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Director: Ron Howard
Release Date: December 21st, 2001
Rating: PG-13 for intense thematic material, sexual content and a scene of violence
See it on Amazon
 The previews tell you nothing
The previews for this movie are horrible: A bunch of scenes with Russell Crowe doing math to some inspirational music. And people are supposed to be excited about this movie. I was not inspired at all and only saw it after it was nominated for best picture in the Academy Awards.
Lesson learned: Don't judge a movie by its vague preview.
A Beautiful Mind is much more than the previews let on. This movie is about 1994 Nobel prizewinner and mathematical genius, John F. Nash, Jr. He made an astonishing discovery early in college and stood on the brink of international acclaim. Being consumed by his work, Nash soon found himself on a painful and deadly journey of self-discovery. This journey drove him to the brink of insanity and nearly killed him. After many years of struggle, he eventually triumphed over tragedy, and finally received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.
Inside the mind of a genius and a madman
When I think of great movies that have dealt with mental illness, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest and Girl Interrupted come to mind. Although these were great films, they failed to get you inside the character's mind. The viewer saw the character as a wacko with an illness and nothing more. A Beautiful Mind gets you inside Nash's head. The audience is allowed the opportunity to relate to the character's perspective as they struggle through their mental problems as opposed to just watching them deal with it from a distance.
From Nash's perspective, we watch him solve problems and crack codes that have been deemed "impossible" by the world. Most people don't relish in doing math and would have difficulty relating to someone like Nash who is a genius in this field, but this movie gives the viewer an excellent glimpse into what having this gift is like.
We also see Nash slowly overload himself into insanity. As opposed to the audience seeing this happen all from the outside with a clear understanding of where the line between reality and insanity is drawn, the viewers are, like Nash, trying to decipher between the two as the story progresses.
This experience is made possible due to the great directing by Ron Howard. Russell Crowe also shines magnificently as Nash. Crowe has become famous as generally playing the sexy, tough guy in the film industry, but not in this movie. Crowe plays a math nerd with some serious social problems. The best part about this is you don't see Crowe playing the character of John Nash; you only see John Nash.
Definitely Academy Award Material
This movie has been nominated for several Academy Awards. When you see it, you will know why. This film not only portrays the life of a famous mathematician, but also takes a unique approach in telling the story of someone struggling with mental illness.
Related Links:
A Beautiful Mind's official site
Press release announcing Nash's nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize
Nash's autobiography
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