Best Supporting Actor

After watching a few trailers for each movie that was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, I decided to evaluate Robert De Niro's performance in Silver Linings Playbook, a film about a man named Pat, who has lost everything: his wife, his house and his job. His mother takes him out of the mental institution he was in for eight months and he is determined on getting back with his wife.

Robert De Niro plays the father of Pat. For being a nominee for best supporting actor, I was expecting to see a lot more of him than the film actually shows. His character wasn't one that stood out. I felt like his character was there to shadow Pat. when pat first arrives home with his parents, it is evident that him and his father hadn't sent much time together, but as the movie unravels, the audience can see the connection between father and son. pat is not the only one who has mental issues, his father cant seem to turn down a bet and he is highly superstitious. When Pat is with him, Pat gets to be the one who is sane since his father must have his handkerchief and remote controls placed in specific locations to assure that his team will win. Pat sees this and thinks his father is a bit crazy for believing that.

I don't think Robert De Niro will win Best Supporting Actor simply because of the role he played. He was there to neutralize his son's insanity and to provide irony between him and his son. This balance was effective in making Pat look even more crazy for noticing other's crazy ideas and not noticing his own, but he could have been shown more.