Search - A Beautiful Mind (Full Screen Awards Edition) on DVD

Jody G. from WEBSTER, ND
Reviewed on 2/21/2010...

Excellent insight into mental illness.

2 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

John Nash, Fact or Fiction--You Decide

Robert J. Schneider | Tacoma, WA USA | 02/14/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Surprised the heck out of me

Linda Picardo | Cambridge, MA | 01/01/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."