Director Ron Howard delivers his finest effort with his extraordinary film, A BEAUTIFUL MIND, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2001. Based loosely on Sylvia Nasar's acclaimed biography of mathematician John Forbes Nash, the film is a compelling look at one man's genius, his debilitating mental illness, and the fine line between the two. A BEAUTIFUL MIND begins with Nash (Russell Crowe) at Princeton, where he struggles to 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 the inspiration for his innovative and influential work on game theory. He's chosen for a post at MIT, which includes crucial code-breaking work for the US government. There, he meets a beautiful and brilliant student, Alicia (Jennifer Connelly). They marry but their happiness is threatened, as Nash, belatedly diagnosed as schizophrenic, descends into madness. Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman cannily condenses Nash's story, and the film manages to dramatize both Nash's mathematical brilliance and his schizophrenia in a compellingly visual manner. Crowe delivers a strong performance, and has real chemistry with Connelly. The two make the film's story about the power of love believable and moving.
Theatrical release: December 25, 2001 (Limited)
January 4, 2002 (Expanded)
DVD Features:
Keep Case
Single Side - Dual Layer
Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Full Frame - 1.33
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English, French
Subtitles - English, Spanish - Optional
Additional Release Material:
Featurette
Alternate Scenes: Deleted Scenes (w/ Director's Commentary)
Behind the Scenes: Production Notes
Audio Commentary:
1. Ron Howard - Director
2. Akiva Goldsman - Screenwriter
Text/Photo Galleries:
Biographies: Cast/Crew
Source Writer
Sylvia Nasar: Author, A BEAUTIFUL MIND (2001)
Director of Photography
Roger Deakins: Director of Photography
Review 1:
"...[Featuring] dynamic performances and extraordinary actor chemistry..."
Source: USA Today
p.6E 12/21/2001
Review 2:
"...Mr. Crowe, with his superhuman powers of concentration, shows us a man who dwells almost entirely in an inner world, and he dramatizes that inwardness as if nobody were watching..."
Source: New York Times
p.E1 12/21/2001
Review 3:
"...From the instant Crowe appears, it's clear this is to be a performance of faultless verisimilitude....Connelly's heart-rending performance is Best Supporting Actress material..."
Source: Total Film
p.94 03/01/2002
Review 4:
"...A BEAUTIFUL MIND's greatest strength is a beautiful performance by Russell Crowe..."
Source: Box Office
p.57 02/01/2002
Review 5:
"...Crowe brings the character to life....[He] has an uncanny ability to modify his look to fit a role..."
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
p.29 12/21/2001
Review 6:
"...Director and screenwriter have found a way to convey the sensation of schizophrenia from the inside out....[An] important movie..."
Source: Entertainment Weekly
p.46 01/04/2002
Review 7:
"...[Crowe] rises to the challenge of the role with fearless integrity. He's electrifying..."
Source: Rolling Stone
p.56 01/17/2002
Review 8:
"...Consistently engrossing....This serious-minded but lively film is distinguished by an exceptional performance by Russell Crowe..."
Source: Variety
p.35-40 12/17/2001
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