A Beautiful Mind
Release Date:
January 4, 2002
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)
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 |
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