David O. Russell did an excellent job of writing the screen
play for this movie, which is taken from the novel by Matthew Quick. Set in present
day Philadelphia, the film tells the story of Pat, Jr., played by Bradley
Cooper, who is released from John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore after becoming
violent when he finds his wife in the shower with another man.
After 8 months, his mother, played by Jacki Weaver, comes to
pick him up and take him home. But, there are conditions to his release. He
must remain on his medications; which he routinely spits out; and he must not
have any contact with his estranged wife, including staying several hundred
feet from her place of employment. Any violation of these conditions will see
him returned to Baltimore.
Arriving at home in Philadelphia, Pat, Jr. finds that his
father, Pat Sr., played by Robert DeNiro, has lost his job and is taking bets
on sports events as a way to make a living. Pat, Jr. cannot seem to come to
terms with the dissolution of his marriage. He feels that if can just explain
to her what happened that day when he caught her in the shower, he can move on.
But, there is that pesky restraining order to be dealt with.
He hooks up with an old friend, Ronnie, played by John
Ortiz, who is married, and through him meets a woman named Tiffany, played by Jennifer
Lawrence. Her husband was a police officer killed in the line of duty; leaving
Tiffany widowed and deeply troubled. She has been on a bender, sleeping with
just about anyone she can, to fill the void left by her husband’s death. When
Pat, Jr. meets her, things begin to happen.
He continues to eschew the medications and embarks on a
journey of self-discovery. His main goal is to get back to his wife; even if
just to explain his actions and what caused him to lose control. He also longs
to return to teaching, which his diagnosis as bi-polar prevents him from doing.
So, he begins to look for the “silver linings” in his life as a way to regain
control of himself. The biggest problem he has is that he hears the Stevie
Wonder song “My Cheri Amour” playing over and over in his head. It was the song
he and his wife danced to at their wedding, and was also the song playing on
the radio when he discovered his wife in the shower. Whenever he hears it; or
thinks he does; he becomes out of control, threatening the very freedom which
he cherishes.
As he becomes involved more and more with Tiffany, he begins
to realize that we are all, to some extent, obsessed with something or other.
His father is a fanatic Philadelphia Eagles fan, and risks prison for taking
bets on the game. After all, how sane is that? As Pat and Tiffany get to know
one another more, they begin to feed off of one another with surprising
results. What begins as a love-hate type relationship evolves into a deeper
understanding of both themselves, as well as those around them who affect their
lives. In the end, the question which hangs in the air is not whether Pat, Jr.
and Tiffany are flawed, but rather it becomes apparent that we all are; in one
way or another.
Robert DeNiro gets better and better with each film he
makes. It doesn’t matter if he is directing, or just acting, he simply matures
more with each film he does.
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