A BEAUTIFUL NAME

I. Introduction

A Beautiful Mind is a biographical drama, which was directed by Ron Howard in

2001. Critics received it positively and some time later psychologists began to
use it for teaching purpose. The movie is based on the true story. It depicts the
life of John Nash, a prominent mathematician, who is paranoid schizophrenic.
The main character is really genius, but unfortunately, this fact does not mean
that he cannot have a mental illness. He suffers from schizophrenia experiencing
some symptoms that are characteristic for such a diagnosis, namely paranoid
ideations, hallucinations, delusional thinking and distorted perception of reality.
This disorder has a great impact on John’s everyday life, on his relations with
friends and family and on his work as well.

The film itself is a good portrayal of a mental disorder and that is why it is
suitable for the research of different psychological concepts and topics. What is
interesting, A Beautiful Mind tells not just the story of a schizophrenic, but it also
depicts the effect the disorder has for the family, how it causes the breakdown
of one’s reputation and the ability to combine schizophrenia and genius. To
understand the main idea of the film and the peculiarities of the given case of
schizophrenia, one should come to grips with the plot of the movie.

II. Summary

A human drama inspired by events in the life of John Forbes Nash Jr. and in part based on
the biography “A Beautiful Mind” by Sylvia Nasar. From the heights of notoriety to the
depths of depravity John Forbes Nash Jr. experienced it all. A mathematical genius, he made
an astonishing discovery early in his career and stood on the brink of international acclaim.
But the handsome and arrogant Nash soon found himself on a painful and harrowing
journey of self discovery.

III. Reaction

The film “A Beautiful Mind” is about John Nash, a scientist who won a Nobel Prize Award
despite his complication in the mind which is Schizophrenia. It is a psychotic disorder in
which a person is having delusions and hallucinations to the point that he/she cannot
distinguish what is the reality from what is not. I think, the movie clearly showed not just the
life of Nash, but also the difficulty of having Schizophrenia at the same time interacting with
the people with this kind of disorder.

The movie informed me about the condition of having Schizophrenia. I understand this
illness more. The treatment given to John Nash was Insulin Shock which for me was very
 brutal. I saw the reaction of his wife when she watched his husband treated by it and it was
very heartbreaking. I noticed that the delusions he had was the effect of his current
condition. Like when he needed a friend, Charles came out and when he needed a
remarkable job, William came out. When he needed a child, the little girl who used to be the
niece of Charles came out. His needs influenced his dilutions. I believe that the people with
Schizophrenia are those that were always alone and stressed. Antisocial are prone with it.
People with this kind of disorder deserve to live in a place where the citizens are more
understanding since these people need social support. The movie for me was nice and very
informative. It was boring at some points but I still like it. The most important thing I
realized is about love. Love is the cure to almost all the difficult problems in the world. Like
what Kris Aquino used to say, love love love!

IV. Conclusion

Nash is seen in “A Beautiful Mind” Film as an able builder of the reality. He is struggling to
lead a life in a complex environment that is full of abstract symbols and meanings that are
unseen to untrained eyes. However, the fact that there is no visibility does not justify non-
existence of the reality that Nash sought to show. Nash’s fight and challenges with
schizophrenia provided partial recovery that forced him to ignore medications.

V. Recommendation

The movie, directed by Ron Howard with the brilliant acting of Russell Crowe and Jennifer
Connelly, was one of the best films in cinema history and won four Oscars. It is one of the
most beautiful and touching stories of madness, recovery, discovery, fame, uselessness,
loneliness, and is, needless to say, a must-watch.
CODA

I. Introduction

Ruby is the only hearing person in her deaf family. They run a small business as
fishermen, and she helps and supports them, mainly translating everything to her
family in the deaf signs language. As a result, she splits her life between her family
and her dreams.

Ruby discovers an incredible talent, something that makes her feel alive and happy.
But the two worlds are not easily manageable for her because society and her
parents are not ready to understand each other. Ruby’s role becomes crucial for her
family, especially when a new law threatens their business and future.

II. Summary

Ruby is the only hearing member of a deaf family from Gloucester, Massachusetts.
At 17, she works mornings before school to help her parents and brother keep their
fishing business afloat. But in joining her high school’s choir club, Ruby finds herself
drawn to both her duet partner and her latent passion for singing.

III. Reaction

CODA is not a perfect reflection of life with disability. As this article in the New York
Times pointed out, Deaf adults feel conflicted in response to the film because it gets
aspects of Deaf culture wrong. But it also got something right about what it looks
like to face fear and struggle and hold on to love.

IV. Conclusion

Ruby is a hit and she later finds out she has been accepted into
Berkley. At the end of the film, there is a montage of scenes as
we see the family finding ways to communicate with the local
community without Ruby's help. It's then time for an emotional
goodbye scene as Ruby finally departs for college.

V. Recommendation
At first glance, you might think that writer/director Sian Heder’s
“CODA” is all about predictable beats you’ve seen countless
times before. After all, it tells a pleasantly familiar coming-of-
age tale, following a talented small-town girl from modest
means with dreams to study music in the big city. There's an
idealistic teacher, a winsome crush, moving rehearsal
montages, a high-stakes audition, and naturally, a family
reluctant about their offspring’s ambitions. Again—and only at
first glance—you might think you already know everything
about this feel-good recipe.