Thoughts on "A Beautiful Mind"

I no longer go to the movies, since it so often time wasted. I have not seen "A Beautiful Mind", but Miles Seeley has; he may not have read the critical historical reviews. He says: "I dealt with schizophrenics for many years while working for The Menninger Clinic. I was prepared to be disappointed by "A Beautiful Mind," but instead thought it was excellent. The major distortion was to change a schizophrenic's delusions from audible to visual- obviously a device required by the medium. They also glossed over some of Dr. Nash's behaviour while he was quite ill. Overall, I thought it was sympathetic and enlightening. Russell Crowe may be something of a pub- brawler and rock star, but he has great acting talent and, according to those who work with him, a great work ethic.

All the diamonds and other glitter just remind me that I am getting old. The money that movie stars, athletes, and pop musicians (and CEOs of big companies) make is beyond my comprehension. By any standard I am familiar with, none of these people deserves that sort of reward. I think my problem stems from the fact that as a boy I got 25 cents a week if I cut the lawn and helped with the dishes and other chores; and the Saturday matinee movie cost 10 cents (later 15) and popcorn and candy were 5-10 cents. My values seem mired in that long-gone world".

Compassionate observation: I wanted my lawn cut and called the office at Palo Alto High School . The secretary would not even list my offer on the bulletin board, as she did others. I asked why. She answered "We do that only for high-tech jobs". Someone must invent an electronic lawn mower.

Ronald Hilton - 3/25/02