The American Film Institute (AFI) today announced the official selections of AFI AWARDS 2012 – the awards season event favored by artists and entertainment executives for its intimacy and collaborative recognition where everyone is a winner – that documents the year's most outstanding achievements in film and television.

AFI AWARDS is the only national recognition that honors the community's creative ensembles as a whole, acknowledging the collaborative nature of the art form. Honorees are selected based on works which best advance the art of the moving image; enhance the rich cultural heritage of America's art form; inspire audiences and artists alike; and/or make a mark on American society.

AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR

ARGO
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
DJANGO UNCHAINED
LES MISERABLES
LIFE OF PI
LINCOLN
MOONRISE KINGDOM
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
ZERO DARK THIRTY

AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR

AMERICAN HORROR STORY: ASYLUM
BREAKING BAD
GAME CHANGE
GAME OF THRONES
GIRLS
HOMELAND
LOUIE
MAD MEN
MODERN FAMILY
THE WALKING DEAD

MAD MEN now tops the list as the most recognized AFI AWARDS TV honoree, with 2012 marking its fifth appearance in the AFI almanac, followed closely by BREAKING BAD, EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, MODERN FAMILY, THE SOPRANOS and THE WIRE, each with four AFI AWARDS honors since 2001.

"AFI AWARDS celebrates America's storytellers as collaborators," said Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO. "We are honored to bring together artists as a community, without competition, to acknowledge the gifts they have given the world in 2012."

Verizon Digital Media Services returns as the presenting sponsor of the event, underwriting the AFI AWARDS luncheon and creating 20 scholarships in the name of each honoree for the next generation of storytellers at the AFI Conservatory, which is renowned for its advanced training in six filmmaking disciplines: Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design and Screenwriting. And, AFI Conservatory alumni continue to be represented across the film and television honorees – in 2012, AFI alumni worked on programs ranging from AMERICAN HORROR STORY, BREAKING BAD and HOMELAND to movies including ARGO and LINCOLN, to name a few.

Marking the thirteenth chapter in the American Film Institute's 21st century almanac, AFI AWARDS 2012 selections are made through AFI's unique jury process in which scholars, film and television artists, critics and AFI Trustees determine the most outstanding achievements of the year, as well as provide a detailed rationale for each selection. This year's juries – one for film and one for television – were chaired by producers and AFI Board of Trustees Vice Chairs Tom Pollock (former Vice Chairman of MCA, Chairman of Universal Pictures) for the movies and Rich Frank (former Chairman of Walt Disney Television, President of Walt Disney Studios, President of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences) for television, and includes award-winning artists such as Angela Bassett, Brad Bird, Chris Carter, Marta Kauffman and Octavia Spencer; film historian Leonard Maltin; scholars from prestigious universities with recognized motion picture arts programs (Syracuse, UCLA, University of Texas, USC, Wesleyan); AFI Board of Trustees; and critics from leading media outlets such as Entertainment Weekly, The Huffington Post, Rolling Stone, Time Magazine, USA Today and more.

AFI will honor the creative ensembles for each of the selections at an invitation-only luncheon on Friday, January 11, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.

In addition to Verizon, Audi of America returns as an official sponsor of the event. Additional sponsors include Stella Artois and American Airlines, the official airline of the American Film Institute, providing travel support throughout the year.

I always wonder about people who have been diagnosed with a psychological problem like bipolar disorder; some of them have such a zest and passion for life that I begin to wonder if it’s even fair to say that they are sick. Everyone else seems to get so beaten up and run down by life to where it robs the smiles off of our faces, and yet people like Pat Solitano, Bradley Cooper’s character in “Silver Linings Playbook,” seems so inspired by everything around him. Despite Pat’s problem, I came out of this movie desperately wanting to feel the way he does.

Of course, Pat’s boundless zest for life has come at a huge price for him. “Silver Linings Playbook,” the latest film from writer/director David O. Russell, starts off with Pat being released from a mental institution after being locked in there for eight months. It turns out that Pat, a former school teacher, went off the deep end one day when he came home and found his wife Nikki in the shower with another man. Pat did not take this well to put it mildly and he went ballistic on the guy in a way no one will ever forget.

Now that Pat’s been released, he is forced to move back in with his parents (played by Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver) as he has lost his home and his job, and his wife has since moved away and filed a restraining order against him. However, he is determined to move his life forward in a positive direction and win Nikki back, but he is still troubled by the discovery he made all those months ago. It also doesn’t help that a certain Stevie Wonder song, the same one which was played at Pat’s and Nikki’s wedding, was playing on the stereo when Pat found his wife at home but not alone. That song acts as a terrible trigger for him, and you feel his excruciating pain whenever it starts playing.

Cooper is best known for his work in “The Hangover” movies, but this role really shows the kind of actor he is truly capable of being. Cooper makes you sympathize with Pat’s sincere intentions to be a better person even when he flies off the handle for the most unexpected reasons. Just watch him go ballistic after he finishes reading Ernest Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms.” From start to finish, Cooper is a dynamo in the role and you relish in the joy he gets from playing this character.

Cooper is also well matched with Jennifer Lawrence who follows up her performance in the box office behemoth “The Hunger Games” with a fiery turn as Tiffany. Now a widow after her husband passed away, Tiffany speaks her mind bluntly and without apology and it is clear that she is still coping with a devastating loss. Lawrence blew us away with her breakthrough performance in “Winter’s Bone,” and her talent as an actress has never been in doubt since. She more than rises to the challenge in “Silver Linings Playbook” in creating a character who on the surface is not exactly pleasant, and yet she still lets us see the wounded humanity which Tiffany’s tough exterior cannot hide.

The film also features a number of terrific supporting performances as well. Robert De Niro gives one of his best performances in a long time as Pat’s father who is as hopeful for his son’s recovery as he is for the Philadelphia Eagles winning every single football game they play. Jacki Weaver, best known for her Oscar nominated performance in “Animal Kingdom,” also lends some strong support as Pat’s mom. There are also some inspired turns from John Ortiz as Ronnie, Anupam Kher as Dr. Patel, and even Julia Stiles shows up as Tiffany’s sister Veronica.

But one supporting performance which really stands out in “Silver Linings Playbook” is Chris Tucker’s as Danny, Pat’s friend who leaves the mental institution only to find that he’s not really allowed to just yet. Not only is this is the first movie Tucker’s done in a long time without “Rush Hour” in the title, but he also dials down on his manic comic energy to give a surprisingly naturalistic performance. Tucker is a lot of fun to watch here, and fits in perfectly with the rest of the cast without ever upstaging anybody. He is wonderful to watch here.

“Silver Linings Playbook” is based on the book of the same name by Matthew Quick, and it is the perfect fit for a writer/director like David O. Russell. His films, whether it’s “Flirting with Disaster,” “The Fighter” or even “Three Kings,” deal with complicated characters who are trying to salvage what is left of their souls so that they can move on to better things. This one is no different as Pat and Tiffany need each other to get past the traumas that have come to define their lives in the present. Russell presents their story in a way that never feels the least bit formulaic, and he never ever takes the easy way out with these characters.

What I’ve come to love about Russell’s movies is that they feel alive in a way most don’t. With “Silver Linings Playbook” you are watching lives unfold in front of you, and it is directed to where you experience what’s happening instead of just watching it. Regardless of the problems these characters face here, there is something strangely positive and fulfilling in seeing them overcome what is holding them back. It is also exhilarating to watch characters that are so filled with passion and a love for life, and this film is full of them. This is really one of the most entertaining and enjoyable movies I have seen so far in 2012.

* * * * out of * * * *