Shoving Silver Linings Playbook into the typically ditzy genre of romantic comedies discredits this movie. Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, and Robert De Niro star in this smart film which relays the relationship between two slightly unhinged adults. It offers crowd pleasing optimism while avoiding the usual cliches that often spoil such flicks.

Cooper portrays Pat, who is trying to piece his life together after an incident that permanently altered his life. Pat caught his beloved wife cheating on him, and in response, he proceeds to beat her lover to near death. This lands him in a mental institution where he learns not only of his bipolar disorder but how to find life’s “silver linings.”

Pat’s path soon crosses with Tiffany, who like him suffers under the weight of mental illness and past heartbreak. Pat strives for normalcy by preaching delusional positivity to himself, while Tiffany spirals into listless depression. Together, these eccentric characters attempt to navigate through the mess of their lives.

Silver Linings Playbook provides insights to the strains of mental illness but also counters that heaviness with light humor. The impressive cast executes each role impeccably, earning this film countless nominations.

Written by Maddie Vaziri’16