Sigmund Freud, the celebrated father of psychoanalysis, often referenced literature and theater in his analytic theory. The annual Searching the Psyche Through Cinema series, returning in January and February with a selection of films mostly adapted from books, takes a cue from Freud and looks to the arts to illuminate our understanding of ourselves. A discussion follows each screening.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012, R, 122 min.) kicks off the 2023 series. Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Tucker, and Robert De Niro star in the story of a man trying to pull his life back together after a stint in a mental institution. The character, played by Cooper, leans on the idea of finding silver linings to help him through each day. Then, of course, he meets a woman who’s just as fragile as he is.

Post-screening discussion is led by psychoanalyst John Whipple and film critic Beck Ireland.

The event is presented in partnership with the Greater Kansas City-Topeka Psychoanalytic Center.