2011 DGA Award-nominee David O. Russell (The Fighter) engaged audiences with tales from the making of his new feature Silver Linings Playbook. In the film a former teacher moves in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife after a stint in a mental institution. Things get more complicated after he meets a mysterious girl with problems of her own. Russell spoke about his comedic drama with director JJ Abrams (Star Trek), who moderated the discussion following the DGA screening in Los Angeles on November 18, and with director Bob Balaban (Nurse Jackie) who moderated the conversation in New York on November 11.