Last fall, when cast and crew of the new, Eagled-out movie "Silver Linings Playbook" installed themselves on Cappelletti's block, the longtime resident became somewhat of a celebrity. Again.
Director David O. Russell came to her to learn Philly-isms for the locally set film about love, manic depression and the Eagles season, which opened in select theaters Friday and goes into wide release Wednesday. (When the characters talk about "homemades," that's from Cappelletti.) Two of her grandkids appear in the Halloween scene. She fed the cast and crew an Italian dinner, Delco style. (There's more on this on Page 7.)
Cappelletti herself is an extra in a shot with Jacki Weaver, Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper. She received $147 for her appearance in the star-studded film - although, as she said, she's "got to pay taxes on it."
Creative differences
She also saw a much bigger downside to her acting gig. In the scene, she said, she's "standing next to the porch, and [Bradley Cooper] is going a little mental, and Jacki [Weaver] is saying, 'Come back! Come back! Don't leave!' and Robert De Niro is saying, 'Don't come back! Don't come back! We don't [expletive] need you!' "
The problem? The expletive. "I don't care for cursing in the movie," said Cappelletti, who attends Mass daily, "I feel it was unnecessary. I was in the Phaith magazine [published by the Catholic Standard & Times] saying I don't go to movies that curse."
The bad word upset Cappelletti so much that she tried to get herself removed from the scene. "I called the director. I said, 'I don't want to be in this movie, David, because I don't go to movies that curse.' "
You can imagine, then, how she felt at the premiere, when "Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Law-rence cursed the whole movie. It's unbelievable how much they have to curse," she said. "I don't think you had to curse that much."
Still, foul language aside, Cappelletti described "Silver Linings" as "wonderful . . . a great story about mental people. I just don't care for the cursing."
She also feels blessed that in her scene, you can barely see her. She said, "My daughter said, 'Mom, you lucked out. God was with you.'"
