by Diana Crandall
With rave reviews and nominations for multiple awards by the Academy and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Silver Linings Playbook has been in headlines non-stop since its Sept. 8 premiere at the 2012 Toronto Film Festival.
Although I personally am not as dazzled by Jennifer Lawrence as everyone else seems to be, and probably would have written the wacky, football-driven plot with different emphasis and direction, I think it’s important to acknowledge the important facets of mental illness brought to theaters with this film. It follows the life of a young man showcasing symptoms of severe mania and other abnormal symptoms, like delusions.
It is particularly important to recognize the significance of Playbook in light of the heavy, nuanced reporting of mental illness in the past few months.
Horrendous tragedies, like the shooting at Sandy Hook and the Dark Knight Rises premiere in Aurora, Colorado, have brought national attention to mental illness.
Diagnoses and accusations have been thrown around major news networks while “psychopath,” “evil” and a general sense of incomprehensibility have become dinner-table discussion topics.
But while the attention can be positive for funding and legislation, the ignorance surrounding mental illness isn’t doing any favors for students who are planning on dedicating their lives to the psychology and related fields, or to faculty who continue to conduct research and guide their pupils into the professional arena.
Touching on these issues is precisely why Playbook couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. Despite the fact that it isn’t my favorite movie, the portrayal of “crazy” is a lot more accurate than other movies that take a stereotype and run with it.
Instead of brimming with raging instability, like Christian Bale’s Patrick Bateman scene in American Psycho, Playbook offers a much more rounded representation of mental illness in society. Bradley Cooper’s mania and Robert De Niro’s subtle compulsions make “having issues” less about a mysterious, unstable danger to society, and more about healing and functioning as real-life patients do every day.
Is bipolar disorder crippling? Yes. The effects of Cooper’s illness are seen clearly, particularly in a manic episode the results in a shattered window and angry parents.
However, despite the negative components of the illness that the movie rightfully showcases, Playbook outlines the development of an individual’s life as he begins the process of healing, therapy, and moving forward. Beware of the notion that love cures mental illness, however. Director David Russell couldn’t resist injecting a little “Hollywood” into the ending.
dcrandal@capital.edu
