If there's one sentiment we keep hearing over and over again regarding David O. Russell's "Silver Linings Playbook" (especially by Oscar pundits) it's certainly, "When is it going into wide release?" Having won the coveted Toronto International Film Festival Audience Award — often a precursor to the Oscar nominations, with "Slumdog Millionaire" and "The Kings Speech" going on to become Best Picture winners — and landing on a variety of critics lists, in addition to scooping up plenty of acting nominations for the upcoming SAG and Golden Globes awards, The Weinstein Company have been keeping the film on a very slow, simmering build. It's only ever been on 371 screens so far and it's been in theaters for almost 5 weeks. But that's about to change.
Reps for the film tell us on Christmas Day, "Silver Linings Playbook" will be expanding to 700 screens. It's certainly not a typical wide release yet, but it's a sign that TWC are opening up the valve a little bit and hoping holiday audiences are going to flock to the picture. It's a strategy many are keeping a close eye on. Maybe the film will go fully wide after the Oscar nominations in January? Either way, it's one we definitely encourage you to catch up with as soon as possible.
Starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker and more, the film is a warm and riotously funny look at Pat Solitano, newly released from a mental institution after suffering a breakdown when he caught his wife cheating on him. He's eager to start his life over, but soon finds things a bit complicated by Tiffany, also recovering from her own issues, who gets roped into his scheme to try to win his ex-wife back. As said in our review of the film, the "big-hearted" film is a fresh and entertaining take on the familiar, and also "a unique and involving tale of two outsiders who together find a way to get on with life after it has dealt them some bad hands." So yeah, if it comes near you over the holiday, it's well worth the time.
