Character Analysis: Silver Linings Playbook

Patrick Solitano Jr., better known as Pat, is a white male of about 35 years of age who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and is undergoing treatment. He was released from a mandatory hospitalization in a detention facility after eight months on the premise that he would continue taking medication, attend therapy, and comply with his restraining orders. He was also assigned a parole officer.

The narrative of Silver Linings Playbook is formed in the heart of Philadelphia around a middle class family at it’s breaking point. Pat’s, the protagonist, family has very much shaped his current situation; he has clinical bipolar disorder and struggles with stress-induced manic outbursts. After Pat’s release from a mandated rehabilitation center, he handles the next recuperating stage of his life in a similar way as a quarterback looking to make the next big play on the field; watching for possible blitzes and passes, anything to get the ball into the end zone, or in Pat’s case, to get in position for his life to get back on track, and

In the movie, ‘Silver linings Playbook’ Pat Solitano is diagnosed with clinical bipolar disorder 1 and struggles with stress-induced manic outbursts. This is revealed by a manic episode where Solitano is seen to almost beat to death a co-worker, who he caught cheating on with is wife. The repercussion of Solitano’s actions results in termination of his job, estrangement from his wife who takes out a restraining order and sees Solitano institutionalized for eight months in a psychiatric hospital.

For this Case Study I chose fictional character Will Hunting from the award winning movie Good Will Hunting. Will Hunting was born in a poor region of south Boston, Massachusetts, an orphan, who lived with a very abusive alcoholic foster dad. As a kid, Will was subdued to frequent physical abuse by his foster dad, between getting beat with a wrench, and having cigarettes put out on him, Will dealt with a lot at a young age (James A. Frieden).

The Fault in Our Stars depicts Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16-year-old girl diagnosed with terminal thyroid cancer. The book chronicles her relationship with Augustus Waters, who has also been diagnosed with cancer. Throughout the novel, Hazel constantly struggles with her identity in relation to her disease. She is conflicted whether to accept the prescribed image society has of her or to embrace her true inner self. Through a period of self-realization, she eventually comes to terms with and redefines her identity. Although society may define an individual’s self-image, The Fault in Our Stars demonstrates that identity is defined by the inner self, rather than external forces; in turn, that self-perception deeply impacts one’s perspective on life.

It is often said that the people one surrounds themselves with can reflect things about themselves, such as their beliefs and ideals. One’s friends and acquaintances can reveal subconscious attractions to people that fulfill their ideals or agree with the things they say, but these relationships can also help one discover their personal philosophies by reinforcing opposing views. Indeed, in J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, the way Holden reacts to and interacts with secondary characters reveal his established philosophies and the values he holds most dear to him.

Attachment is a deep and enduring emotional bond that connects one person to another across time and space (Bowlby, 1969). Likewise, attachment theory is a psychological model that seeks to illustrate the dynamics of both long term and short- term interpersonal relationships (Waters, E.; Corcoran, D.; Anafarta, M. 2005). Additionally, attachment theory address how people respond within relationships when hurt, separated from loved ones, or when they perceive a threat (Waters et al., 2005). Attachment theory is the combined work of John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth (Bretherton, I. 1992, p. 1). The theory predominantly draws on the ideas from doctrines such as, ethology, cybernetics, information processing and developmental psychology (Bretherton, I. 1992, p. 1). It is considered that attachment theory has revolutionized the way society thinks about the relationship between the mother and her child and the importance of

The movie Good Will Hunting an American Drama Film was directed by Gus Van Sant, and starring Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver and Stellan Skarsgard in 1997. This movie is about a man named Good Will Hunting who was a genius but chose not to live as a genius because of fear of past experiences and the ill treatment he received when he was in foster home. Some of the other characters in the movie were supportive and some were not supportive of him. This essay discusses Good Will’s personality traits and his interaction with the other characters in the movie. Good Will Hunting possessed the following personality traits, namely: independence, intense interest in a problem, and the need for stimulation.

¨The Joy Luck Club¨ by Amy Tan was an interesting novel. The book consisted of about eight characters, meaning eight different perspectives. Each of which, had a whole chapter or two dedicated to a short story in there life. They tell each other these life stories at a gathering they have every once in awhile to play mah jong. Throughout each story, or chapter, the mothers try to connect more with their daughters, and the daughters try to connect more with their mothers. It makes you wonder how well daughters know their mothers.

The film I chose to analyze is Silver Linings Playbook because I was interested in the story when I read the synopsis of the movie. I thought that this would be a simple movie where the main characters would help each other because they had something in common. Reading the synopsis, I also thought that Pat would be back together with his wife, but at the end he found another love. In the next paragraphs I will show my knowledge on what I have learned this semester. On my analysis of Silver Linings, I will give examples that has the concept of language, nonverbal communication, listening, emotions, conflict, and close relationships.

In the movie Silver Linings Playbook, we follow Pat Solitano Jr., a man recently released from a mental institution (Cohen et al., 2012). He is a Caucasian male, likely in his early to mid-thirties and of Italian descent. He was a high school history teacher, living with his wife, Nikki, an English teacher. Upon finding his wife in the shower with another man, he nearly beats the man to death leading him to be sent to a psychiatric facility for eight months with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. In this essay I will support the diagnosis of a Bipolar I disorder. A diagnosis of Bipolar I disorder, has specific criteria in the DSM-V that have to be met. I will be listing the criteria and through examples of Pat’s actions, thoughts and behaviours, he meets the criteria.

The serious effects of mental illness in America have been captured brilliantly in numerous different modern day films. Silver Linings Playbook, a film directed by David Russell, follows a frustrated love story of two mentally unstable individuals. Pat Solitan, played by Bradley Cooper, is a middle aged white adult who is recovering from a failed marriage, and has just recently returned from an eight-month stay in a psychiatric hospital after attacking his ex-wife’s new lover. He returns home to his parent’s house in the suburbs of Philadelphia, where he meets Tiffany Maxwell, played by Jennifer Lawrence. Tiffany is a young, widowed white woman who has recently lost her job and has moved back in with her parents who live in the same neighborhood as the Solitano’s. The two individuals meet one night at a dinner party, and automatically click over a lighthearted dialoged about the numerous anti-psychotics that they have been placed on. Both Pat and Tiffany display abnormal behavior throughout the film. Their journey of dealing with their mental abnormalities is at times heart-breaking, but they are able to use one another as a support system in order to get their mental conditions under control. The two individuals display unique behaviors and personality traits that can be analyzed to meet criteria in the DSM-5 for mental disorders. It can be interpreted from the film that Pat has Bipolar Disorder, and that Tiffany has

This leads me on to discuss the afore mentioned theory of attachment. An attachment theory is a theory in developmental psychology that highlights the importance of attachment in personal development. It is the ability for one person to form an emotional and physical attachment to another person which gives a sense of stability and security necessary to take risks, grow and develop as an individual.

In the film, Black Swan, the plot centers on Nina Sayers, a ballerina whose only goal is to play the role of the Black and White Swan in her company’s production of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake ballet. While she easily embodies into the innocence and grace of the White Swan, her shy and fragile personality does not fit the seductiveness and mysteriousness of the Black Swan. As a result, she struggles to become the opposite of who she is, worsening her issues with depression and anorexia.

The 2012 movie “Silver Linings Playbook” is a drama-romantic comedy written and directed by David O. Russell and among others, stars Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Robert De Niro. The film received eight academy award nominations, was nominated in all four Oscar categories, and does a fairly accurate job of portraying an individual with a bipolar disorder, who was just released into the care of his parents, and his segue back into his family and social life after eight months of clinical treatment in a mental health facility.