Any word on A Beautiful Mind DVD? (1 Viewer)

[Marty M]

Now that this movie has won Oscar for best movie and best director, I was wondering when the DVD is going to be released. There will be a commentary by Ron Howard because there was a feature on the CBS Sunday Morning News a few weeks ago and showed Ron working on the commentary.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

According to the following link at DVD File:
http://www.dvdfile.com/software/dvd-....html#03222002
A Beautiful Mind will be released on DVD on 5/28/02.

 

[DaveJJ]

Hi Marty, ABM DVD will be released by Universal Studios on 5/28. It will feature DD5.1 & DTS 5.1 sound. A audio commentary, severl featurettes.
DaveJJHave Fun Guys! My HT

 

[DanR]

The usually very accurate thread over at DVDTalk maintained by "insider" Mao reports that A Beautiful Mind is set for 6/25/02. Maybe it was moved up to May? OR Maybe not...

We'll know soon I'm sure now that the Oscars are over. Looking forward to this release.

Regards,

Dan

 

[Marty M]

Thanks for the info on this DVD. I didn't get a chance to see this in the theaters, so I am anxious to see it on DVD and hear the commentary.

 

[Joel C]

I'm very much looking foward to this one. Even though it wasn't my first choice for best picture, it is still an excellent mainstream Hollywood movie, on par with a Rain Man or Forrest Gump.

 

[Seung Kim]

On par with Forrest Gump or Rain Man?

How in the world you can compare a true story with something fictional "mentally challenged person" movies?

I hope you don't take the movie like another ordinary "dumb person" doing stupid things.

I know a person who is close to me is a schizophrenic and it is not funny what so ever.

S.K. RN

 

[Joel C]

No, I take it as what I said, an excellent "Hollywood" movie.

I, for one, DO NOT think it is in any way a realistic account of schizophrenia. It makes the disorder look like something a person can just "beat" if they believe in the power of the human heart, ect. The fact is, without strong drug therapy and a lot of luck, schizophrenics will *never* get better.

In that way, even if this is *loosely* based on a real person's life, I see it as no different than the totally fictionalized stories I referenced.

 

[greg_t]

I felt the movie was realistic and can provide hope for other schizophrenics. First, I remember late in the film that Nash states that he takes his medication, so that establishes that he participates in drug therapy. Second, Nash had the support of a loving wife and family, which most schizophrenics unfortunatly do not. Lastly, we see that Nash's delusions never leave, they are always there, just with medication, knowledge, and family support,he learns to overcome them.

True, most schizophrenics will not be able to overcome the effects of the disease, but there are those who have. John Nash is one of them. In all, I found it to be a very inspirational story and worthy of the best picture oscar.

 

[Joel C]

I also took issue with the way his hallucinations were portrayed, if you really want to get into it. Read up on delusions and hallucinations. While, in the film, Nash's delusion (him as the center of a conspiracy) were fairly typical, his benign voices (a friendly roommate, a cute little girl) were FAR from it. The voices schizophrenics hear are horrible and demonic, telling them to kill, rape, hurt others, that they are ugly and stupid.

None of the first hand accounts of any schizophrenic I have ever read indicate the voices as friendly companions like a fake roommate. THAT is a major problem with the script in terms of reality. Also, even though it mentions his medications, the emphasis is still on the cheesy Hollywood aspects. And saying that many do not have the support of family may be correct, but even those that do can get little help from loved ones. More often than not, families end up falling apart because of the disorder. In real life, John DID get divorced and he had illicit affairs.

I liked the movie fine as a movie, but as a "based on fact" story trying to provide a "real" account of schizophrenia, anyone with even a surface background knowladge of abnormal psychology would probably say it is pretty useless.

But it is still an enjoyable story.

 

[Terrell]

I've read quote from a number of doctors that claimed the movie was one of the best portrayals of schizophrenia. And that was John Nash's life. He did overcome it. No schizophrenia is not a disease that you just wake up and defeat. But Nash was not an ordinary man.

 

[Marc Colella]

Another "Awards Edition" release.

 

[MichaelPe]

Awards Edition... LOL
So, I guess if a Universal/Dreamworks movie wins "Best Picture" at the Oscars, then it gets the Awards Edition treatment? I know "American Beauty" was an AE, but why wasn't "Gladiator"? Probably because it was released on DVD before it won any awards...?

 

[Joel C]

Terrell:

That's entirely possible. I've read an equal number that slam the movie as well. It all depends on what you are looking for, I suppose. It does do a good job showing his paranoia, but I still feel the recovery is too glossed over.

As in, no, he wasn't an ordinary man, but "strength" necessairly won't help someone beat schizophrenia, and the movie makes it seem like something that CAN be dealt with. Maybe I'm not explaining it well, that aspect just bothers me.

 

[Paul Chi]

I wished they would use the original cover art? Marc Colella where did you get that cover from?

 

[Ike]

Marc Colella where did you get that cover from?

Well since I don't think they are advertising the site on Crowe's forehead, DVD Shrine.

 

[RaghuB]

I do not believe that Ron Howard intended this movie to be a generic portrayal of those who suffer from paranoid schizophrenia. However, the choice to not highlight the role of medication in his "recovery", as well as the failure to mention the divorce and the re-marriage, only served to detract from an otherwise great movie that was more than deserving of the Best Picture Oscar.