Based on the autobiographical novel by Matthew Quick, this 2012 movie, written and directed by David O. Russell, is an outstanding character study – laugh-out-loud funny, when it’s not wincingly dramatic. Bradley Cooper stars as Pat, a man just leaving a mental institution after a lengthy court-mandated stay, and Jennifer Lawrence co-stars as Tiffany, a neighborhood Philadelphia girl who agrees to help him get his life back together, even though she’s got some baggage of her own. It’s a big break from typecasting for both of these actors, and they respond beautifully. And if you question whether Lawrence is up to the task, wait for the scene in which Robert De Niro, as Pat’s dad, gets in Tiffany’s face to object to her presence in his son’s life – and instead of cowering or backing down, she gives attitude right back. That scene, right there, might have won her the Oscar last year.