How To Fake Being An Expert On The 9 Movies That Matter At This Year’s Oscars

Silver Linings Playbook

–By the Numbers:

• 8: nominations
• 92, 81: Ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, and Metacritic
• 100, 52: Millions of dollars earned at the domestic, and foreign box office.
• 2008: Year of Philadelphia Eagles season stats used in the film

–Major Contender for: Best Actress (Jennifer Lawrence), Best Supporting Actor (Robert De Niro), Best Adapted Screenplay (David O. Russell).

–Success on the Awards Circuit: Scattered wins in most Oscar nominated categories, including a Best Actress Golden Globe for Lawrence, and a Best Adapted Screenplay BAFTA.

–Synopsis: Bradley Cooper makes the full transition into his Serious Actor phase playing Pat, a mental patient recently released into the care of his retired parents. Struggling to stay positive and even-keeled, Pat’s plan to reunite with his estranged wife is constantly doubted by his football-obsessed bookie father (De Niro). Pat’s pursuit of his story’s “silver lining” is further complicated by the appearance of Tiffany (Lawrence), a volatile widower who takes an interest in him. The two strike up a deal where Pat uses Tiffany to get around his wife’s restraining order, and Tiffany uses Pat as a partner for an upcoming dance competition in Philly. With a family’s financial future, Pat’s chances of reconciliation, and Tiffany’s hopes of getting with Pat all on the line at the big competition, will these two crazy kids (with a 16 year age gap between actors) find success, love, and fulfillment with just one dance? I’m guessing I don’t have to tell you.

–Oscar-appropriate Themes: Mental illness, the power of love.

–Juiciest Piece of Oscar Bait: Features Robert De Niro, the actor, not Robert De Niro, the check casher.

–Buzz Going into the Oscars: 5/10. Winning the People’s Choice Award after premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival bodes well for the future prospects of any crowd-pleaser. Sure enough, Silver Linings Playbook won over critics and audiences, despite the tricky subject matter, and the fact that it’s basically just a (really good) romantic comedy. The film is so broadly likeable, that it has no single element working as a hook. O. Russell’s direction works wonders with what could be static material. The script is solid, the cast is great, and De Niro has a shot at banking enough career cred to delay production on Showtime 2 a few years. Lawrence is a narrow favorite over Jessica Chastain and Emmanuelle Riva, which is surprising, given how wary of new talent the voters can be. Again, it depends on the evening’s narrative: do the voters want to stick to tradition, or keep the lights on in Hollywood by making sure the next Hunger Games stars an Oscar-winner.

–Trivia Tidbit: This is the 14^th time a film has scored nominations in all four acting categories, and the first Big Five contender (nominated for Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Director, and Screenplay) since 2004’s Million Dollar Baby.

–Talking Points if Your Crowd Loves it: The movie plays full coverage across the four audience quadrants, with a little something for men and women, both young and old. It’s got fathers and sons bonding over football, will-they-won’t-they romance heating up on the dance floor, two of Hollywood’s biggest under-40 talents, and a knockout performance from one of acting’s all-time greats (all deference to Jacki Weaver, but she’s barely in the movie). Chris Tucker does some charmingly low-key (by his standards) supporting work, and knowledge of the eclectic soundtrack will score you some points among fans across multiple genres. Throw on a Desean Jackson jersey, and refer to the snacks as “crabbies and homemades,” if you really want to get into the spirit of things.

–Talking Points if Your Crowd Hates it: The entire romantic comedy genre is often treated like a punchline, but one of this clout will require deconstruction more substantial than scoffing at it because “it’s a chick flick.” Luckily, the film’s heavier material gives you a higher caliber of ammunition to work with. Most romantic comedy characters are certifiably insane, but Silver Linings Playbook actually diagnoses its two leads, which just makes the film all the more shallow for sweeping those problems away with the grand panacea known as True Love. Meanwhile, De Niro’s character is a compulsive gambler with an addiction that nearly leaves his family destitute. It’s okay though, because he wins big on what he promises will be his last bet. The film offers easy, doe-eyed solutions to serious problems, and no matter how well done, a cliché third act is still a cliché third act.

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