Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games) has become the frontrunner to portray the eccentric neighbor of Mark Wahlberg’s Pat Peoples character in the upcoming film adaptation ‘The Silver Linings Playbook,’ Collider is reporting. Lawrence beat out several other A-listers who auditioned for the role, including Elizabeth Banks, Kirsten Dunst, Blake Lively, Rachel McAdams and Olivia Wilde. Lawrence’s character is also being described as having problems of her own.

‘The Silver Linings Playbook,’ which will be based on the Matthew Quick novel of the same name, is set to be David O. Russell’s directorial follow-up to his previous hit with Wahlberg, 2010’s Academy Award-winning biopic ‘The Fighter.’ In ‘The Silver Linings Playbook,’ which is set to begin production in Fall 2011 after Lawrence wraps ‘The Hunger Games,’ Wahlberg will portray Pat, a delusional former high school teacher. He’s been a patient at a mental institution for four years, but believes he’s only been away for a few months. When he’s released, he’s determined to win back his ex-wife Nikki, who will reportedly be played by Angelina Jolie.

Pat also believes his life is a movie being produced by God. He believes it’s his God-given mission to become physically fit and emotionally literate, so that Nikki will return to him. But once he returns home, everything feels different to him. No one wants to talk about Nikki, and his therapist recommends adultery as a form of therapy. He also believes he’s being haunted by Kenny G.

Written by: Karen Benardello