Overrated, sentimental, glossed-over bio.

Rating: 5/10 (22 January 2004)

Either Moulin Rouge! or Lord of the Rings would have been a better choice for Best Picture of 2001 (U.S. Academy Awards) than this. I went in with an open mind and came out with, shall we say, far less of an understanding of John Nash than I had hoped. Supporting actors are great, but Crowe's performance is too obvious and pales in comparison to his stellar nuanced work in The Insider. Connelly was actually a lead character and not supporting, but can one HONESTLY say that she added as much to this film as Maggie Smith added to Gosford Park? I truly believe that their acting would not have been NEARLY as acclaimed had they not aged on screen.
There were several emotionally manipulative scenes that reminded me of the same shameless "pull at the heartstrings" tactics of On Golden Pond. Suffice to say, this is only TWO ASPECTS of Nash's life, and the articles I read about Nash around the time of this film indicate they left A LOT out. I'd rather watch Philadelphia or Terms of Endearment than this any day. For an UN-glossed-over biopic, I recommend "Hilary and Jackie" about troubled MS-stricken cellist Jacqueline DuPre.
There are some effective plot devices and good acting, yes, but they don't make up for the drenching sentimentality that weighs this film down. Worth seeing, but Best Picture was definitely going too far.