The true story of a troubled Princeton mathematician who is able to overcome years of suffering from schizophrenia to win the Nobel Prize.

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This is the true story of John Nash, a Princeton student and brilliant mathematician who is treated for schizophrenia. Crowe is magnificent as he battles his delusions (or are they real?) and has an excellent supporting cast in Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Christopher Plummer, Adam Goldberg and all involved. Bravo to Ron Howard for bringing this most interesting story of the 1994 Nobel Prize winner to the screen.

Dysfunction was never so poignant, empathy so heartfelt as for the beleaguered Nash and his loving wife who made the difficult decision to stand by him through a monumental crisis. Viewers are with the couple every step of the way from their initial meeting and awkward courtship to their often-troubled marriage.

The movie has classic lines such as Nash telling a friend that he is well-balanced because he has a chip on both shoulders. There is much humor to balance the sadness, much hope to combat the seemingly impossible situation.

In the end, it is the theme of battling your demons and overcoming the odds to lead a fulfilling life that makes you leave the theater feeling uplifted as a result of this movie. Definitely, one not to miss.

15 of 16 found the following review helpful:

Surprised the heck out of meJan 01, 2003
By Linda Picardo
I didn't want to watch this movie. The trailers were boring. The write-up on the DVD package lackluster and dull. When my roommate bought a copy I did everything I could to avoid watching. And for several weeks I did just that. Then came the night that I ran out of excuses. I had nothing else to do, and no other movies that I hadn't seen, so A Beautiful Mind when into the machine. And after ten minutes I was hooked. Russell Crowe really lets his acting abilities shine in this film, and Ron Howard's direction is perfect. I sat through the entire film mesmerized, and tears came to my eyes as John Nash fought back from a schizophrenia that would have incapacitated most anyone else. What a triumph! What a hero! What a role model to anyone who feels overwhelmed by their physical or mental limitations! I walked away from the movie knowing that if John Nash could find success despite an illness of that magnitude, I could overcome anything that life throws at me. There are few movies that stay with you the rest of your life, but this is one that I know I will remember forever.

39 of 47 found the following review helpful:

My 100th review!Mar 18, 2002
By Adam Hunnicutt "A.H."
Russell Crowe plays John Forbes Nash, a brilliant schizophrenic in one of this years best film's. A Beautiful Mind dive's deep within the world of Nash's brain with more twist's than a roller-coaster. After the main secret is revealed, more thing's happen that question's what even you know. It makes the audience feel the lost assuredness of whether what we know is real or fake, and that is one of its many qualities. Ron Howard has always been a stand out with his films. From Apollo 13 to Willow, Ron Howard has developed into a director at the peak of his form.

Though Nash is Socially awkward, he manages to steal the heart of a student who is to become his wife. Played by Jennifer Connelly (yeah, Labyrinth) in a fine and realistic tone, Alisha falls in love with John Nash and hold's him up through his illness.

The Math depicted in A beautiful Mind was actual math, made to resemble the deteriorating illness from its less complicated measures to its chaotic and disoriented forms. Also, the math represent's his relationship's, which was an effort some filmmaker's wouldn't have taken. Leave it to Ron Howard.

In one of the first sequences in the film, there is a 360 degree steady-cam shot of John Nash, decifering codes for the FBI. This shot was done to represent the spinning wheels of Nash's mind. It was also my favorite shot in the movie. It caused an urgency and made an exciting feeling from what could have been just an ordinary scene.

The Math wasn't the only thing created from reality. The Therapy sessions and method's were well researched for authenticity. It was reported when John Nash (now 73) and his wife saw the film with Ron Howard, John couldn't watch these scenes, and his wife had tear's streaming down her face. It was like post trauma for them, and too difficult to see again.

A Beautiful Mind is one of most rewarding movies I've seen in a long time. It is my hope that Hollywood continue's to create project's with as much substance and emotion as A Beautiful Mind. Whether it recieves an Academy Award or not, it doesn't take a society of appointed panelist's, nor a gold-sealed manilla envelope to determine my vote. This will be on my shelf of favorites as soon as it becomes available. ~SAOS~

17 of 19 found the following review helpful:

John Nash, Fact or Fiction--You DecideFeb 14, 2002
By Robert J. Schneider
It's difficult to separate the fact from the fiction in watching this film; however, A BEAUTIFUL MIND, as directed by Ron Howard, is a compelling study of a brilliant mind gone somewhat astray. I agree that the movie is presented in a slick fashion, but I do think that it did its job in presenting us with the Cliff's Notes version of the fascinating story of John Forbes Nash, Jr.--enough to make me want to learn more about the life of this remarkable but troubled man.

A BEAUTIFUL MIND opens at Princeton University in 1947, as John Nash (in a subtle and layered performance by the brilliant Australian actor Russell Crowe) and several of his contemporaries enter the doctoral program there. There is a great whiff of rivalry that permeates the air; although he is admired by his fellow students, John Nash feels threatened by them. This causes him to be quite off-putting at times. Unlike the others, he never goes to classes, which he feels are "a great waste" of his time. We see him writing formulas on his dormitory windows in search of a grand unified theory of...something. Even at this early stage, we can definitely see that there is something amiss about his personality. But there is more, much more, in store for this beautiful mind, as it descends slowly over the years into the realm of schizophrenia.

Russell Crowe plays this role with as much love for Nash's flaws as well as his brilliance. His is the best portrayal of mental illness since that of Geoffrey Rush in SHINE (1997). Rush deservedly won the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance; Crowe stands a good chance of doing the same this year. The vastly underrated Jennifer Connelly plays the role of John's paramour and wife Alicia, wo gradually uncovers John's web of delusion and decides to not be a passive bystander to it all. She is being deservedly nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

All in all, A BEAUTIFUL MIND is compelling, well-written, somewhat entertaining, and extremely well-acted. However, it must be noted that this is but a surface character study of a complex and troubled individual. There is much more to learn about John Forbes Nash, Jr. Taken on its own, this is a film that is well-worth watching. I, for one, cannot wait for it to be released on DVD, where hopefully there will be a lot of extra scenes that were deleted from the initial release--this may help us grasp the character better. Then again, a trip to the local public library may be the better option. You decide for yourself.

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