Movie Reviewed: A beautiful mind starring Russell Crowe

The touching life of Mathematician John Nash

This is a wonderful movie about the life and struggles of one of the 20th century’s greatest mathematician, John Nash. The story is based on biographer Sylvia Nasar's book, “A Beautiful Mind.” The leading role is played by actor Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connolly and directed by Ron Howard

The film focusses on several aspects of Nash's life including the nature of his mind and a close examination of his personality. In 1959, Nash suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, a serious mental illness and spent years at psychiatric hospitals. After 1970, his condition slowly improved, allowing him to return to academic work. His struggles with his illness and recovery are the focus of this film.

The story begins with Nash's days as a graduate student at Princeton University. Early in the film, Nash begins to develop paranoid schizophrenia and endures delusional episodes while painfully watching his illness and burdens his wife Alicia. In 1994, Nash wins the Nobel Prize in Economics, and on May 23, 2015, Nash and his wife Alicia Nash are killed in a car crash while riding in a taxi on the New Jersey Turnpike. Nash had been in Norway to receive the Abel Prize for Mathematics from King Harold V for his work and returning home at Princeton.

This film won awards for director Ron Howard and Jennifer Connolly in the best supporting actress category. This is a sure tear-jerker and a must watch for anyone interested in the life of John Nash.