My Favorite Movie
What is it about A BEAUTIFUL MIND? With the long weekend, John and I had run out of Netflix movies so we turned to our small collection of DVDs and put on ABM, which I’ve seen at least six times. To me, this movie is a masterpiece. First, Ron Howard (and the screenwriters) took a yawner of a subject–math–and found a way to explain a mathematical theory in a simple and intriguing way that even a math moron like myself could understand. Then he took schizophrenia and allowed us to be completely inside the mind of a sufferer to feel what it’s like. How can anyone who’s seen this film not react with a new wisdom when he or she sees a “crazy” person on the street? Third, and most extraodinary of all, he took a life that is unbelievably complex in every possible way and chose just the right details to create a delicious, tense and cogent story. On top of all that, the soundtrack perfectly captures the emotion in every scene. Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly are phenomenal.
When I watch movies, I can’t help but think about how my novels would translate to the screen. I think some of them would make excellent movies–what novelist doesn’t dream of having a book optioned? But I’m aware of the skill it takes to know what to leave in and what to take out. It’s the essence of the book that needs to carry over to the screen and not the story itself, detail by detail. That’s what Ron Howard did with John Nash’s life. He followed the essence rather than the details and he did it masterfully. It’s my five lighthouse favorite.
It is a great movie-I own it…I don’t buy movies, but often my son or daughter get one for me that I have raved about…don’t laugh-but I love GREASE, BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY—they have particular meaning to me as does LITTLE WOMEN…and a few others-some classics…including B. Mind…that being said-WE ARE MARSHALL is one that I will be sure to get…it was about adversity…a must see…
I agree with you-I think your trilogy would make a wonderful movie for all of us…for the general population-nothing would be better than CEE CEE…after all it has everything…
Let’s hope…
Take are
Brenda
Diane, I LOVE this movie too! I think it is Russell Crowe’s finest acting job along with Jennifer Connolly…we watch it everytime it runs on the satellite. Your books would make fantastic movies, especially the KEEPER OF THE LIGHT trilogy as long as YOU were involved with the screenplay. I remember watching an interview with Colleen McCullough shortly after THE THORN BIRDS was filmed. She was very upset with the movie (altho I thought it was wonderful) but she also said she had given up all rights so the screenplay was written by someone else. I think the book is a classic and at the same time I loved the movie, even tho it was somewhat diff from the novel…I think this movie was an exception to the rule, tho…usually when I read a book and then see a movie version, I’m disappointed in the movie…however, I DO think DA VINCI CODE was done very, very well…