The Silver Lining...

Seldom do you come across a movie that portrays the nuances of life in a perfect way, brings a smile on your face and makes you feel that yes we are humans in being. You are touched, happy and gripped by a feeling of having seen something “real”.  For yours truly all such movies fall under the “Feel-Good” genre and it was yesterday that I happened to catch up one such lovely movie. “Silver Linings Playbook”, a movie that was simple yet intelligent, depicting the subtle realities of life through a magnificent portrayal of its larger-than-life characters and a story capturing life the way it is.

As the protagonist Bradley Cooper leaves you mesmerized with his superlative performance as a character leading a Bipolar Life, who firmly believes that he would find his “Silver Lining” one day and constantly thrives towards improving himself after having spent eight months in a mental institution, so as to be accepted by his estranged wife.   Jennifer Lawrence is a treat to watch, hysterical at times, funny at others and with a tinge of quirkiness her character just leaves you with a feeling of WOW at times. For me what really made the movie likeable was the balance that it struck between the myriad emotional upheavals that each of its characters were faced with and the control that each one of them displayed in dealing with their problems. The movie was hilarious at times nevertheless one could feel that everything was genuine.

As I left the theater after the movie, I felt positive, at ease and with a thought of my own “Silver Linings”. Indeed each one of us does have a silver lining of our own. It may be success at work for few, harmony in their personal relationships for some, an improvement in their daily lives for others, or a combination of all three for most of us. At the heart of it we all try to improve ourselves each and everyday in some way or the other.

As I delved deeper I realized even a simple act of making a meal for myself or cleaning up my house every weekend does bring a lot of joy to me and acts as a “Silver Lining” giving me a sense of satisfaction. Even at work a feeling of having learned something new makes up for an otherwise meaningless day. To put it more mildly watching Tendulkar score a century gives me more hope than anything else can, or when Roger Federer wins a part of me also wins. Indeed all these seemingly inconsequential events make me believe that all is not lost, there is every reason to be hopeful and strive towards the ultimate goal with a positive energy. Perhaps, the quest for that “Silver Lining” is never ending, what ultimately matters are the efforts that we put in our everyday lives, for our efforts define us and take us to the vantage point from where the only thing visible are the "Silver Linings" and no dark clouds.