I just haven't seen such a good portrayal of a character with bipolar before, in contemporary setting. This could be a reflection on my limited viewing of such characters; but I don't think so. It would take intelligence and sensitivity to portray so accurately such a character, and I have a deep appreciation for what he does in Silver Linings Playbook. Mental illness is not understood generally; it is not tangible nor visible in any non-abstract sense. My own diagnosis and thorough meeting of criteria for two supposed mental illnesses including Bipolar Disorder, is something I struggle with and struggle to communicate. A mainstream movie achieving some truth in its portrayal of such an illness even down to the psychiatric hospital and patients - where I have spent time, is really cool to see. Finding relate-ability/identification in a mainstream cultural product is reassuring, for obvious reasons. I truly appreciate his work in this movie and find it very worthwhile to see. The main female character is equally as awesome in my view, although I have no personal experience of her affliction. Really great film.