaps the dance competition).  It's well-assembled and entertaining.  During an age with few blockbuster romantic-comedy, this strikes me as a movie that could reach that level.  $80M seems like an underestimation to me, while I wouldn't find $120M all that surprising if the stars all line up.  Whatever the case, this film is going to be a hit.  It's pretty clear.  What will be interesting is how many Oscar nods Weinstein will be able to squeeze out of what will surely be an aggressive campaign.  It's not a period film, lacking any grand or unique visual scope, so, after sure-fire Best Picture and Adapted Screenplay nods, and a likely Director nod for David O. Russell, a high nomination tally will require every actor he can fit into the race.  Jennifer Lawrence is the MVP as Best Actress, who is the odd's-on favorite to win at this point.  I would even suggest Robert De Niro may have a shot at winning for Supporting Actor.  De Niro has won twice from a total of six nominations, the last of which was from over twenty years ago (Cape Fear).  I can't say it's his best work.  In fact, it's a mystery to me why so many find his performance so special.  But, he's one of those actors the AMPAS may want to reward with a third Oscar and this would be their opportunity to do so.  Presently, though, a nomination seems imminent.  The other races are tougher calls.  Cooper is facing stiff competition with the Best Actor race quite likely having four slots already spoken for.  How warmly Hugh Jackman's role in Les Misérables is received will factor into his chances.  Jacki Weaver may also get nominated for supporting actress.  There are three positions possibly taken (Hathaway, Hunt, Adams), leaving her two chances, and while her turn didn't turn my head, having Weinstein behind her automatically increase her odds.

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