*Love the nervous, anxious tone. Mimics living with a mental illness. Love that the gambling, neurotic father was just a hairline inside the crazy acceptable bubble, versus crazy non-acceptable.
*Honest portrayal of the battle of one's humanity versus their illness, and the dehumanizing feel of medications.
*The initial scene of the group therapy setting. Spot on. Psychiatric centers aren't what you see on TV. They are more like cafeteria lunchrooms.
*Always being threatened with going back to a psych hospital as if it's prison. Spot on as well. It's unfortunate treatment facilities at the highest level are considered punishment, and aren't considered like a medical hospital's ICU. In an ideal world they'd be different.
* I am in the minority on this, but I thought Bradly Cooper was stronger in his role than Jennifer Lawrence. This could be because I had the exact opposite expectations. For one of Jennifer Lawrence's amazing performances, see "Winter's Bone".
See Winter' Bone.
*Best use of a Led Zeppelin tune since 'The Immigrant Song' was used in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I can't wait to listen to "What Is and What Should Never Be" and go completely Apeshit.*We should all change mid-stride in whatever we do each day and dance for a moment to the White Stripes. In fact, get up and do so now. I'll wait.
* Some of the sour, blunted, or exaggerated facial affects of one living with mental illness was done brilliantly by both actors.
*Finally, any movie where you run for Sanity is pretty damn cool. That's one message I took. Put on a hoodie and a black garbage bag, run around your neighborhood looking crazy, and you'll eventually find something, or someone, to help fight any illness.
With or without a football tucked under your arm.
