After his release from a mental institution, a bi-polar ex-teacher called Pat wants to reconcile with his unfaithful wife. She's taken out a restraining order to prevent him from making contact, so he enlists the help of a female acquaintance. The troubled Tiffany has problems of her own - she's a young widow using sexual promiscuity to deal with the grief of losing her husband - but she agrees to act as Pat's go-between if he partners her in a dance competition.

Since 'Silver Linings Playbook' is a romantic comedy, Pat and Tiffany's unusual arrangement soon develops an emotional element. Jennifer Lawrence breathes her quirky brand of combative femininity into Tiffany, but it's not enough to save the film, since everybody else is playing the fool. Whenever she's on-screen, the story has vitality, but instead of exploring the off-beat relationship between a couple of misfits, the narrative detours into a slapstick sub-plot about a small-time gambling operation run by Pat's father. Most of the film's potential degenerates into farce and sentimentality long before it concludes with a predictable ending at the dance contest. Although it's been a huge box-office success, this play-book only has a cardboard lining.