Jennifer Connelly: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

3. Alicia Nash - A Beautiful Mind (2001)

Actors and directors aren't always given awards for the performances that most deserve them. Ron Howard has made better, more adventurous films than A Beautiful Mind, just as Martin Scorsese has made more deserving Best Director winners than The Departed. But Connelly's Oscar and BAFTA wins are much less of a bone of contention, since her performance is widely acknowledged as the aspect which makes the film work. A Beautiful Mind is based on the story of mathematician John Nash (Russell Crowe), a pioneer of game theory who suffered from mental illness throughout his career. The film follows Nash's entire career from his arrival at Princeton in 1947 to his Nobel Prize for Economics in 1994. Much of the film focuses on Nash's relationship with his wife Alicia (Connelly), which becomes strained as Nash's imaginary companions begin to prey on him. While Crowe's performance is often spellbinding, it would be nothing without the grounded, natural performance of Connelly. The pair perfectly compliment each other: the chemistry is evident and Alicia's earthy but refined nature is a fitting contrast to Nash's busy twitches and general social awkwardness. Connelly gives the character a great dignity which makes us empathise with her all the more during the lowest points of her husband's mental health. Whatever complaints one may have about the story, her performance remains very powerful.