A Beautiful Mind Movie Review 2001

Loose adaptation of Sylvia Nasar's 1998 bio of Nobel Prize winning mathematician John Forbes Nash Jr. An anti-social genius at Princeton University, Nash wrote his thesis on game theory at 21 and worked for the government in the 1950s before succumbing to paranoid schizophrenia, necessitating his confinement to a mental institution. (The treatment scenes are not for the faint-hearted.) His apparent recovery, after some 30 years, led to sharing a Nobel award in economics in 1994. Director Howard manages to keep the inherent sentimentality and sensationalism generally under control thanks to some powerful performances from Crowe (as Nash), Connelly (as wife Alicia), and Harris (as a sinister government official). The usual controversies swirled about the accuracy of the biopic and what was left out. Ignore the petty carping.

Distribution

Universal Studios Home Video, 100 Universal City Plz., Universal City, CA 91608-9955, Phone: (818)777-1000, Fax: (818)866-1483, URL: http://www.universalstudios.com, Remarks: Does not handle retail queries from consumers; contact your local video distributor.

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 129 minutes.
Originally from United States.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Sanity Check, Biopics: Science/Medical, Science & Scientists, Marriage, Period Piece: 1950s, Boston, Red Scare, Campus Capers, CIA/NSA, Shrinks, Hallucinations/Illusions, Mathemagicians

Screenplay

Akiva Goldsman

Cast

Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Paul Bettany, Christopher Plummer, Judd Hirsch, Adam Goldberg, Josh(ua) Lucas, Anthony Rapp, Austin Pendleton, Vivien Cardone

Cinematography

Roger Deakins

Director

Ron Howard

Music

James Horner

Other

Allan Byer, Mike Hill, Dan Hanley, Robert Guerra, Rita Ryack, Wynn Thomas

Producer

Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Dreamworks Pictures, Imagine Entertainment, Universal Pictures

Awards

Oscars 2001: Adapt. Screenplay, Director (Howard), Film, Support. Actress (Connelly); British Acad. 2001: Actor (Crowe), Support. Actress (Connelly); Directors Guild 2001: Director (Howard); Golden Globes 2002: Actor--Drama (Crowe), Film--Drama, Screenplay, Support. Actress (Connelly); Screen Actors Guild 2001: Actor (Crowe); Writers Guild 2001: Adapt. Screenplay; Broadcast Film Critics 2001: Actor (Crowe), Director (Howard), Film, Support. Actress (Connelly).