Silver Linings Playbook

Arnrún Bergljótardóttir and Dagný Björt Jakobsdóttir.

Silver Linings Playbook is a film released in 2012, directed by David O. Russell and the screenplay of the film was written by David O. Russell and Matthew Quick (Wikipedia, n.d.). The film was not based on real events, but on a novel written by Matthew Quick himself. The main characters were played by Bradley Cooper (Pat), Jennifer Lawrence (Tiffany), Robert D (Pat’s father), Jackie Weaver (Pat’s mother), John Ortiz (Pat’s friend Ronnie), and Anupam Kher (Pat’s psychiatrist, Dr. Cliff Patel). Silver Linings Playbook was a highly successful film both by the standards of0 critics and awards (Wikipedia, n.d.). Internet Movie Database gave the film a high rating of 7.7 out of 10. The well-respected movie evaluator Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a high score of 92%. Finally, Metacritic gave the film yet another high score of 81%. The film was nominated for numerous awards and received many of them (Wikipedia, n.d.).

The plot

Silver Linings Playbook revolves mainly around the main character, Pat Solitano, and his life after leaving a mental hospital as a consequence of great mental distress. Pat Solitano was married to a woman named Nikki and they both were employed in a local elementary school. One afternoon, Pat caught his wife cheating on him with another teacher at the high school. When this incident took place Pat’s and Nikky’s wedding song was playing and that song became a trigger for Pat. When Pat discovered his wife and the teacher, he attacked the man and was sent to Baltimore State Mental Hospital. Later on, the doctors informed Pat that he was suffering from an undiagnosed Bipolar disorder. Pat later discovered that while he had been staying at the mental hospital his wife Nikky had filed for a divorce, moved away, and gotten a restraining order against him. Although his friends and family informed him of Nikky’s current status, Pat would not accept the truth. Pat still strongly believed that he was married to Nicky and that they were in love. Soon after Pat came back home from the mental hospital he met a woman named Tiffany who was dealing with some mental health issues of her own. After Pat and Tiffany had become closer, Tiffany offers to give Nikky a letter from Pat regardless of the restraining order against him. In return, Tiffany asks Pat to compete with her in a dance competition and he accepts. When the dance competition rolls around Pat runs into Nikky but quickly puts an end to their conversation to confess his romantic feelings for Tiffany.

Film of choice

Silver Linings Playbook was our film of choice for varied reasons. Critics, as well as mental health professionals, have voiced that Silver Linings Playbook is an accurate depiction of the struggles of mundane people coping with a mental illness in their everyday life (Wikipedia, n.d.). The main character, Pat, was clearly mentally ill but interestingly enough, he was possibly not the only character with mental health struggles. Tiffany portrayed numerous signs of Borderline personality disorder throughout the whole film, from her black and white thinking patterns to her difficulty in coping with rejection (Guðmundsson, 2014). Overall, Silver Linings Playbook gave an adequate representation of multiple mental illnesses packed into one film. Furthermore, the film is compacted with well-respected and successful actors who were able to portray mental disorders realistically. The last reason for choosing this film is because both of the writers of this essay have personal experiences with individuals with bipolar disorder. This further enabled the writers of this essay to notice symptoms of Bipolar disorder depicted in the film that are occasionally missed by others. Interestingly enough, Pat oftentimes displayed similar symptoms of Bipolar disorder as the individuals in our personal life have portrayed.

Pat Solitano’s backround

Pat Solitano displayed difficulties with his mood for most of his young adult life and beyond indicating that he could be suffering from a mental illness. Pat’s parents were married and his dad had recently lost his job and the relationship between them was mediocre at best. Pat’s father admitted that he did not spend enough time with him, and oftentimes did not give him the support he clearly needed. His mother Deloris however, was a very caring individual who really advocated for Pat, and often was co-dependent towards him and his mental struggles. Pat and his wife Nikki had been experiencing problems in their marriage. One of the main reasons behind his marital difficulties were due to his mood swings and mood episodes as well as his weight problems. Pat had been experiencing delusional thoughts concerning his wife a couple of days prior to his mental breakdown and when he caught her cheating on him Pat responded with severe violence towards the man involved in the infidelity. Pat proceeded to hit the man repeatedly in the face, threw him on the ground, and kicked him in the head, and was not far off from killing him. After Pat came out of the mental hospital people close to him tended to treat him differently than before. For example, his parents always doubted the nature of his mood and the reason behind his actions. Every time his mood swung up or down, his parents were concerned that it could be the start of a manic episode. However, the only person who treated him the same way before and after the mental hospitalisation was his childhood friend, Ronnie. Pat sought refuge often from Ronnie to escape people’s perception of him and Ronnie was always an honest and heartfelt confidant. Additionally, Tiffany played a vital role in Pat’s recovery as she often had a positive and calming effect on Pat. This is most likely due to the fact that they both struggled with their mental illness and were, therefore, able to understand exactly what the other person was going through.

Symptoms and possible diagnosis

Pat Solitero displays symptoms of Bipolar I disorder throughout the entire film. Bipolar I is defined by the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as a cluster of brain disorders that cause extreme fluctuation in a person’s mood, energy, and ability to function (Guðmundsson, 2014). Symptoms of Bipolar I include increased talkativeness, heightened self-esteem, and grandiosity, increased energy, goal-oriented activities, or irritability. Other symptoms include racing thoughts, decreased attention span, and increased risk-taking behaviors (Guðmundsson, 2014). The DSM-5 requires a person to have at least experienced one of the following manic episodes to receive a diagnosis of Bipolar I that is either a manic episode, hypomanic episode, major depressive episode. Oftentimes, Bipolar I disorder includes symptoms of delusional thoughts or delusional thought patterns (Guðmundsson, 2014). Pat had been experiencing delusional thoughts and paranoia concerning his wife Nikky and her ulterior motives towards him. Pat was having irrational beliefs that his wife and a teacher at the school were plotting against him although no evidence was found to back up his beliefs. This is a common occurrence with individuals who are experiencing manic episodes, they often believe that people close to them are plotting against them or are out to get them in some way (Guðmundsson, 2014). Pat also showed symptoms of delusional thoughts concerning his status with his ex-wife Nikki. Pat strongly believed that they were still a happily married couple experiencing slight problems in their marriage. Pat was dedicated to fixing the problems and that determination quickly turned into an obsession.

Individuals living with Bipolar I disorder and experiencing manic episodes tend to show increased irritability and anger when they are faced with difficulties or setbacks (Guðmundsson, 2014). Pat showed this symptom when he witnessed his wife cheating on him as he completely lost control of his temper. Although it is a common reaction to get angry, this sudden fit of rage would have possibly been less severe if Pat’s mental health was stable. Individuals suffering from Bipolar I are also prone to show an increase in energy and goal-directed activity in various areas of life (Guðmundsson, 2014). Pat displayed this particular symptom after he left the hospital when he suddenly became obsessed with exercising. His wife had complained about his weight while they were married and Pat’s only desire was to impress her causing him to become infatuated with exercising to impress Nikky, oftentimes wearing a trash bag. This increasing goal-directed activity is a criterion for Bipolar I but, delusions are also a common occurrence (Guðmundsson, 2014). On numerous occasions, Pat woke his parents up in the middle of the night with manic obsessions. He once woke his parents up in the middle of the night when he was not able to find his old wedding video with Nikky and completely lost his temper. This shows Pat’s decreased need for sleep and his manic tendencies which are both criteria for Bipolar I. Last but not least, an important criterion for Bipolar I includes increased talkative behavior or pressure to keep talking. Pat displayed a rash communicating style with other people, oftentimes blurting inappropriate comments without any rational thought. This comes into another criterion for Bipolar I disorder, having a flight of ideas and racing thoughts often resulting in a lack of communication skills. All in all, Pat portrayed five out of seven criteria for Bipolar I disorder with manic episodes in this film. The way his symptoms are presented and fit the criteria strongly suggests that he is, in fact, suffering from Bipolar I but, has yet to be diagnosed.

Speculation

In the film Silver Linings Playbook Pat clearly displays symptoms of manic episodes that fit the diagnostic criteria for Bipolar I. After watching the film the question that still remains unanswered is whether Pat’s prescribed medication helped him cope with his mental illness. Pat often refused to take his medication and the manic episodes continue to occur throughout the movie, however, in one scene Pat is seen taking medication. After Pat received his medication his mood became more stabilised and in turn, was more level-headed and had better control of his mood. The real question is whether the medication was the main cause for his change in mood and behavior. Furthermore, Pat’s father displays signs of mental illness as well, however, the viewers are never informed if this assumption is correct or not. It is well known that genetics play an influential role when it comes to mental illnesses. This knowledge helps us to assume that Pat was genetically disposed to acquiring a mental illness because of his father’s possible mental issues. However, this question stays unanswered during the entire film. Last of all, the main dilemma in Silver Lining’s Playbook is concerning Pat’s real mental diagnoses since he was never fully diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, only told that he was suffering from undiagnosed Bipolar disorder.

Heimild: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/

Resources

Guðmundsson, K. (2014). Flokkun geðraskana.
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Silver Linings Playbook. Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Linings_Playbook