It's a little strange at first. Almost surreal. The scenery is too familiar — though somehow its colors are more vibrant than they are on the dreary morning's walk to class. It's John Nash GS '50's first day at Princeton as a graduate student and there's a reception complete with a period punch bowl taking place in the middle of the Junior Slums. Because this part of the film is set in the late 1940s, the clothes are quaint, and there is an old-school feel of now abandoned ceremony.
Russell Crowe is standing down-screen of Laughlin and 1901 halls. When the camera turns a little, you catch a glimpse of Henry and Foulke halls. Further in the background are the sprawling steps leading up to Blair Hall and its massive arch. It is on those far-off steps that Crowe's character will later have to fend off hallucinations in a battle for his sanity.
Academy Award winner Crowe takes on the role of Nash, a brilliant young mathematician at the beginning his career. Pursuing his doctorate in the hallowed halls of Princeton's math department, Nash is desperate to be recognized by his peers in the elite math community.
From the start, Crowe affects mannerisms and speech patterns reminiscent of Dustin Hoffman in "Rain Man." The movie takes great liberties with the story of Nash's life as told by Sylvia Nasar in her best-selling biography, "A Beautiful Mind." Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman has rounded out many of Nash's rough edges. Crowe's character is still precocious and introverted but his arrogance and condescending nature, demonstrated in Nasar's anecdotes, are replaced by innocent charm.
Nash makes several friends during his time at Princeton. The most important of these characters will turn out to be Charles, a witty, debauched, fast-talking Brit played to perfection by Paul Bettany.
Two other lasting colleagues are played by Adam Goldberg and Anthony Rapp, who find themselves as an onscreen duo again after playing the roles of two decidedly-uncool cats in the stoner classic "Dazed and Confused." With Ivy League airs now, Goldberg and Rapp are Sol and Bender, two University graduate students whom Nash brings with him as assistants when he is given a teaching and research appointment at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In another bit of Hollywood fictionalization, Nash comes to his epiphany about competition and game theory — which will eventually win him the Nobel Prize — while debating with his fellow graduate students the best strategy for each of them to get a girl.
After Nash receives his doctorate, the story jumps some years into the future and finds Nash in the Pentagon helping military officials crack encrypted Russian codes. It is here that Nash first encounters William Parcher. Played effectively by Ed Harris, who is back under the direction of Ron Howard, Parcher is a mysterious government agent with the Department of Defense. Always wearing a dark trench coat and a dark hat, Harris's skin looks ghostly and unnaturally pale. Parcher secures Nash's code-breaking capabilities on a continuing basis in order to track the movement of a nuclear bomb in the hands of a pro-Soviet Communist terror group.
At the same time, Nash meets Alicia Larde (Jennifer Connelly) while teaching an introductory course to MIT students. Strikingly thin and seductive, Connelly's portrayal of this dark haired beauty is a far cry from her role as Marion Silver, the degraded heroin addict turned prostitute in Darren Aronofsky's disturbing film "Requiem for a Dream." Her dark hair alternatively done up in a stylish bun or hanging in curls, Larde woos Nash and the audience with her smile, head cocked to the side, lots of big white teeth and a suggestive gleam in her eyes.
The film takes on the feel of a suspense thriller as Nash's confidential research in code breaking threatens his life in a run-of-the-mill car chase punctuated by handgun shots. Nash becomes utterly paranoid and his behavior shows the burden of his emotional strain.
For those unfamiliar with Nash's life, on which the movie is only loosely based, the entire second half of the film will at first shock and then disturb them. Diagnosed as paranoid-schizophrenic, the audience and Nash must determine what in his life is real and what has been a delusion.
The scenes of Nash's hospitalization and attempts at recovery are very difficult to watch, particularly the unglamorous depiction of his shock treatment where Crowe's teeth are forced apart by wooden sticks and his massive body, strapped into a hospital bed, writhes and contorts in pain. Nash's struggle is plagued by setbacks and Crowe's face reflects it vividly as his eyes take on a sunken, haunted look that never fully goes away. There are humorous moments as well though, including one where Nash delivers a very deadpan line: "What's the use of being crazy if you can't have any fun?"
Thematically, this film runs the gamut from period piece biography to edge-of-the-seat suspense and from the trials of love to the most uplifting of all themes, the triumph of the human spirit. Nash has to claw his way back to reality and reclaim his sanity. It's an uphill battle that will doubtless cause the audience's heart to sink on more than one occasion. At its most effective and tense moments, Nash's struggle is tangible and terrifying. His performance evokes true sympathy for anyone who ever has to face such a devastating illness.
The filming is generous in its tribute to the beauty of the Princeton campus. Alexander Hall appears multiple times, including a scene where it is visible through Blair's grand arch. There are multiple scenes shot on Canon Green with Nassau Hall, West College and the opposing tigers of Whig and Clio in the background. Fans of Rockefeller College will be particularly pleased to see their beloved common room, perhaps supposed to be the common room in Fine Hall, in two of the film's pivotal scenes.
Holder Courtyard is featured prominently, once with the fake scattered snow that students will remember looked almost purple in real life but is quite believable in the film. There is even a scene shot right in front of Jones Hall, where the bicycle bollards have mysteriously been removed. A memorable scene, if only for its negative portrayal of the Princeton student, has Crowe walking through the arches of East Pyne, mimicked cruelly for his affected walk and demeanor by a callous undergraduate.
The real John Forbes Nash Jr. and his wife Alicia are in Stockholm now celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Prize. According to a spokesman for Nash, hired on his behalf by Universal Pictures, Nash and his wife were given a private screening of the film by director Ron Howard on Nov. 26. Nash is currently not giving any interviews about the movie. Acquaintances of Nash say that he does not want to be seen as a publicity seeker and is wary of the media's attention, which may keep him from his work. Author Sylvia Nasar is also waiting to comment on the film until its theatrical release date.
A Beautiful Mind opens in select theaters Dec. 21, with a small expansion on Christmas, and it will be released nationwide on Friday Jan. 4, 2002.
Read More
David Zielenziger ’74, former ‘Prince’ chairman and lifelong journalist, passes away at 72
Kian PetlinFriends and colleagues remember former ‘Prince’ chairman David Zielenziger ’74, who passed away peacefully on May 20.
Friends and colleagues remember former ‘Prince’ chairman David Zielenziger ’74 who passed away peacefully on May 20.
Remembering Dorothea von Moltke, Labyrinth co-founder and local community builder
Lucia BrownDorothea von Moltke, widely considered the heart of Labyrinth Books, was remembered by friends and loved ones for her passions for language, literature, and local activism.
Dorothea von Moltke, widely considered the heart of Labyrinth Books, was remembered by friends and loved ones for her passions for language, literature, and local activism.
Cloister Inn to pause operations for the next 2–3 years, citing “hefty renovations”
Justus WilhoitCloister Inn, one of Princeton’s eating clubs, will pause operations for the next two to three years, due to “hefty renovations” to the club’s house.
Cloister Inn, one of Princeton’s eating clubs, will pause operations for the next two to three years, due to “hefty renovations” to the club’s house.