Silver Linings Playbook

I just saw this movie last week, and I'm curious what folks on this board might have thought about the movie, given that the character Tiffany, although undiagnosed in the film, was later "diagnosed" by a psychiatrist who was interviewed about the movie as having BPD.

Do you folks see Tiffany as exhibiting traits of BPD?

Also, do you feel that the movie portrayed personality disorders and mental illnesses in a way that was reasonable?

I am still trying to figure out Pat. I know he was bipolar, but I'm wondering if his character had any additional PDs. Some folks online suggest that he exhibited N traits.

Personally I liked the movie. The "happy ending" was nice, but I did feel that it incorrectly sent the message that personality disorders will just go away once you find your soulmate, something that isn't really true. I did appreciate the fact that the two characters with PDs in the movie were actually the most decent characters in the movie, while all the people without PDs or mental illnesses were the ones doing the most horrible things, like Pat's dad who kept betting all of his money on football, or all those guys who were trying to use Tiffany for sex, or Pat's wife cheating on him, or when Tiffany's sister tried to sabotage her relationship with Pat by bringing his wife to the dance thing.

VirginiaEsquire wrote:The "happy ending" was nice, but I did feel that it incorrectly sent the message that personality disorders will just go away once you find your soulmate, something that isn't really true.

isn't really true...

VirginiaEsquire wrote:while all the people without PDs or mental illnesses were the ones doing the most horrible things,

isn't really true either...

not to say that two "aren't true" things is too many for a Hollywood movie...

I saw was Pat took Seroquel then went for a jog. There is no way he could do that. I have read online, some doctors give Seroquel as a sleep aid. When I take Seroquel, I'm out unless the restless legs kick in, I feel drunk if I stay awake and get dizzy and it's a mess.

I agree to a point about the people who weren't diagnosed had more problems. It's how life is. My parents have really done a number on me in recent years by treating me like I'm some punk ass kid (I'm in my 30s). And everyone who knows about your problems will treat you like they can smack disorders out of you or they become obsessed with trying to control your life as they see fit, even if they mean well, they take free agency away trying to help. Kind of shows the viewers what the labels do to a person.

I think both characters of the movie didn't show a certain trait of a certain mental instability. Pat had rage seeing his wife naked with another man, who too, was naked. I'm sure anyone would get violent as he did. I didn't really see much bipolar in him. And Tiffany, I didn't see BPD with her. She was grieving. It's almost as if the film was showing that real emotion can be misdiagnosed. Good movie all together though.

I don't think Tiffany had BPD, or if she did, it was colored by the fact that she had just lost her husband and was still grieving that loss.

Pat, on the other hand, I saw a LOT of Bipolar I in him. My brother is Bipolar I and so much of what Pat said and did reminded me of him. "Mom, mom, let's stop at the library, I have to check out the whole syllabus. It's a good thing it's a good thing". Although my brother is still more extreme than his character and has darker times of depression. Pat seemed to be largely manic a lot of the time. As far as Seroquel - my brother can take it and sometimes not be affected at all. Right now he's on Lithium and Seroquel and it does nothing. The director's son was also diagnosed Bipolar, and from what I understand a lot of the script was based on his own experiences with him.

I definitely agree that the family had issues that went undiagnosed. The mother seemed to be in denial some of the time and the father exhibited some obvious OCD traits.

All in all it was a good movie. And I don't think it sent the message that your diagnosis will go away once you're in love and find a soulmate. I think it was just trying to get the point across that people with mental illness can still find happiness. That doesn't mean that Tiffany and Pat won't have trials down the line, we just won't see them... unless there's a sequel. lol.

This film left me feeling really mixed.

I disagree with the comment on the two main characters not actually playing much of a part in the madness that's going on around them. As for the men that were trying to 'use' Tiffany for sex..that was a product of her past actions, she planted the seeds for how they're acting, as they still think it's okay, and she's currently not feeling it. (rings a bell HA) I saw some stuff in her, I guess cause some of it is similar to my acting-out and stuff.

Definitely saw a load of Bipolar in the Pat I agree. (bradley cooper...phwoar)

I also disagree with the comment that it portrayed that mental illness just 'disappears' after you find love. Because frankly, mental illness more than likely sabotages love, as it acts as that 'thing' between two people that pushes them farther apart. Although in some cases, it does make couples stronger, through breakdowns and stuff. I have a friend who is a Schizophrenic, and his fiance is Bipolar. That relationship is big time on the rocks, but that doesn't say it always happens like that.

I guess, with Pat's dad's betting, and a lot of the other characters acting-out... it kinda portrays a realistic circumstance really. Because no family is perfect, and we all act and react to situations in different ways, more often than not in an unhealthy way.

But yah, I walked out the cinema feeling very on edge after that film.

I knew nothing about the movie and was invited to go. I really enjoyed it and laughed a lot in recognition at the two main characters. I'm not sure the movie does a lot in terms of educating nons about these mental conditions, but I personally enjoyed it and related a lot.

I read the book and I thought it was retarded..

Pat almost acted infantile...he could have never held a job at school like that..

I could see where Tiffany could be looked at as BPD but I just think she was grieving.

I hated it...It made people who suffer from mental illness look like damaged fools..we are not different than anyone else..instead of having cancer, our minds or emotions just dont work like they should

msangeedepp wrote:I read the book and I thought it was retarded..

Pat almost acted infantile...he could have never held a job at school like that..

I could see where Tiffany could be looked at as BPD but I just think she was grieving.

I hated it...It made people who suffer from mental illness look like damaged fools..we are not different than anyone else..instead of having cancer, our minds or emotions just dont work like they should

I never read the book... I'd really like to. Did they change Pat for the movie? I didn't find him to be that intolerable in the movie, but it was obvious he'd had a recent breakdown.

he was like 2 two year old in the book...seriously but you cant really protray his thoughts in a movie...his thoughts in the book made him sound like an infant

msangeedepp wrote:he was like 2 two year old in the book...seriously but you cant really protray his thoughts in a movie...his thoughts in the book made him sound like an infant

I do know that Bipolar I disorder if taken alongside with drugs can make you regress - but was Pat a drug user? He wasn't in the movie, but it sounds like the book was different. Sometimes the way my brother talks, he sounds like he's in his teen years (or even pre-teens, it can be unnerving). But I'm not sure if that's because of his disorder or his drug use.