Fictionalized without seeming contrived, Ron Howard's Oscar-winning biography of Princeton professor and Nobel Prize winner John Forbes Nash, Jr. is the story of a man determined to overcome madness on his own terms. Russell Crowe absorbs himself completely into Nash, initially seen as an awkward Princeton student with a 300 mph mind obsessed with finding "a truly original idea" in mathematics. Nash's early success leads to a government code-breaking job that becomes far more cloak-and-dagger in his mind than it is in real life. Diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic, Nash eschews medical treatment, choosing to fight for his sanity using logic and willpower. A Beautiful Mind is a "let's make an Oscar movie" movie, but what it lacks in ingenuity, the film makes up for in superb performances (Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly is subtly amazing as Nash's devoted, perseverant wife), potent emotions, and graceful (if safe and conventional) filmmaking. Highly recommended. [Note: The double-disc DVD "Awards Edition" serves up an impressive array of extras, including two commentaries (one with director Ron Howard and producer Brian Glazer, the other with screenwriter Akiva Goldsman), 27 minutes worth of deleted scenes (some quite substantial), a 23-minute "making of," several featurettes (on writing, casting, makeup, special effects, and music), a notable featurette called "Meeting John Nash" (in which Nash tries to explain the complicated math behind game theory to Howard), all four Oscar acceptance speeches, and additional DVD-ROM features. Very nicely done indeed.] (R. Blackwelder)
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