Scene Analysis of Pat and Tiffany in Silver Linings Playbook, a by David O. Russell Essay

In the film Silver Linings Playbook, the main character Pat Solitano--who is diagnosed with bi-polar disorder--is attempting to reconnect with his wife Nikki after a psychotic episode put him in a mental hospital. However, Nikki filed a restraining order against him. The beginning of the film shows Pat being released from the hospital to go live with his parents. His ultimate goal is to win Nikki back, but along the way he encounters Tiffany, a woman with similar mental health issues that are never clearly specified. The scene where Pat and Tiffany meet at a diner on Halloween to have dinner marks the beginning of their relationship as friends that continually grows throughout the film from platonic to romantic. The scene begins with Pat and Tiffany entering a diner that immediately sets the mood as dark, mellow, and even a little uncomfortable. The diners fluorescent lighting washes out the color and draws attention to the drab, practically colorless furniture in the diner. This setting only enhances the sense of discomfort between the characters, who both have a history of marital troubles and tend to analyze each other bluntly and crudely as if they have no filter. Throughout the scene these judgments, however small, are quite apparent in passive aggressive remarks such as Why did you order raisin bran?, Sort of like you? I hope to God she didnt tell Nikki that, and She wouldnt like that, especially after all the shit you just told me. Until this point, Pat and Tiffanys interactions are reminiscent of a pair of frenemies, people who understand each other on a personal level but dont treat each other with the level of respect that typical friends do. Despite the initial aura of discomfort, Pat begins to open up to Tiffany abruptly by inquiring about how her life is going and telling her about how his process of contacting Nikki is...