A few nights ago we rented a video called A BEAUTIFUL MIND.
It was written by Akiva Goldsman and directed by Ron Howard. This movie is based on a novel written by Sylvia Nasar.
THE STARS:
Russell Crowe as John Forbes Nash.
Jennifer Connelly as his wife Marsha.
Judd Hirsh plays Professor Helinger.
Paul Bettany plays Charles Herman his roommate.
Ed Harris plays the government official Prichard.
BACKGROUND:
This was a true story of a Nobel Peace Prize Winner, (1994), in the field of Mathematics.
John Nash was born in was born in Blue Field, West Virginia in 1928. He was a shy boy and grew into a shy man.
Before the film begins when he has won a scholarship to Princeton University. He won this scholarship because he excelled in both Mathematics and Chemistry.
MY REVIEW:
When John Nash arrives at Princeton University to start his studies. He is not surprised to find himself welcomed with open arms by his classmates.
He is surprised that his roommate Charles wants to be friends and is always willing to help him. They go out to a few bars and every time he picks out the prettiest woman in the room and walks up to her and says, ’’Do you want to have sex?’’ Once she has slapped his face he has a reason to go home.
He doesn’t attend many of his classes and spends his time in his room drawing on the glass of the windows.
He is about to lose his scholarship when he comes through with a new theory that impresses everyone.
He accepts a job offer to be a Professor and to do research at M.I.T. He loves the research but hates to teach. His two Partners tell him he will be fired if he doesn’t attend his next class, (that begins in 10 minutes).
He rushes into the class and scribbled a math problem on the Blackboard. He turns to his class and tells them the class is over and will not begin until someone solves the problem. As he is leaving he looks back and says, ’’I don’t expect to see any of you until the final exams!’’
A few days later one of his students, Alicia, (who is very smart), arrives at his office and tells him she has solved the problem. He reads her results and is startled to find out that she is correct.
She is a very beautiful Lady and invites him out to dinner. I think he even surprises him self when he accepts.
They do get married and Alicia gets pregnant. This about the time that he meets Prichard who convinces Nash he is the only person who can save the United States from a Russian attack.
Nash is the only person who can break their codes that are written in newspapers and magazines from around the World.
Nash agrees to help the Government and this is when his moods begin to swing from what is real and what is fantasy.
Every day he becomes more paranoid. Alica becomes more concerned and has him taken to a Mental Hospital for assessment.
At that time Mental Hospitals were referred to ’loonie bins’ and the system for treatment was barbaric.
I will end my tale here as I never tell how a Movie ends in case some one has not seen it.
THE MUSIC:
James Horner wrote the musical score, (that was mainly Big Band Sounds), and a few solo’s by Charlotte Church.
MY THOUGHTS:
From the first moment that the film began shivers ran down my back.
At the beginning of WW II I had a Cousin who was Mathematics and who was sent to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada to works on a ’’secret project’’.
It took him a few months to realize he was working on a proto-type of an A-Bomb.
I have a few Family Members who are had this terrible disease.
This was a beautiful, sad and sometimes happy film and I hope you will see it.
©LL2002