Very good but not great

Rating: Null/10 (5 July 2002)

(Possible spoiler)
I was very impressed with this film in its story telling ability. Ron Howard evidently did an excellent job of directing. However, the story is largely fantasy, as John Nash didn't have the kind of delusions that the film has him experiencing. (He didn't see imaginary room mates and government spooks, but rather he heard voices from aliens.) Adding to that, the lack of dealing with the "bad" side of his life (alleged homosexuality and anti-semitism, his wife divorcing him, etc)... I think the movie was rather dishonest as a portrayal of a real person. If it was promoted as a fictional story of a man dealing with mental illness, it would have been much better. As it was, it was just another example of Hollywood distorting the truth in order to make a movie that sells tickets and wins awards.
I think Mr. Crowe did an excellent job of acting, but again, the dishonesty of this film shows itself. John Nash was a West Virginian for goodness sake, so why couldn't a great actor like Crowe learn to speak like a West Virginian (or at least an American) for this role? His Australian accent was all too apparent throughout the movie. In scenes where a West Virginia drawl was attempted, it wasn't convincing at all. It can be done, after all: just look at Orlando Bloom's portrayal of an American soldier in Black Hawk Down.
Overall, this is a movie well worth watching, as it will make you think about the effects of mental illness on a person's life and career. But best picture of 2001? No way.