Behind the Oscar success of Silver Linings Playbook

Actress Jennifer Lawrence may have gained stardom thanks to her role as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games movies. But even during her time on the films, she made sure not to get typecast and did other projects with characters that are different than Katniss as well. One of my personal favorite Jennifer Lawrence movies is Silver Linings Playbook. And guess what the great news is? It’s now streaming on Netflix!

The story and acting were so on point in this romantic comedy-drama, so it’s really no surprise that the film earned so many Oscars nominations, and won one, at the 2013 Academy Awards. The movie was the first since sports drama movie Million Dollar Baby to be nominated in the “Big Five” categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay. The other three it was nominated for are Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Film Editing.

So which one of those did the film win? That would be Jennifer Lawrence for Best Actress! This led to her being the second youngest actress to win the category in Oscars history. She was 22 years old at the time. Talk about a great feat! If that wasn’t pressure enough, if you think back to the Oscars that year, one of the main headlines that came out of it is the fact that this lovely gal tripped on the stairs and fell as she was heading up to grab the trophy and share her acceptance speech.

Hey, it can happen to anyone! And that’s not what we’re here to focus on. Though short, you could see the genuine shock on Lawrence’s face that she’d (deservedly) won the award, and she focused her speech on thanking her team, the cast, and acknowledging all the “inspiring” women nominated in the categories that year. You can watch her full acceptance speech on YouTube.

Other awards and successes for Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook was written and directed by David O. Russell. Lawrence took on the role of widow and pessimist Tiffany Maxwell who decides to help Bradley Cooper’s character, Patrizio “Pat” Solitano Jr., win his wife back after he’s released from the psychiatric hospital for bipolar disorder. It became a box office success, bringing in over $236 million worldwide.

When it comes to being recognized, the Oscars are one of the most prestigious and sought-after awards. However, there’s some other ones that are of note and worth mentioning. Lawrence also won Best Actress Motion Picture Comedy or Musical at the Golden Globes and Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role by the Screen Actors Guild.

The movie also received a total of four nominations at the Golden Globe Awards, including Lawrence’s win, and three British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) nominations. Russell won Best Adapted Screenplay at the BAFTA’s. And it doesn’t stop there!

The production received four Screen Actors Guild nominations (including Lawrence’s win), and five Independent Spirit Award nominations. The movie won in four of the five categories it was up for, including Best Film. Looking at all of this success, it really doesn’t come as a surprise to me. Silver Linings Playbook is a beautifully written story with a stellar cast and deserves all the accolades.

Silver Linings Playbook is now streaming on Netflix.