Hollywood Oscars 2013
Since the nominations for the awards came out, I’ve been trying to see as many of the movies as possible. Last night, Silver Linings Playbook was sold out at the first theater I went to so I rode my bike across the city to a much smaller cinema and had a great time.
The critics and audiences have loved this movie. Stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence received nominations. So did Robert De Niro and Jackie Weaver for their supporting roles. David O. Russell got a nod for best director too. The movie is a romance for our times.
It’s great to see a movie that features working-class people and does not make fun of them. Usually diseases and mental instability are in a Lifetime, movie of the week problem film, or the ill person is a killer or sociopath. This movie tries to deal with the struggles honestly. I don’t think his being bi-polar would have manifested itself as it did in the movie but that’s a minor issue. I also thought Lawrence was a little young for a woman with the amount of experience in life that her character was supposed to have.
What intrigued me the most is how the characters acted out on their issues. Cooper’s character expresses violence, a culturally acceptable behavior for males when expressed in certain environments, like a boxing ring or football field. Lawrence’s character has sex with people, attempting to get them to like or at least accept her. In both cases, the character is acting out of frustration and their actions only enhance their frustration and alienation.
