A "Silver Linings" Nod from the VP: Cooper, Russell to Meet with Biden

Final voting for the Oscars starts on Friday, and the publicity blitz for contenders has been unmistakable via full-page ads, talk show appearances and something that has been especially pronounced this season: The high-profile D.C. confab.

Today, Bradley Cooper and David O. Russell will meet with Vice President Joseph Biden today to discuss mental health, an issue raised in "Silver Linings Playbook." Cooper last week attended a D.C. press conference with former Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) and reps from the Center for American Progress to discuss removing the stigma of mental illness.

Harvey Weinstein, whose company released "Silver Linings," has been pushing the movie's larger issues about bipolar disorder, but he's certainly not the only one seeking to elevate an Oscar contender by emphasizing its larger societal impact. "Lincoln" screened at the White House and at a bipartisan Senate event on Capitol Hill, while "Argo" features an ending statement by former President Jimmy Carter, who also talked about the hostage rescue in a Warner Bros. featurette.