We believe art and entertainment are a powerful way to share truth and hope, even about some of life’s toughest topics. A recent example of this is the Oscar-nominated film Silver Linings Playbook, an unconventional romantic comedy in which several of the lead characters struggle with their mental health. When director David Russell and actors Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro sat down with Katie Couric to discuss the movie and their roles in it, it was clear all of them were deeply and personally connected to the project. Russell admits he was drawn to Silver Linings Playbook in the first place because of his own experience with a son who has bipolar disorder.
“I would do anything for him, and I wanted a story that would help him feel like he’s part of the world. And this story just seemed like the right story,” Russell explains. “It’s not precious, it was human, it was relatable… it was a community… People who struggle with these issues are part of our lives. Many families fight every day for the lives of their loved ones, and it’s not spoken about.”
When asked further about his character, De Niro was even brought to tears and simply acknowledged that he understood what Russell had been through. We were encouraged by this candid conversation about family and mental health, which you can watch in entirety below.