Jennifer Lawrence as Tiffany Maxwell in Silver Linings Playbook
Best Actress at the 85th Annual Oscars (2012)
Notable Quote:
“There will always be a part of me that is sloppy and dirty, but I like that, just like all the other parts of myself.”
Synopsis:
Patrick (Bradley Cooper) goes to live his parents after being hospitalized after bipolar disorder caused his marriage to disintegrate. And we all now the best way to treat mental illness. Oh, you thought I meant therapy, medication, and a healthy lifestyle?? No silly, I meant meeting another unstable person (Jennifer Lawrence) and entering a dance competition with her!!
The character:
Oh man, where to start with Tiffany? First of all, she’s a manic (literally!) pixie dream girl, just there to help the central male character get a better hold on life. Her look is a perfect mix of artsy (constantly dressed in black, including her nail polish), casual (hair always up), and sexy (boobs out in full force). Even though Patrick is extraordinarily annoying, she drags him into a dance competition, which gets him back on his feet. Maybe her frankness about sex is empowering? Except I’d argue that it’s mostly portrayed as being titillating for Patrick. I’m glad the movie doesn’t slut shame her but that’s a low bar to clear, ya know?
The even bigger issue is that the movie isn’t really clear on who Tiffany is? On one hand, she’s very grounded and clarifying. I appreciate the blasé way she reads Patrick, like when he tries to claim that she’s crazier than he is and she’s like, bitch, you think I’m the crazy one?? On the other hand, she’s hatches a plot to pretend she’s communicating with the guy’s estranged wife and then writes a letter that she claims is from said wife, all so she can … win his love, I guess? So maybe she is the crazy one? They get together and it’s portrayed as a happy ending but this woman is maybe kind of evil, she has been lying to an manipulating a mentally unstable man for the entirety of their relationship! In a movie that’s about dealing with mental illness, I’d kind of like to understand how she’s actually … ya know, dealing with her mental illness
Even thought this has been a litany of complaints, I actually do like Tiffany, lol. But my enjoyment of her is almost entirely thanks to, drumroll please …
The performance:
Jennifer Lawrence! One of the most interesting things about writing this column is pondering the differences between roles and performances. I wasn’t sure if you could have a great performance without a great role, but I think JLaw pulls it off! First and foremost, she might be one of the most charming people to ever walk this earth? A couple of years ago, she was everywhere so it was easy to be like, okay okay, I get it already, but now that she’s retreated from the public eye, it's clear that she is one of a kind. A woman who just crackles with electricity – and that energy extends effortless to her character in the movie.
I have many, many grievances with this film which I will save for the next section, but let me just say, it’s grating and tiring, and JLaw is a respite from the loud and clangy vibe of the rest of the movie. All of the characters had such a coked up energy, and thank God JLaw was here with her zonked out weed energy to balance things out, otherwise I would not have made it through. I always appreciate when someone could go straight to a ten but decides to stay at an eight: that little bit of holding back makes all the difference.
We talked last column about people who are very technical actors and people who carry a film through the force of their personality, and JLaw is the apex of the latter. I love her stony unmoved expressions. I love her husky voice. I love that she could have sexual chemistry with a cardboard cutout. I’m doing her a disservice by implying that she’s not acting though: she’s actually a great actress, it just doesn’t feel overly studied like some people (cough cough, Meryl). There are plenty of moments when she loses her shit and it’s always compelling, so it’s not as if she’s just floating along because she’s a likeable person. Plus, her delivery is extremely funny: she’s the only person to bring the com- in this supposed “rom com” (wtf, says who!?). JLaw is someone that I just don’t want to stop talking about, and that’s her power.
The movie:
Wow, I haaaated this movie. A of all, it’s extremely annoying. Everyone is yelling the whole time, you have great actors like Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro and apparently they all had six cups of coffee immediately before filming because they are too much. I straight up muted my television at multiple points just so I could take a breath. The tone of the movie is also really confusing: it’s a drama, but it’s also supposed to be funny, but only sometimes, and it’s a sports movie, and there’s a dance element that isn’t really that present given that the whole movie revolves around it? I’m never really clear on how it wants me to feel about anyone.
Also, for a movie focused on bipolar disorder, I find it to be very glib about mental illness? Bipolar disorder seems to mainly make you yell and talk really fast and there’s no real grappling with the actual difficulties that it might cause a person. Like, neither Patrick nor Tiffany are able to hold down a job, but it’s fine because their parents are rich? Don’t even get me started on Patrick’s horrendous therapist, lord.
Was the Oscar deserved?
Yes, this is a terrible movie, but it’s honestly worth watching just to see JLaw, she almost redeems it and that’s saying something. Plus, I just love that Jennifer Lawrence has an Oscar.