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                               February 1, 2002

His Point: I must admit, I was less than thrilled about seeing a movie in which Russell Crowe plays a schizophrenic math genius; isn’t it time for a sequel to "Gladiator?" Yet "A Beautiful Mind" is powerful in its own right because of the way it showcases the acting talent of Crowe. His ability to act out the machinations of a deluded mind is simply uncanny. Our math instructors should see this film to learn what all that crunching of numbers in their brains eventually causes: paranoid delusions and a serious lack of personal hygiene. In all seriousness, though, this is a wonderful movie about the debilitating effects of mental illness on an otherwise "beautiful mind." It traces the odyssey of John Nash from brilliant Princeton graduate student to obscure delusional recluse; ultimately, he receives the Nobel Prize in Stockholm for his life’s work.

Her Counterpoint: It is not often Casey comes home from a movie I’ve picked and said, "You are going to love this movie." My excitement was increasing, since I was about to depart the house with my girlfriend for "movietime" and freedom from domestic godessism. I did not know much about the movie beforehand, except the general concept about a genius, the actors in the project and the "buzz" about its worthiness of my time. "A Beautiful Mind" received four Golden Globe Awards: Best Supporting Actress -- Jennifer Connelly, Best Screenplay -- Akiva Goldsman, Best Motion Picture, and of course, Best Actor -- Russell Crowe. Although I’ve not seen the other nominations for Best Director, I thought Ron Howard should have won. I like to listen to his acceptance speeches and he did a phenomenal job on this movie. As for my husband’s comments, one of our best friends is in the math department and he does not smell bad or have delusions, yet. I am glad that he explained how the title fits into the movie, because I was having a hard time with that one. This was a very deep and intense look into the world of someone’s brain; it does not work correctly at times, yet it amazes us on other occasions. The movie shakes, rattles and rolls the audience to the extent that it feels like a meeting between Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and a big pile of illicit drugs -- not that I would know for sure. By the way, I did not love this movie but, I did like it a lot.

His Point: This picture is unique in that it truly presents schizophrenia from the affected person’s perspective. As a member of the audience, I felt the same frustrations as Nash -- not knowing what is real and what is imagined in everyday life. The story seems to be a unique blend of "Good Will Hunting" and "Conspiracy Theory." Once Nash begins working at Wheeler Labs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology during the Cold War, he cannot even read a periodical without seeing hidden Soviet codes in every paragraph. The psychiatric medications that Dr. Rosen (Christopher Plummer) prescribes for Nash tend to take the edge off of his razor-sharp mind for mathematics, so he chooses to refuse medication and put himself on a "diet of the mind:" no non-verifiable friends, no conspiracy theories and no agitating interaction with colleagues. In effect, he becomes the non-teaching "weird guy on campus" for thirty years at Princeton -- engaging himself in complicated mathematics and fighting his delusions. I never quite understood what he did for money while he was "hanging around" the library for three decades. Being a reclusive genius is fun, but it does not pay too well.

Her Counterpoint: Casey, don’t you remember -- he met his wife in college and she worked. She was the breadwinner of the family, so to speak, while he hung around Princeton puffing on cigarettes and riding his bicycle in circles while avoiding his demons. I also thought this movie a bit on the "Good Will Hunting" side but I hadn’t thought about the "Conspiracy Theory" idea. It fits together beautifully, although this is based on an actual true story -- Nash did not have as many shenanigans as the characters in "Good Will," but had his share of conspiracy theories. I wasn’t prepared for this story. It truly amazed me how they aged the actors over Nash’s 50-year career; it was great make-up artistry. One annoying bit I picked up on, though, is that Crow’s Virginia accent kept changing throughout the film. During his teaching days at MIT, he had a much stronger accent than when the movie first began; however, I am not a doctor, so perhaps that goes hand in hand with the schizophrenic affliction.

His Point: As part of the higher education community, I was amused by "A Beautiful Mind." Although Nash developed the theory of equilibrium that has become a cornerstone in economic study, he never could teach his way out of a wet paper bag. This movie reminded me of how fortunate we are to be at the academy, where teaching is of paramount importance. This is the best acting ever done by Russell Crowe, so I give this mentally unbalanced biography three stars. ***

Her Counterpoint: The minute the movie started, I knew why Casey came home and said what he did -- it was based on academia and screwed up minds in which he has a weird interest. "A Beautiful Mind" is a terrible thing to waste -- or something like that. It was entertaining as well as very disturbing and educational. Shame on the Golden Globes for not awarding "Opie" the statue for Best Director! This is an Oscar-caliber movie and I was taken for a ride and surprised by its’ quality and Crowe’s delivery. "A Beautiful Mind" should not be missed. I also give it three stars. As a sidebar, I took the opportunity to see Harry Potter at Mahan Hall and was amazed at the wonderful turnout. I hope everyone takes advantage of our AAFES theater for future movies. ***