UMD ASSIGNMENT

SILVER LINING
PLAYBOOK
MOVIE REVIEW
 CONTENT

1. Synopsis of the film

2. Symptoms of Protogonist
3. Diagnostic Criteria according to DSM
4. The Cause of Bipolar I suffered by Pat
5. Criticism to the Movie
 Synopsis of the film
Silver Linings Playbook" follows the story of Pat Solitano Jr.,
who is released from a mental health facility into the care of his
parents after eight months of treatment for bipolar disorder.
Determined to reconcile with his estranged wife Nikki, Pat tries
to find the silver linings in life, despite experiencing anxiety
attacks and facing challenges with his medication.

At a dinner with friends, Pat meets Tiffany Maxwell, a widow

with her own mental health struggles. They bond over their
shared experiences and Tiffany offers to help Pat reconnect with
Nikki if he partners with her in a dance competition. As they
practice together, Pat begins to develop feelings for Tiffany but
remains focused on winning back Nikki.
 Synopsis of the film
Meanwhile, Pat's father, Patrizio Sr., resorts to illegal
bookmaking to open a restaurant and involves Pat in a bet on a
football game. When Pat realizes Tiffany forged a letter from
Nikki, he confronts her and admits his feelings for her. They
perform in the dance competition, scoring exactly enough points
to win the bet.

During the competition, Pat whispers to Nikki, realizing his true

feelings for Tiffany. He chases after her, confesses his love, and
they share a kiss. The film ends with Pat's family reconciling,
Patrizio opening his restaurant, and Pat and Tiffany beginning a
relationship, symbolized by them removing their wedding rings.
 SYMPTOMS OF PROTOGONIST

• Mood Swings
• Irritability and Agitation
• Impulsive Behavior
• Grandiosity and Racing Thoughts
• Sleep Disturbances
 Pat's mood swing depicted in movie
Pat : (YELLING) “I can't watch my wedding video, but I CAN hear the fucking song in my head,
goddamn it!
He grabs his head, to stop hearing the wedding song.”
FLASHBACKS OF NIKKI IN THE SHOWER, DOLORES AND PAT REACTING, NIKKI AND
DOUG IN THE SHOWER, NIKKI SCREAMING, PAT BEATING DOUG, NIKKI TRYING TO
PULL PAT OFF OF DOUG. PAT SOBS DOLORES, HUGS PAT FROM BEHIND; NICKI JUMPS
ON PAT IN FLASHBACK TO STOP HIM FROM BEATING THE HISTORY TEACHER; PAT
JERKS HIS ARM AWAY; KNOCKING DOLORES SPRAWLING ONTO THE FLOOR.
Pat (CONT’D) : “Mom?”
Pat Sr. : “What the fuck you doing?! You…”
Pat : “Mom?” Pat Sr : “...hit your mother?”
Pat : “No, no, no, no, no” (CONT’D) The cops came to their house.
(Silver Linings Playbook, 2012: 00.33.12)
 Pat's mood swing depicted in movie

The quotation in the prior slide shows the indication of

Pat's mood swing because he failed to find his wedding
tape with Nikki. He felt like he’ll probably forget about
Nikki if he couldn’t find the tape to watch and began to
lose control of himself. Pat's mood swings very easily
show up when there are things he doesn't like and that can
make his behavior explosive and out of control, this is
also due to the racing thoughts he experiences as one of
the symptoms of bipolar disorder.
 Irritability and Agitation shown in Pat’s Personality:

Pat : “Is that song really playing?”

Receptionist : “We have music sometimes.”
Pat : “That song is killing me. Could you please turn it off?”
Receptionist : “I can’t.”
Pat : “What do you mean you can’t?”
Receptionist : “I don’t have controls. I’m sorry, I- -”
Pat : (INTERRUPTING) “Did Doctor Timbers put you up to this? Is there a speaker here?”
Pat : (PAT WALKS TO A MAGAZINE RACK) “Is, is the speaker here?”
HE OVERTURNS THE METAL MAGAZINE RACK. WAITING PATIENTS STARE, A MALE
THERAPIST OPENS HIS OFFICE. DOOR, LOOKING AROUND. THE RECEPTIONIST REACTS.
Pat :“I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Okay...I'm sorry. I'll fix all this, okay?”
PAT PICKS UP THE MAGAZINES, EMOTIONAL, EMBARRASSED.
(Silver Linings Playbook, 2012, 00.11.20)
 Irritability and Agitation shown in Pat’s Personality:

The quotation showed in previous slide showed the irritability of

Pat when he heard "My Cherie Amour," their wedding song, was
playing in the waiting area of his therapist's office. It appears that
he is experiencing a mental break and that the song is not
actually playing when he becomes emotionally affected and
starts to hear it playing. Pat tells his therapist at the opening of
the film that just before he attacked his wife's boyfriend, he had
called the police to report that his wife and the lover were
stealing money from the nearby high school where she worked.
Pat acknowledges that this was also a fantasy. Pat discovered his
wife with her boyfriend. Since then, every time Pat hears this
music, it causes a psychotic episode, and he occasionally even
acts aggressively.
 Irritability and Agitation shown in Pat’s Personality:

Pat Sr. : “Okay, the question, the big question, is what are you gonna do with yourself? Pat : “What am
I gonna do? I'm getting in shape, I'm getting trim, I'm getting really fit for Nikki. I'm gonna
read Nikki's teaching syllabus and get my old job back.”
Pat Sr. : “Nikki sold the house. She left. Didn't your mother tell you that?”
Pat : “Let me tell you something. You don't know anything about my marriage, okay, Dad? All right?
Our marriage...we're very, very much in love, okay? Just like you two”
Pat Sr. : “Listen, Patrick, she's gone. She's not around anymore. Nikki left.”
Pat : “What are you doing, Dad? You know what? Excelsior. Excelsior.”
Pat Sr. : “What does that mean?”
Pat : “It means you know what I'm gonna do, I'm gonna take all this negativity and use it as fuel and
I'm gonna find a silver lining, that's what I'm gonna do. And that's no bullshit. That's no bullshit. That
takes work and that's the truth.”
(Silver Linings Playbook, 2012, 00.07.38)
 Irritability and Agitation shown in Pat’s Personality:

The quotation in the previous slide proves that Pat

becomes increasingly agitated and confrontational during
a family dinner. He argues with his father about his
obsession with getting back together with his estranged
wife, Nikki. Patrizio's irritability and aggressive outbursts
are symptomatic of bipolar disorder.
 Pat's impulsive behavior depicted in movie:
Pat : “We have to score a touchdown and get a 7. We have to get a 7!”
Danny : “Pat, calm down. It's just a game.
Fan 1 : “What the fuck? What's that smell?”
Fan 1 : “Nasty Indian curry! This is America, baby! Go back to your country!”
PAT WATCHES. RONNIE ENTERS.
Ronnie : “Stay here, stay here!”
Pat : “I’m not gonna go anywhere.”
Ronnie : “Don’t get in a fight!”
JAKE IS SURROUNDED BY FAN #1 AND HIS FRIENDS. Pat : “I’m not gonna fight. I’m not gonna
fight.” JAKE STRUGGLES AS ONE OF FAN #1'S FRIENDS GRABS HIM. OTHER FRIENDS AND
INDIANS FIGHT.
Pat : (YELLING) “Hey, not my brother! Hey, hey, hey!”
CAMERA SWISH PANS ONTO ONE OF THE MEN PUNCHING JAKE.
Cop : “ Break it up or you'll be arrested!”
(Silver Linings Playbook, 2012, 01.24.51)
 Pat's impulsive behavior depicted in movie:

From the quotation in the previous slide, it can be seen that

Pat attends a Philadelphia Eagles football game with his
friend Danny. The Eagles' team is significant to Pat
because it holds sentimental value for him and represents a
form of therapy. However, his impulsive behavior becomes
evident when the game doesn't go as planned. As the game
progresses, Pat becomes increasingly agitated and
emotionally invested in the outcome. He struggles to
control his emotions and impulses, eventually resulting in a
meltdown. Unable to contain his frustration, he impulsively
throws a fit of anger, shouting and lashing out in the
middle of the stadium.
 Pat's impulsive behavior depicted in movie:

Outside the stadium, Pat had a short conversation with

Ronnie, then he saw the opposite fans insulting the other
players. Pat tried to hold himself not to get into the fight
but he failed. Pat's outburst draws the attention of security
personnel, who intervene to calm him down and escort him
out of the premises.
 Pat's grandiosity and racing thoughts depicted in the movie:

PAT : “...and he does. He does. He survives the war, after getting blown up he survives it, and he
escapes to Switzerland with Catherine. But now Catherine's pregnant. Isn't that wonderful? She's
pregnant. And they escape up into the mountains and they're gonna be happy, and they're gonna
be drinking wine and they dance -- they both like to dance with each other, there's scenes of them
dancing, which was boring, but I liked it, because they were happy. You think he ends it there?
No! He writes another ending. She dies, Dad! I mean, the world's hard enough as it is, guys. It's
fucking hard enough as it is. Can't somebody say, "Hey, let's be positive? Let's have a good
ending to the story?"
(Silver Linings Playbook, 2012, 00.09.19)
 Pat's grandiosity and racing thoughts depicted in the movie:

The quotation in the previous slide showed the scene

where Pat obsessively devours the first book on Nikki’s
syllabus, then throwing it out the closed window and
waking his parents in the middle of the night, all because
the story didn’t have a happy ending. A “happy ending” is
his desire, “Can somebody say let’s have a good ending to
the story?” Pat’s belief is that no matter how dark the
clouds of problems besetting you, if you can find the silver
linings you have a shot at happiness.
 Pat's grandiosity and racing thoughts depicted in the movie:

Pat : “I just gotta get a strategy, you know?”

Tiffany : “Me too.”
Pat : “ We'd better get back to the letter.”
Tiffany : “Yeah, let’s get back to the letter.”
Pat : “What if you told Nikki when Veronica was in the bathroom?”
Tiffany : “Yes, yes that could work. I love that.”
Pat : “Oh, my God. I’m gonna go home and write the letter right now?”
Pat : “Can I just explain myself, please? I didn't want Nikki to think that I was associated with
that kind of sexual behavior because I've never done anything like that, okay?”
(Silver Linings Playbook, 2012, 00.46.49)
 Pat's grandiosity and racing thoughts depicted in the movie:

The quotation in the previous slide showed the scene

where Pat talked to Tiffany, the film's female lead, about
his plans to win back Nikki. He expresses grandiose ideas
about his ability to prove himself to her and believes he
can overcome any obstacle. His rapid speech, excessive
confidence, and racing thoughts illustrate the manic side of
bipolar disorder.
 Pat's irregular sleep pattern depicted in movie:

PAT PACES IN HIS PARENTS BEDROOM.

Pat :(YELLING) “I just can't believe Nikki's teaching that book to the kids. I mean the whole
time -- let me just break it down for you -- the whole time you're rooting for this Hemingway guy
to survive the war and to be with the woman that he loves, Catherine Barkley…
Dolores : “It's four o'clock in the morning, Pat.”
(Silver Linings Playbook, 2012, 00.09.10)
 Pat's irregular sleep pattern depicted in movie:

The quotation in the previous slide happened when Pat

couldn’t sleep and decided to read a book. But the ending
of the book did not match what he wanted and made him
furious and vent his anger to his parents room by yelling at
them. One of the symptoms that he needs to face is sleep
disturbances, a common symptom of bipolar disorder. He
struggles with insomnia and often wakes up in the middle
of the night, unable to fall back asleep. This disruption in
sleep patterns further contributes to his erratic behavior and
mood swings.
Diagnostic Criteria according to DSM:

Bipolar I disorder is characterized by a clinical course of recurring mood episodes (manic,

depressive, and hypomanic), but the occurrence of at least one manic episode is necessary
for the diagnosis of bipolar I disorder.

In case of Pat,
it was his wife's
infidelity (Criteria A).
 Diagnostic Criteria according to DSM:

Inflated self-esteem is One of the most common Speech can be rapid,

typically present, ranging features is a decreased need pressured, loud, and
from uncritical self- for sleep (Criterion B2), difficult to interrupt
confidence to marked which is depicted in the (Criterion B3) which can
grandiosity, and may reach movie in a scene where Pat easily be seen in Pat’s
delusional proportions couldn’t sleep and he was character in the movie
(Criterion B1) which was seen reading the book which where he is talking with his
also the case with Pat. was taught by his ex wife to parents or Tiffany.
the children.
 Diagnostic Criteria according to DSM:

The presence of psychotic The episode is not attributable

to the physiological effects of
The increase in goal- features during a manic
a substance (e.g., a drug of
directed activity (Criterion episode which can be seen abuse, a medication, other
B6). Pat’s primary focus when Pat accepts that he was treatment) or another medical
was to reconcile with his experiencing a delusion when condition (Criterion D) so
ex-wife, Nikki, despite a he report to the police that Pat’s condition neither
restraining order Nikki and the History Techer attributable to the
preventing him from are plotting against him and physiological affects of any
embezzling money, so substance nor another medical
contacting her.
satisfies Criterion C. conditions.
 The Cause of Bipolar I suffered by Pat

Bipolar condition, more specifically bipolar I disorder, is

shown in the character Pat Solitano. An extreme mood swing
disorder known as bipolar I disorder is characterized by
episodes of mania and depression. In the case of Pat's character
in the movie, the specific genetic factors contributing to his
bipolar disorder are not explored. The movie doesn’t provide
the main character’s childhood story and focus of the film is
primarily on his personal journey, relationships, and mental
health challenges rather than the underlying genetic causes of
the condition. The main influence that caused him to suffer
from bipolar disorder was due to the affair carried out by his
wife with a coworker at her school.
 The Cause of Bipolar I suffered by Pat

Pat : “I get it. The song that was playing when my wife...was in the shower with the
history teacher…”
Tiffany : “I heard about that.”
Pat : “...it was my wedding song and when I hear it, I go kinda crazy. Sometimes I hear
it when it's not even playing.”
(Silver Linings Playbook, 2012, 00.46.20)
 The Cause of Bipolar I suffered by Pat

From the quotation from the previous slide, it can be

concluded that his wife's infidelity shook his psyche so
much that he was always haunted by bad memories about
his ex-wife.

His mental state was also affected by his father's constant

outbursts when talking to Pat, which is part of the
environmental triggers. So the causes of Pat’s bipolar
disorder can be genetic predisposition, neurochemical
imbalances, and environmental triggers.
 Criticism to the Movie:
Silver Linings Playbook" is a captivating film that skillfully blends humor, drama, and romance while
exploring themes of mental illness, redemption, and the complexities of human relationships. The film's
portrayal of mental illness is both sensitive and thought-provoking, shedding light on the challenges faced
by individuals struggling with bipolar disorder and depression. The portrayal of Pat’s mental state in this
film aims to provide a nuanced representation of bipolar disorder and its impact on individuals and their
relationships. While the film highlights the challenges and struggles faced by Pat, it also emphasizes the
importance of empathy, understanding, and support in helping someone with bipolar disorder navigate
their condition and find stability. While there are also some shortcomings in which we can include the
romanticization of mental illness and the oversimplification of treatment as shown in the Film, but we can
also appreciate the film's overall message of hope and resilience.
 References

• Russell, D. O. (2012). Silver linings playbook [Film]. The Weinstein

Company.
• American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical
manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.).
https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787
THANK YOU