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Nothing says Christmas like a bio-pic about a paranoid-schizophrenic, bisexual, Nobel Prize-winning mathematical genius. Can you feel the holiday cheer? Imagine Entertainment most certainly can. They're banking on the Russell Crowe starrer, A Beautiful Mind, directed by Ron Howard, to be their Oscar shoe-in and holiday blockbuster. With Akiva Goldsman (Batman and Robin, Lost in Space) writing, I can be confident in the fact that if A Beautiful Mind wins an adapted screenplay Oscar, it won't be deserved.

A Beautiful Mind is based on a novel by the same name. Russell Crowe plays John Forbes Nash, Jr., a mathematician who goes from genius to schizophrenia and back to genius again. It's Crowe's first appearance on-screen since he won the Best Actor Oscar for Gladiator. Early buzz indicates another nomination for Crowe (his third in a row), a first nomination for Ron Howard as a director, and also a first nomination for Jennifer Connelly as Nash, Jr.'s wife. So obviously what A Beautiful Mind lacks in concept and action, it makes up for in star power. Will that star power be enough?

A lot of the film's success will depend on how well the film is marketed. Trailers and TV ads will have to entice the viewer into seeing two-plus hours about John Forbes Nash, Jr.'s life. Judging by opening weekends of bio-pics in the past, I doubt that will happen. Bottom line: unless Imagine's marketing team is as smart as Nash, Jr., I wouldn't expect a monster opening. This film will have to rely on word-of-mouth to make its profit. (David Parker/BOP)

Vital statistics for A Beautiful Mind Main Cast Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer, Paul Bettany Supporting Cast Adam Goldberg, Josh Lucas, Anthony Rapp, Jason Gray-Stanford, Judd Hirsch Director Ron Howard Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman Distributor Universal Trailer Click Here for Trailer Official Site http://www.abeautifulmind.com/ Rating PG-13 Running Time 135 minutes Screen Count 2,250 Awards Awards page for A Beautiful Mind Talent in red has entry in The Big Picture

Comparison films for A Beautiful Mind
Title	Date	Opening	Adjusted Opening	Screens	PSA	Adj PSA	Total BO	Adjusted Total	Mult
Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas	11/17/00	55.08	61.61	3127	17614.00	18953.8	260.03	290.89	4.72
Ransom	11/8/96	34.22	46.68	2676	12788.00	16780.6	136.49	186.21	3.99
Black Hawk Down	1/18/02	33.63	34.96	3101	10844.00	10844.0	108.58	112.89	3.17
As Good as it Gets	12/26/97	12.61	16.56	1572	8022.00	10136.7	147.65	193.96	9.22
Good Will Hunting	1/9/98	10.26	13.19	1787	5741.00	7099.7	138.41	177.95	12.64
Proof of Life	12/8/00	10.21	11.42	2705	3774.00	4061.1	32.56	36.42	3.19
Malcolm X	11/20/92	9.87	14.34	1124	8781.00	12272.2	48.17	69.99	4.50
Man on the Moon	12/24/99	7.52	8.96	2079	3617.00	4129.6	34.58	41.20	3.97