A Beautiful Film and the Hollywood Mind

Re “A Beautiful Man Is Besmirched by Enquiring Minds,” by Sylvia Nasar, Commentary, March 13: Only in Hollywood, among the Alec-Baldwinite self-righteous but often uninformed, could a controversy arise about John Nash and the astonishingly unique and moving film about him. Anyone who has read the book knows what a truly fine job Ron Howard did in bringing a complicated, difficult story to life--no small task given the intricacies of Nash’s life and illness. That small trivialities about details could possibly affect academy members’ Oscar votes regarding the film is a sad commentary on the life of Hollywood’s collective mind. Do the same academy members quibble about the enormous fabrications in Oliver Stone’s films? Hardly.

The film is one of the best presentations of a life to come along in years; Howard deserves the Oscar hands down. For anyone to suggest that Nash’s sexuality and/or anti-Semitism, tangential aspects of his story, should influence a vote on the film is patently absurd. Academy members who are planning to vote should most certainly read the book by Nasar.

Patricia McCarthy

Burbank

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Thank you for Nasar’s commentary on Nash. I am embarrassed that in discussing the movie with others, I passed on the lies the media wrote about him. I should have known better and have reminded myself to be ever vigilant in the reading and hearing of “news.”

Sonja Malmuth

Santa Ynez