Firstly, I’m going to try so hard not to give too much of this film away! It’s a really good watch if you don’t know much about it because that’s what makes this a brilliant film. I first watched this film not knowing hardly anything about it and when I think back it made the film more enjoyable to watch. A Beautiful Mind is based on a true story of John Forbes Nash, Jr. also based on the biography “A Beautiful Mind” by Sylvia Nasar.
A Beautiful Mind directed by Ron Howard and produced by Brian Grazer tells the journey of John Nash (Russell Crowe) dealing with a mental disorder (I’m not going to tell you which) which had gone un-diagnosed for many years, besides from this Nash is an extremely talented mathematician who believes that there is a mathematical solution to everything. The film starts off with Nash at Princeton University as a graduate student who doesn’t seem to quite fit in with everyone else. He starts to get a reputation as being a bit “weird” yet everyone knows of his intelligence. Nash isn’t a “people’s person” and isn’t very good at socialising, this is evident when he attempts to chat up women and results in him receiving
a slap round the face. Nash does however begin to make friends, Martin Hansen (John Lucas) Sol (Adam Goldberg) and Bender (Anthony Rapp) but particular friendship with Charles (Paul Bettany) who moves in with him while at Princeton.
Fast forward a few years, and Nash has done so well with his studies that he accepts a job at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) joined by his friends Sol and Bender. In one of his classes a young lady called Alicia (Jennifer Connelly) catches his eye and the two soon fall in love and marry. Throughout all this Charles has been by his side but so has William Parcher (Ed Harris) a man who suddenly comes on the scene and wants Nash to work for him and the United States Department of Defence to help uncover the work of the soviets, he chooses Nash to work in a secret department of defence because he needs him to solve a code breaker which no other code breaker has ever done before. Parcher gives Nash newspaper cuttings which translate into what the Russians are up to. With Nash’s mathematical stability Parcher knows that he can do this. However, along the way Nash is followed by Russian Spies, even when he is giving a speech to the students at the university they turn up. Nash makes a run for it but is captured and is given an injection to calm him down.
He wakes up strapped to a chair with a psychiatrist next to him, along with Charles who just sits opposite him crying. It is at this point in the film that things begin to change, and Nash is diagnosed with a mental disorder. The rest of the film shows how he deals with the disorder and how others around him cope with it, Nash’s wife gives birth to a son and puts even more stress on to her. He starts to purposely not take his medication and results in the disorder coming back at its peak. The amazing film tells of what it’s like to live with a mental disorder from all angles. Nash grows older which I think was superbly done, and is still living with the disorder. The film ends with him winning a Nobel memorial Prize in Economics for his great achievement in mathematics. Here are a handful of the awards that A beautiful Mind has won. 4 academy awards for:
Best Picture (Brian Grazer and Ron Howard)
Best Director (Ron Howard)
Supporting Actress (Jennifer Connolly)
Adapted Screenplay (Akiva Goldsman) At the BAFTAS in 2002 both Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connolly won best actor and actress. The film was also nominated for Movie of the Year, Actor of the Year (Russell Crowe), and Screenwriter of the Year.
EXTRAS Disc one
Feature Commentary with Director Ron Howard
Feature Commentary with screenwriter Akiva Goldsman
Deleted Scenes
Cast and Crew Biographies
Production Notes
Disc Two
A Beautiful Partnership: Ron Howard and Brain Grazer
Development of the screenplay
Meeting John Nash
Accepting the Nobel Prize in Economics
Casting Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connolly
The process of Age Progression
Storyboard Comparisons
Creation of the Special Effects
Scoring the Film
Inside A Beautiful Mind
Academy Awards
Theatrical Trailer
In my opinion it really is a brilliant film, sorry I haven’t been able to give too much away but I didn’t want to because the whole point of this film is wanting to find out what happens for yourself, trust me you would enjoy it much more! Russell Crowe plays Nash brilliantly especially as it is partly based on a true story and plays the role very well. Jennifer Connolly is a superb actress and it’s a shame you don’t see more of her, past films are Requiem for a dream and the day the earth stood still. She has been in many others but I wouldn’t say they have been very well known. It's a film that i think many would enjoy watching especially those who are interested in mental disorders/psychology. I brought the DVD for £4.00 from eBay and overall is highly recommended! Classification 12 Running Time: 130 minutes
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A Beautiful Mindis an award-winning movie if ever there was one. This biopic of ... more
mathematician John Forbes Nash is two partsShineto one partGood Will Hunting. Scripted by Akiva Goldsman (Lost in Space) and directed by Ron Howard (The Grinch)--both tryin...
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A Beautiful Mindis an award-winning movie if ever there was one. This biopic of ... more
mathematician John Forbes Nash is two partsShineto one partGood Will Hunting. Scripted by Akiva Goldsman (Lost in Space) and directed by Ron Howard (The Grinch)--both tryin...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
A Beautiful Mindis an award-winning movie if ever there was one. This biopic of ... more
mathematician John Forbes Nash is two partsShineto one partGood Will Hunting. Scripted by Akiva Goldsman (Lost in Space) and directed by Ron Howard (The Grinch)--both tryin...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
A Beautiful Mindis an award-winning movie if ever there was one. This biopic of ... more
mathematician John Forbes Nash is two partsShineto one partGood Will Hunting. Scripted by Akiva Goldsman (Lost in Space) and directed by Ron Howard (The Grinch)--both tryin...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
A Beautiful Mind' begins with Nash (Russell Crowe) at Princeton where he struggles to ... more
think of an original idea and the stroke of genius that will make him matter. Nash is eccentric socially awkward and extremely competitive. Eventually he finds t...
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Jun 18th, 2009
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