Character Analysis Of The Movie 'Silver Linings Playbook'

The Run to Acceptance Most viewers would say that the movie Silver Linings Playbook was a romantic drama revolving around a man named Pat with bipolar disorder and an unstable widow named Tiffany. However, from the introduction of the protagonist Pat, it would seem that the director was conveying a deeper meaning about the fear and acceptance of mental illness rather than the universal love story that people saw from the surface. From the start, Pat was introduced off-centered with the camera to his back while he stated, “I’m better now”(Silver Linings Playbook), but it was apparent that he was still unstable. The staging of this scene underlined the distance that his character was trying to create. His denial of his mental condition

The kid wanted an interview about having a mental disorder, but instead of graciously denying this request, Pat ran away and the camera filmed his back from a distance. This is the first occurrence where Pat was filmed running away, giving the audience insight into how his mental illness affects his daily life. In this scene, it is important to note that Pat was running alone with his back to the camera, facing away from his problems and fears. He continued to ignore his mental condition until he met a mysterious widow named Tiffany. Tiffany’s character helped Pat acknowledge his condition and made him confess that he hates his illness. Although their first few interactions led to Pat running away and Tiffany chasing after him, the visual motif of his character running away and the staging was still the same. Pat was filmed with his back to the camera and he was still not comfortable with “facing” his mental

Russell’s application of visual motif through Pat running in the film Silver Linings Playbook was used to convey the difficulties one faces from society, family, and one’s own self when diagnosed with a mental disorder. Pat’s journey to accepting his mental illness was supported by the visual methods that were used in the film. The staging of Pat’s character while running also played an important part in showing the internal conflict that he faced in order to finally accept his flawed nature. His back turned to the camera, symbolized his fear of his life not being perfect because of his diagnosis of being bipolar. With this, the film’s exceptional use of staging and camera position highlighted the journey of Pat’s condition, emphasizing the unique story behind the rough road leading to a “happy ending” in the point of view of someone who has a mental