Why the bin bag in Silver Linings Playbook?

The hero of Silver Linings Playbook, Pat, was seen wearing a bin bag (or garbage bag depending upon your locale) that had holes cut for his head and arms...

Both his mother and father asked why he was wearing a bin bag, but this was never resolved. I don't know the reason for it. I suppose it provides protection from the rain, but it never rained in the film.

What is the meaning of Pat wearing a bin bag? Is it a habit endemic to Philadelphia?

props silver-linings-playbook

Best Answer

Costume designer Mark Bridges explained: “It was in the original material, the book by Matthew Quick. It really sums up that working-class world, and also [Cooper’s character’s] dedication to try to get back into shape to win his life back by any means necessary—even by looking ridiculous and causing complete humiliation to the whole family by running down the street like that.”

He also told, “The garbage bag was actually made so that it would be silent. We needed to wire the microphone on Bradley so that you would not hear the crinkle, crinkle, crinkle of a real garbage bag. It sort of had a silencer on it.” Asked how many garbage-bag costumes were made in total, Bridges tallied “five of six, just in case something happened. I have one in my garage, actually, just in case we need to do a reshoot or something.”

Source : vanityfair.com

It also help in weight loss, as per claims.