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A Sliver of Silver Lining in Silver Linings Playbook: A Look at Mental Illness in FilmBy: Catherine Morrisey

Hollywood is notorious for the ways it presents and brandishes mental health tomass audiences. In the rare instances in which a major motion picture evenintroduces concepts of mental health, critique inevitably swirls around the overallmessage the writers and actors are trying to achieve. If I think K-Mart sucks, do Imeet the diagnosing criteria for autism like Dustin Hoffmans character in Rain Man?Or can K-Mart just suck, no psychiatric strings attached?(Can you add a snappyexample here, maybe something obvious like from Rainman?)

This is largely due to the formulaic approach Hollywood has adopted a veryformulaic approach in its depiction of mental health. Characters struggling withmental illness are most likely assigned the same types of disorders over and overagain: bipolar, depression, schizophrenia, and/or anxiety. Of these four potential

diagnoses facing the character(s), three types of symptoms emerge: violentoutbursts, unpredictability (which causes extremely uncomfortable scenes for thecharacters andaudience), and the idea that wellness is limited because the issuesabove are all caused by chemical imbalances. And chemical imbalances are theequivalent of Manifest Destiny to the human genome.

Silver Linings Playbookis no exception, and its limited portrayal of psychiatricstruggles has proved wildly profitable for Hollywood. Not only is the film nominatedfor Best Picture at this years Academy Awards, but it hasgrossednearly $100million dollars as of last week.Despite the monetary success, Silver Linings Playbookwaters-down the impact of a chronic, pervasive illness in someones life.

When I first saw the movie, I found it cute. Which is a pretty patronizing reaction to

something as intense as mental illness. But the movie is cute, which is exactly theproblem. You watch as Pat (Bradley Cooper) comes to terms with his life after beinginstitutionalized for a violent outburst (clich #1) that resulted from finding his ex-wife having an affair during their marriage. His moods are unstable and he takes hisbipolar medication sporadically, instead believing his obsessive workout routinescan stabilize him in ways psychotropic medication cannot (clich #2). He soonmeets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) through mutual friends. Tiffany has endured herown share of suffering as a young widow, and has lost her job for sleeping with hercoworkers as a coping mechanism. Be careful, Pats dad (Robert DeNiro) advises,

That girl does a lot of therapy. And theres clich #3.

I left the theatre telling my friends exactly the opposite of what I am nowsuggesting that the movie was actually quite a refreshing take on mental illness. In

their moments of emotional breakdowns, neither character grabbed their heads indespair, the way mental illness is so frequently depicted in art and video. Tiffanys

character is an extremely strong woman, refusing to apologize for her sadness andthe quirky manifestations it sometimes brings. Pats character is trying to come toterms with the life facing him outside the walls of a psychiatric hospital. His home

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life is tense because his mother has her heart in the right place, but also does nottotally understand the needs of her son. Pats dad is obsessive-compulsive andsometimes moody from his anxiety, further adding to a home life that is lesstherapeutic and more triggering.

The movie created scenarios that suggest the burdens of mental health and thesocial obligation to heal are not controlled entirely by the individual sufferer. Itdances around the idea that Pat spitting out his medication is largely to blame forhis delayed healing, but so is his tense home life. The movie acknowledgesboundaries, but does not push them into a revolutionary space in which we sociallyredefine the image of a psychiatric patient. It is exactly why the movie is cute andnot earth-shattering, a love story more than an existential awakening. And whatdoes it say about the history of mental health in film if I am impressed by the merefact that the characters did not grab their heads when struggling emotionally?

My distaste for the movie evolved as I read the novel Silver Linings PlaybookbyMatthew Quick (who did not write the movie screenplay). Pats character is moredeeply defined in the book, with heartbreaking details thatlikely resonate morewith individuals who have experienced mental illness. Pat has no idea how long hehas been institutionalized when he gets out and, contrary to the movies eight month

stint, the book has him heavily medicated and under surveillance for four years. Theauthor also never identifies Pats illness specifically, though one can assume it is a

mood disorder of some kind. Still, he is never labeled as being bipolar as he is inthe film, which adds to the murky understanding of ones own mindthe uncertaintypatients often face in understanding their illness.

The dance competition is the most pivotal moment in the movie, and also the mostpatronizing. Tiffany has scouted Pat to be her partner, and they have practiced

intensely on a routine. They arrive and Pat realizes they will be competing againstprofessional dancers who are all waxed and shiny and probably smell of cocoabutter. When Tiffany and Pat perform, they produce a rhythmically-challengeddance which is clearly meant to induce laughter, including a moment when Tiffanyscrotch is awkwardly in Pats face after they dont completely pull off a lift.

This is the scene most people have told me is their favorite from the movie, butwhich I find problematic for a number of reasons. The characters have no idea theirperformance is so hilarious, and so we have a moment in which society is laughingatthe characters and their illnesses. This scene reinforces the stereotype that thosewith mental illness are unpredictable and socially awkward, that they cannot (orwill not) understand their true places in society (but bless their little hearts fortrying!).

Adding to the patronizing effect is the fact that the book unveils this scene verydifferently. Tiffany is actually competing at a dance competition for women whohave survived depression, and who have used dance as a primary coping skill(rather than sleeping with coworkers, but that is a whole different issue). She has

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competed every year and feels she will have a stronger routine with a partner, thusinspiring her to train with Pat earlier in the book. While the two of them arenoticeably the oldest contestants, there is no reason to believe they are actingoutside the social boundaries of decency. Their dance, choreographed by Tiffany,receives a standing ovation, tears, and loud applause. It is artistic, soulful,mesmerizing, enchanting, thought-provoking, and healing. In the novel, thecompetition is not even a competition there are no winners or losers because thepoint is for characters to depict their struggles through movement. As a reader, youare not laughing through this part of the book; you are emotionally engaged andfinally starting to grasp the pain that lies behind chronic sadness, grief, and loss. It isan entirely different dance than the one depicted in the film now nominated formultiple Oscars.

So, just what is the point of portraying this scene with such mocking undertones inthe film? There are many answers to this question, and you may have your own

ideas. But I believe tIt seems, however, that the film desperately tries to packagemental illness in pretty wrapping paper and a bow, to make it seem shiny and lesscomplicated than it really is. The film shows characters with mental illnesses failingto be socially appropriate and successful in the most pivotal moments. For therecord, Im all for throwing up ones hands and being socially inappropriate, but the

screenplay took away an accomplishment from both characters that was achieved inthe book, creating a way for audiences to laugh atthe realities facing psychiatricpatients.

The characters failed attempts to integrate with society resonates with theexpectations society frequently has for mental health patients who experiencejoblessness, homelessness, relapses, suicide attempts, emotional setbacks, and soon. This makes a world of difference when discussing and portraying mental health.

It also reinforces the idea that mental illness will always linger in the lives of thosediagnosed and medicated, and their accomplishments are therefore limited, for themost part, to tacky costumes and a failed crotch-lift.

Oh, but bless their hearts for trying.