Why was this movie so popular?

Rating: 1/10 (18 August 2005)

I had such high expectations when I went to see 'A Beautiful Mind.' Russell Crowe. Jennifer Connelly. That guy from 'The Sound of Music.' Ron Howard. All these big names were attached, and it was based on a true story, so I was pretty excited about seeing it.
Then, I saw the movie. I can't remember the last time I was so disappointed. The plot was thin and way too predictable (I knew from the get-go that the roommate was a figment of Nash's schizophrenic mind). And I didn't find some of the events that were triggered by Nash's condition to be very realistic. It felt more like I was watching a badly-written yet beautifully photographed after-school special. I just didn't experience Nash's fear the way he did. Maybe because I knew about the roommate, I can't be sure. But it the scenes with the agent just didn't do it for me.
Overall, despite some of the awesome acting involved (Jennifer did deserve that Academy Award) and the beautiful cinematography, I felt like 'A Beautiful Mind' was overrated and nothing new. It was just too predictable, and after awhile, I really didn't care about the character of John Nash anymore. I wanted to hear more about how his wife and son coped, and I felt like we could have seen more contrast between the respect Nash got later in life with the skepticism and mockery he was met with when word of his condition became public.
Sorry folks, but it stinks. If you want to see a good movie about mental illness and the people who cope with it, rent/buy 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.'