SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY `A BEAUTIFUL MIND'S' JENNIFER CONNELLY FINDS THE FORMULA FOR SUCCESS.Byline: Bob Strauss Film Writer ABOUT THE ONLY major Oscar contest that isn't a horse race coming down to the wire is in the supporting-actress category. Jennifer Connelly has virtually owned the statuette since ``A Beautiful Mind'' opened in December, for her pitch-perfect portrayal of Alicia Nash, the long- suffering wife of schizophrenic schiz·o·phren·ic adj. Of, relating to, or affected by schizophrenia. n. One who is affected with schizophrenia. math genius John Forbes Nash John Forbes Nash, Jr. (born June 13 1928) is an American mathematician who works in game theory, differential geometry, and partial differential equations, serving as a Senior Research Mathematician at Princeton University. (Russell Crowe). Winner of the Golden Globe and American Film Institute American Film Institute (AFI), nonprofit organization established in Washington, D.C., in 1967 by the National Endowment for the Arts to preserve and catalog American films and television, to provide work grants for new and established filmmakers, and to increase awards in the category (although it can be argued that she is the film's leading lady, the Screen Actors Guild erroneously ran her in their best-actress race), Connelly comes to her first Oscar nomination after a career as a child model, more than 20 movie appearances over the last 18 years, several television series and years of education at Yale and Stanford. Yet for all of her experience, intelligence and beauty, the 31-year-old actress has usually found herself headlining genre movies (``Phenomena,'' ``Labyrinth labyrinth (lăb`ərĭnth), intricate building of chambers and passages, often constructed so as to perplex and confuse a person inside. ,'' ``The Rocketeer rock·et·eer n. 1. One who launches, rides in, or pilots rockets. 2. One, such as a scientist, who is an expert in rocketry. ,'' ``Dark City'') or films that tended to focus on her physical attributes (``The Hot Spot,'' ``Mulholland Falls,'' ``Seven Minutes in Heaven,'' ``Some Girls,'' ``Requiem requiem (rĕk`wēəm, rē`–, rā`–) [Lat.,=rest], proper Mass for the souls of the dead, performed on All Souls' Day and at funerals. for a Dream''). ``Jennifer is an extraordinary actress,'' co-star co·star also co-star n. A starring actor or actress given equal status with another or others in a play or film. tr. & intr.v. co·starred, co·star·ring, co·stars To act or present as a costar. and fellow Oscar nominee Crowe enthuses. ``I think she's done a magnificent performance in this film. It's possibly in areas, psychologically and in purity, that she hasn't been to before. But that's really about opportunity. She's done a lot of work over her life, deserved the opportunity of playing a role like this and has done a magnificent job.'' Real genius To create such a complex, realistic character, Connelly felt it was vital to, if not mimic the real thing, at least garner something like her approval. ``I asked to meet Alicia before we started shooting,'' says Connelly, who was raised and still lives in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of . ``I went out to Newark, N.J., where she works, and had lunch with her. I just personally wouldn't have felt comfortable doing this project if I hadn't at least talked to her; I wanted to say, 'Is there anything, in representing you, that you would like to see me convey - or not convey about you, that I otherwise might?' She was just very excited about the whole project and gave me her blessings. But ultimately, I took more of the biographical information from the book.'' Sylvia Nasar's biography of Nash, also titled ``A Beautiful Mind,'' has been a source of much contention since the movie came out and made its way along the Oscar trail (the film has eight nominations, including ones for best picture, director Ron Howard and screenplay screenplay Written text that provides the basis for a film production. Screenplays usually include not only the dialogue spoken by the characters but also a shot-by-shot outline of the film's action. adapter A device that allows one system to connect to and work with another. An adapter is often a simple circuit that converts one set of signals to another; however, the term often refers to devices which are more accurately called "controllers. Akiva Goldsman). The creative team claimed from the beginning that their movie was based on the Nashes' story but highly fictionalized, and Nasar herself has avowed a·vow tr.v. a·vowed, a·vow·ing, a·vows 1. To acknowledge openly, boldly, and unashamedly; confess: avow guilt. See Synonyms at acknowledge. 2. To state positively. that many of the attacks on the film's accuracy have stemmed from misinterpretations of facts in her book. Nonetheless, the film's accusers have said the adaptation whitewashes Nash's infidelity, homosexuality and anti-Semitism, as well as key details of a marriage that fell apart and was only reconstructed after years of separation and unwed cohabitation A living arrangement in which an unmarried couple lives together in a long-term relationship that resembles a marriage. Couples cohabit, rather than marry, for a variety of reasons. They may want to test their compatibility before they commit to a legal union. . For her part, Connelly never viewed the job as an impersonation Impersonation Patroclus wore the armor of Achilles against the Trojans to encourage the disheartened Greeks. [Gk. Lit.: Iliad] Prisoner of Zenda, The . ``You know, our story is really inspired by the events of their lives, and by these people,'' the actress says. ``Similarly, our Alicia is really a departure from her. Ultimately, I just sort of made my own character.'' Connelly acknowledges that the rich material was a great help in creating what she always viewed as a classic supporting performance. ``It's a powerful, moving love story, and a very adult, human love story,'' she says. ``I know that, for Alicia, she had her sights set on him for a while, he was a big man on campus. And he was a man whose greatest pursuit was an original idea, and I think that was incredibly intriguing in·trigue n. 1. a. A secret or underhand scheme; a plot. b. The practice of or involvement in such schemes. 2. A clandestine love affair. v. to her. It's a story of genius and struggles with mental illness and marriage, and ultimately triumph.'' A valuable prize Even if the unthinkable happens and she comes away empty-handed Sunday night Sunday Night, later named Michelob Presents Night Music, was an NBC late-night television show which aired for two seasons between 1988 and 1990 as a showcase for jazz and eclectic musical artists. , Connelly feels like she's already won something valuable: a recently arrived-at seriousness of purpose in her profession. ``On so many levels, it's such a great vocation,'' she says of acting. ``At its best - and fortunately, on the last few projects I've done, I've had a wonderful time and felt very inspired - it's an opportunity to learn about different sides of life, of humanity and different kinds of people, and explore myself. It's like going on some psychological archaeological dig, every project. I have an opportunity to really call on all parts of myself in my work; it's just very fulfilling.'' Connelly claims that she doesn't really recall how or why she got involved in show business. Ad men friends of her father, who was in the garment industry, got the young Jennifer into child modeling. Somehow, that resulted in her first movie audition audition /au·di·tion/ (aw-dish´un) hearing. chromatic audition color hearing. au·di·tion n. The sense, ability, or power of hearing. , for the period gangster epic ``Once Upon a Time in America.'' She got the job. ``It was different back when I started working, when I was 11,'' the actress admits. ``It wasn't something that I chose for myself, it was something that sort of happened. I certainly wouldn't have said that's why I was doing it then. Then, it was a fun thing to do after school, I got to go to Italy and that was great, and Sergio Leone was really nice ... It was a different story, and up till fairly recently. It's been an interesting transformation.'' A major factor in that transformation was becoming a parent 4 1/2 years ago. Renewed as her passion may have become for acting, Connelly is first and foremost mother to her son, Kai kai Noun NZ informal food [Maori] kai noun N.Z. (informal) food, grub (slang) provisions, fare, board, commons, eats (slang . A single mom (the boy's father is photographer David Dugan; Connelly has most recently been romantically linked to ``Sports Night'' star Josh Charles), she notes that everything in her life is different now. ``I'm really happy with my life, and a lot of that is becoming a mother and my relationship with my son,'' she says. ``With that, I felt, I had to take responsibility, in subtle ways, for myself and my behavior, what translates in what I say and what I do. It's really a catalyst for growth. I feel things in a way that I've never felt before. I feel for other people in a way that I was never able to feel before. He's brought me out of myself in literal ways and in internal, more profound ways.'' Sounds award-worthy to us. CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) A MIND TO SUCCEED The smart money says JENNIFER CONNELLY will win an Oscar on Sunday Jim Cooper/Associated Press (2) ``It's like going on some psychological archaeological dig, every project. I have an opportunity to really call on all parts of myself in my work; it's just very fulfilling.'' Jennifer Connelly, on acting (3) Jennifer Connelly, with Russell Crowe in ``A Beautiful Mind,'' says her character became more her creation than an impression of the real-life Alicia Nash. Jim Cooper/Associated Press |
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