Life is full of drama, comedy, trials, disappointment, family and the unexpected. One current film somehow manages to capture all of this and more.

“Silver Linings Playbook,” a film by David O. Russell, stars Bradley Cooper as Pat, a bi-polar man who has spent eight months in an institution because of a violent episode. What spurred the incident? Coming home and finding his wife in the arms of another man.

Now, Pat plans to get his life back on track. He’s exercising, he’s looking for the silver lining in every disappointment. But he has a delusion that he can win his wife back.

Things are further complicated by his kooky parents (including his dad, played by Robert DeNiro), well-meaning friends, resistance to taking medication and meeting the beautiful and strange Tiffany (“The Hunger Games” star Jennifer Lawrence).

Lawrence is only 22 years old, and Cooper is almost 40, but I don’t think anyone anticipated just how much chemistry this pair could have. Both stars give their best performances to date. Each received one of the film’s eight Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe nominations. DeNiro received a best supporting-actor nomination during Thursday’s announcements of the Oscar nominations.

What’s really cool is that “Silver Linings Playbook” is Oscar worthy without being boring. The movie is genuine, romantic, hopeful and hilarious. I’ve never seen anything like it. I’m a fan!

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