Samantha

Zeegers
Dr. LeeAnn Bartolini
PSY 3102
7 April 2015
Silver Linings Playbook: Psych Movie Review

Silver Linings Playbook starts its opening scene at Karel Psychiatric Facility in Baltimore.

This is where we first meet Pat, played by actor Bradley Cooper. It begins with Pat starting a
regular day at facility, starting with the distribution of his daily medicationwhich he proceeds
to spit out. Followed by group therapy and a rigorous exercise routine, which is interrupted
when his mother appears to discharge him from the psychiatric facility (against doctors
wishes).

We later find out that Pat has undiagnosed bipolar disorder with mood swings and

weird thinking brought on by severe stress. He was first sent to prison for nearly killing a
fellow teacher after coming home early from work to find him having sex with Pats wife in the
shower. While walking up the stairs before the confrontation Pat can hear his wedding song
playing. This event comes a week after Pat accused the fellow teacher and his wife of plotting
against [him] by embezzling money from the local high school, which was not true (Gigliotti &
Russell, 2012).

Soon we meet Pats psychologist, Dr. Cliff Patel. This is the first session they have had in

a while. In past sessions, it is implied, Pat has had issues with hearing his wedding song. Dr.

Patel purposefully plays the song in the waiting room to test how Pat reacts to it. As suspected,
Pat has a panic attack and becomes almost violent, apologizing profusely after he calms down.
When Pat refuses to take his medications Dr. Patel tells him that he has to take them. Since Pat
is such a unruly patient, it does seem appropriate to talk to him in this manner, otherwise I
believe it would be not Dr. Patels place to tell him what he has to so.

Once Pat begins to talk about his problems and his family, Dr. Patel begins to take a

more listening role. He uses both active listening and probing when Pat starts to zone out.
When Pat says that his wife needs to take responsibility for her actions, Dr. Patel prompts
Whats hers? Also when Pat talks about handling his problems before the diagnosis, Dr. Patel
responds with That had to be hard.

In a following session, Pat continues to refuse to take his medication. He believes that

his wife and he will eventually work it out and get back together. All he feels he needs to do is
get back into shape and clean up. All the while, his wife has a restraining order against him. Dr.
Patel now uses confrontation to try to reason with Pat. He explains that there is a real
possibility that his wife will not get back together with him and that he needs to be prepared
for that. Dr. Patel also gives him homework to form a strategy to help him when his wedding
song comes on. They also use the word excelsior as like a promise or a goal that he will
continue to move upwards and work on his issues.

The next encounter that Dr. Patel and Pat have is at an Eagles game during the pre-

game tailgating party in the parking lot. Both men are die-hard Eagles fans. They begin talking
football and painting each others bodies in Eagles green. Some racist fans come along and

begin to harass Dr. Patel and his family. They proceed to get into a fist fight with the other men
together. I dont think this is a very professional way to behave. Let alone the fight, the
doctor/patient relationship shouldnt be clouded with the personal relationship being formed
over this day.

Between these sessions he meets a woman named Tiffany who is a recent widower who

is deeply depressed. She wants to compete in a dance competition, but has no partner, and Pat
wants to get a letter to his ex-wife but is unable to due to the restraining order. They make a
deal that Pat will compete with Tiffany if she carries messages back and forth between his wife
and himself (which there are few). The story goes like all good stories do, with Tiffany and Pat
falling in love and Pat getting over his wife. His is far from cured but is able to control his
disorder by dancing and being with Tiffany. Tiffany is also able to recover from her depression
in the same way.