The newly-released Silver Linings Playbook is a film about a former teacher who's been in a mental health facility for eight months and was just released into his mother's care.
The way the film portrays things, however, you don't really know what he suffers from as the mood swings and compulsive, confrontational behavior unfolds.
Eventually, it becomes clear that the main character, played by Bradley Cooper, suffers from bipolar disorder. Yet he isn't portrayed as insane or nutty, just eccentric and, frankly, funny - without taking away from the obvious seriousness of his struggle to deal with his mental condition and re-integration into society.
This is exacerbated by his relationship with a new-found love who also suffers from mental illness. Together, they struggle to find a place and to deal with their internal issues in a real, honest, and upfront way - a way rarely portrayed in film.
The stars of the movie include Robert DeNiro, Jennifer Lawrence, Julia Stiles and Bradley Cooper. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Matthew Quick. Several supporting roles are played by some of Hollywood's most recognizable stars as well. All of this comes together to make for a great film.
It's a film that portrays serious mental illness not as a handicap, nor as an "I'm the victim" view, but instead takes an honest, human approach to it. The mentally ill are not shown as antagonists, evil, or needy baggage, but are instead the highlight of the human story within the plot.
It's a refreshing film that goes a long way toward showing the world that those with mental health problems are not to be feared, but loved.
