15 interesting facts about the film “A Beautiful Mind” and its real characters (6 photos)

A talented young mathematician, John Nash, researches and teaches at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Soon the intelligence services involve him in the search for encrypted information that the conspirators transmit through publications in the media. However, not everything that has happened to Nash in recent years is as obvious as he thinks.





This is the plot of the film "A Beautiful Mind" (2001) - one of the most exciting and inspiring film stories. Here are some interesting facts about this painting.

1. The main character of the film, John Forbes Nash Jr., is a real person. He is a famous scientist, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences and the Abel Prize, awarded to outstanding mathematicians.

2. The script is based on the book by American writer and economist Sylvia Nazar, “A Beautiful Mind: The Life of Mathematical Genius and Nobel Laureate John Nash.” For this work, Sylvia was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Best Biography and received a National Book Critics Circle Award.

3. The plot of the film differs from the real fate of John Nash. For example, the real Nash suffered only from auditory hallucinations and never experienced visual ones. Before his marriage to Alicia, he had a relationship with nurse Eleanor Steer, from which his son John was born. This line is missing from A Beautiful Mind.



4. The film was produced by Brian Grazer (“Apollo 13,” “Liar, Liar”). He got the idea for the film immediately after reading an excerpt from Sylvia Nasar’s book, published in Vanity Fair magazine. Grazer bought the rights to make a film about the famous scientist, beating out his competitor, producer Scott Rudin (The Truman Show, Sleepy Hollow). He was helped in this by the support of John and Alicia Nash, who had previously doubted the need to film their story.

5. The producer initially offered the director's chair to Robert Redford, but he was busy and declined. As a result, the film was directed by Ron Howard, with whom Grazer collaborated on several previous projects, including How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Apollo 13.

6. The screenwriter of the film was Akiva Goldsman, by that time known for the films “Practical Magic”, “A Time to Kill”, “Batman Forever”. Life experience helped in writing the script: his parents were psychologists and worked with children with mental disabilities, he himself was developing methods for restoring mental health.





7. Many popular actors applied for the role of John Nash. Among them were Keanu Reeves, Tom Cruise, Bruce Willis, Johnny Depp, Mel Gibson, Kevin Costner, John Travolta. As a result, Russell Crowe was chosen, who admitted that he was delighted with the script and his character.

8. In the fight for the role of Alicia Nash, Jennifer Connelly also beat out many competitors, including Brittany Murphy, Charlize Theron, Ashley Judd, Emily Watson and Salma Hayek.

9. 90% of the film’s scenes were shot in chronological order, without jumping from the end to the beginning, as is often done for the convenience of the filming process. This helped Russell Crowe get used to the role and consistently convey external and internal changes in the image of the hero.



10. The make-up artist for the project was Greg Cannom, winner of two Oscars for the films “Dracula” and “Mrs. Doubtfire”. To create age-related makeup, his company has developed special silicone cosmetics that can simulate skin, which has halved the makeup time for actors - from 8 to 4 hours.

11. Russell Crowe did not plan to meet the real John Nash, who was 72 years old at the time of filming. However, the scientist made a surprise visit to the set and met with the group.



12. Russell Crowe admitted that during the meeting he observed Nash's mannerisms, especially his hand movements, which helped him create a more truthful image of the character.

13. As a result of the presence of the prototype on the set, the film was enriched with a small episode - a scene in which the hero is confused by the need to make a decision about drinking tea. At the meeting, Crowe noticed how the real John Nash spent fifteen minutes thinking about whether to drink tea or coffee.

14. For his role as John Nash, Russell Crowe received his third Oscar nomination, consecutively, after The Insider (1999) and Gladiator (2000). For his work in the film A Beautiful Mind, the actor was awarded BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards.



15. The drama A Beautiful Mind received eight Oscar nominations and won four: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (went to Jennifer Connelly) and Best Adapted Screenplay.