‘Silver Linings Playbook’ Scores Top Gong At TIFF

David O. Russell’s dramedy – starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Jacki Weaver – emerges from the Toronto International Film Festival as a strong contender in the upcoming award season.

David O. Russell’s comedy/drama, Silver Linings Playbook, beat out a host of other critical favourites including Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master and Ben Affleck’s Argo to take home the coveted People’s Choice Award at the just-wrapped Toronto International Film Festival. 

And this title sees the film in pretty impressive company with the award – the festival’s highest honour and determined by festival-goers – renowned as a telling indicator of Oscar potential with previous recipients including Slumdog Millionaire, The King's Speech, and American Beauty.

The follow-up to David O. Russell’s Oscar-nominated The Fighter follows Bradley Cooper as a bitter divorcee looking to rebuild his life after a stint in a psychiatric institute. He’s released into the care of his parents – played by Robert De Niro and Aussie Jacki Weaver – where he crosses paths with an equally damaged neighbour played by Jennifer Lawrence.

This win comes as a big boost for the Weinstein Company (whose award slates also include The Intouchables, Lawless, Killing Them Softly and the forthcoming Django Unchained) who are looking to give the film a big push ahead of its American release date of November 21, with the film to hit Australian shores January 31.

Given the buzz out of Toronto, it seems that the film may be a contender for the top gong of Best Picture, as well as various Best Actor nods.

Runners-up to the Audience Award were Ben Affleck’s aforementioned Argo and Eran Riklis’ Zaytoun.

Meanwhile, the People’s Choice Award For Documentary went to Bartholomew Cubbins’s (actor turned musician Jared Leto’s pseudonym) incisive look at the music industry with Artifact; with runners-up Christopher Nelius and Justin McMillan’s Aussie doco, Storm Surfers 3D, which follows surfing legends, Tom Carroll and Ross Clarke-Jones, on the chase for epic waves.

The People’s Choice Award For Midnight Madness – the part of the program for horror buffs and genre geeks – went to Martin McDonagh’s crime comedy, Seven Psychopaths, starring Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson and Abbie Cornish.

The Toronto International Film Festival ran from September 6-16. For more information on this year’s winners, head here.