"A BEAUTIFUL MIND" (2001)

A BEAUTIFUL MIND

By Akiva Goldsman

Based on the biography by Sylvia Nassar

REV. 8/11/2000

FADE IN ON:

The way the world looks to God.The odd puzzle geometry of sea and land pieGed together as if by unseen design. CLOSER...

Alternating squares of lawn and lot, criss-crossing highways, a game board of cement and grass. CLOSER STILL ...

Rows of heads. PUSH IN on a single FACE looking skyward, as if he can see us. Uncommonly handsome. Piercing blue eyes. JOHN NASH.

TRACK over the all male students to the head of the common. JOHN VAN NEUMANN, is delivering the matriculation speech.

The crowd erupts in APPLAUSE.

Sunlight dapples the flickering autumn leaves. Students in formal dressmill. FIND twoSTUDENTSstanding at a bar, sipping martinis.

ZWEIFEL istall and wiry, like a scarecrowmade of skin. SHAPELYis older, maybe 26, and handsome. Both watch someone in the crowd.

/,----..._,_ 2 '\ /:

REVERSE on the subject ofthei'rmusings. A student with shaggyhair and fiercely intelligent eyes is pumping hands. MARTINMILNOR.

C~-~ERADRIFTS to a third figurestanding near them at the ba=. John Nash can't help but overhear their conversation. Zweifel notices.

Nash nods, looks again at the young man working the crowd.

Just then a third FELLOW runs up. Breathless, clever face that resembles his name. FOX.

\ Zweifel and Shapely exchange a look. He's always late.

Ir~, 1,.-----

SHAPELY & ZWEIFEL Yes.

That's when Milnor emerges from the crowd to join his friends.

Milnor's eyes light on Nash. The beat of recognition is so slight it's almost imperceptible. Then he smiles.

Nash's outfit does look off therack compared to Milnor's couture.

With that, Nash offers a slight nod, turns and walks off.

( \ Carnegie scholarship.

,~ \· I Off Milnor. He's still watching Nash go.

The sun is low in the sky. Nash heads into the tall dormitory.

Nash ENTERS. Smallbut well furnished. His clothes are stillpacked in trunks. Nash pulls off his tie, goes to the window.

Couples and LAUGHING groups move across the sun-drenched field. Nash rests his forehead against the glass. Alone.

The door swings open behind him. Unruly hair and a tuxedo that looks slept in whirl into the room. Meet CHARLESHERMAN.

Charles begins stripping ashe speaks. Nash stares in wonderas off come his jacket and bow-tie.

Charles pulls o:f his pants, and hopping, both shoes.

Now finally his shirt, which he throws on the couch.

He grabs a towel and heads for the door.

NASH-CLOSE. Speechless.

\----, A TOUCHFOOTBALL GAME-CLOSE.A HAND moves intoFRAME, outlining the players wi~h wax boxes and vectors. WIDER...

Nash has moved his desk in front of the picture window, sits now marking the players positions on the pane.

Charles has ENTEREDfrom the hall, hair wet, towelaround his neck.

Nash continues working as Charlesopens the closet, pulls out bags which he apparentlystowed before Nash's arrival.Begins unpacking.

Nash nods, still doesn't look up from his work.

Charles spo~s a bowl of wrapped amaretto cookies on Nash's desk. Nash covers the bowl before Charles can grab one, never once looking up from his pad.

That's when Charles actually climbs up on Nash's desk, sitting right in front of him.

I \,

Charles reaches into his pocket and pulls out something. A silver flask. Waves it in Nash's face.

Charles and Nash stand under the crimson sky on the roof of the dorm, passing the flask.

Nash just shrugs.

A couple of guys race,LAUGHING,past, tossing a moonrise football.

Nash glances over to Charles, startled, then just nods.

(~-_____' 1 Nash reaches into his pocket, pulls out two wrapped amaretto cookies. Hands one to Charles.

Finally, Nash smiles back.

A MAN towers before theclass. Wire-rimmed glasses. The oldesteyes in the world. PROFESSOR LEW HORNER.

Horner moves to the blackboard. Covered with arcane symbols, the hieroglyphics of high level math.

C A group of students stare up athim. Zweifel,Milnor, Shapely, Fox and several others. Only one chair is empty.

TAPS the board.

Shapley nods slightly, leans back, lights a cigarette. Horner scrawls a final set of symbols on the board.

~WEIFEL Seventeen.

0 The warheads are armed-

Horner sets down the chalk. Wipes the chalk dust from his hands with a series of CLAPS.

Horner looks around the room.

Horner sits back on the desk.

,,---.... ( --~ He glances at the empty chair. Then at his roster.

Milnor looks out the window. FOLLOW Milnor's gaze into...

Nash is on his bicycle riding around the courtyard in figure eights, eyes half-closed, students scattering as he goes.

Stone gaming tables built into the wide cement courtyard. The last brown leaves whip like dervishes across the expanse.

Van Neumann stands with Milnor, Zweifel, Shapely and a few others over a GO board set with marbles.

Fox pushes into the group.

(OVER) a WHISTLING rises, crystal clear. BEETHOVEN'S MOONLIGHT SONATA. All turn to revealNash, walking backwards past them.

Nash looks up, apparently startled by their presence.

Milnor RAPS the game table with his knuckles.

A beat. Ther.Nash smiles.

Nash faces Milnor acrossthe GO board. The play is incrediblyfast. As they speak, they never take their eyes off the game board.

The pace of play has increased to an amazing speed, less and less marbles on the board.

Nash doesn't answer, concentrates on his play.

And with that Milnor makes a deft move and takes the game. Nash sits there. Stunned.

Nash is furious, sweeos the board with his hand, rises and walks away. Milnor smiles, shakes his head.

MIL..~OR Gentlemen, the great John Nash.

Nash stands staring down at aGO board at his feet. His face lined with deep frustration.

NASH-POV. Different sections of the board suddenly go dark, patterns of squares rising and falling, forming different shapes with ever increasing speed.

PULL BACK AND UP TO...

HIGH ANGLEof Nash standing alone in the courtyard,head bowed. The sun sinksbehind the horizon; the moon moves acrossthe starry sky; and the sun rises again.

NASH-CLOSE. Eyes red in the early morning light. Still staring at the board. Finally, he blinks, as if for the first time.

_,,........_, f \ I··----- ' . EXT.-PRINCETON GAMESQUAD-MORNING

Fox watches on as Shapely and Zweifel play GO. Nash walks up and grabs the board in mid-game, marbles CLATTERINGto the courtyard.

Nash pulls something from hisback pocket. It's a knife. Theothers jump up. Nash has a maniacal gleam in his eyes.

Nash lifts ~he board and in two deft strokes, slices away both sides, leaving a triangle. He drops the cut board on the table.

Nash turns and walks away. The others stare after him.

But Shapely's not listening, he's staring at the new game board.

TRACK down a row of two-player tables. All sitting over cut-down, triangular boards. FIND Van Neumann and Milnor walking the quad.

But Van Neumannhas become distracted by two students playingGO on the triangular board. He moves to them. Milnor follows.

TRACK PAST the Librarian, PAST oak tables and green reaaing lamps, FIND Nash drawing on the large circular window over the campus.

Nash turns to find Charles behind him. John looks exhausted.

\"~) Charles walks to the glass, appraises Nash's work.

Nash gestures to the first pattern.

,,,.......... I ' 14 .---~

Nash's jacket hits him in the chest. Nash looks up, startled.

Nash stares at him blankly.

Charles grabs Nash's wax pencil from his hand, shoves it in his pocket, begins walking away.

A beat. Then Nash follows.

Warm amber light shines through the window of the bar as students push inside, out of ~he deepening cold.

NT.-OLD HOME BAR-NIGHT

(OVER) LES BROWNon the jukebox. Students party with co-eds from neighboring schools. Shapely charms a few girls at the bar.

Nash is at the pool table. Makes a bank shot. Chalks up again.

Zweifel stands with Milnor, who is holding twobeers. Hands one to Nash. John takes the bottle, puzzled.

That's when Fox arrives. Gestures the Waitress for a beer.

Milnor looks at his beer, raises it in silent salute. Drinks.

Shapely, arrrnow securely arounda luscious brunette, is gesturing Nash over. The blond GIGGLES, averts her eyes.

Nash puts down his cue warily, heads towards the bar.

Nash is atthe bar with BECKY, the blond co-ed.The two stand there in awkward silence. The moment stretches on. Finally...

-BECKY-- Maybe you want to buy me a drink.

Nash appraises her clinically. When he speaks now, his words have a deliberace quality that belies their speed.

SheSLAPS him across the face.

She walks off. John turns to face the bar.

vo=cE (OVER) Want apiece of friendly advice?

WIDER. Charles has sidledup beside him.

Charles CLAPS him on the shoulder and grins.

With that, Charles ruffles his hair and heads for the door. Nash turns back to the bar. Alone.

The commons are pristine fields of snow. The stony facade of Fine Hall glistens, icicles hanging like sparkling whiskers.

VAN NEUMANN {OVER) Perhaps your academic progress has suffered from too much isolation ...

Nash and Van Neumann are walking the long hall, squares of winter sun and shadow gliding across their faces.

---.•· ·1,,

I_-------

Van Neumann would laugh if John wasn't dead serious.

Van Neumann stares at him incredulously. Finally, shakes his head.

They have come to the door of the math faculty lounge. Professors sit over small tables being served teaby tuxedo-clad waiters.

A professor has risen and crossed. Now he does something peculiar. Takes his pen from hispocket, lays it in front of a seated man.

_,/.

,,,.,...---.......•.,. I---: More and more faculty are rising, lyingtheir pens down in front of the smiling man.

VA.."!NE:JMANN Reserved for a member of the department who makes the achievement of a lifetime.

Van Neumann takes his own pen from his pocket. Then he pauses, notices the hunger in John's eyes.

John just stares at him blankly.

John stares at him.Van Neumann smiles sadly. Then he walks inside, leaving John alone, looking in.

Nash stands, forehead against thepicture window, staringout. The glass is covered with elaborate wax patterns.

,-----~-~..., Nash CRACKShis head, hard, on theglass, spiderwebbing thewindow.

CHARLES {OVER) Jesus.

WIDER. Charles is sitting up on his bed, looking sleepy, sheet around hi·sshoulders. He puts hisfeet on the floor. Smiles grimly.

John turns to him now, the despair onhis facepalpable.

John turns back to look back outthe window. When his VOICE comes again there is a defeat that is chilling.

John SLAMShis head ~nto theglass again, hard.

John spins, pleading eyes fullof rage and anguish.

Charles stares at him a long beat. Finally ...

This seems to give Nash some small comfort. A long beat. Then he walks to the desk, begins to pull it backwards from the window.

Charles stares at him a beat. He nods slowly.

Charles rises, hands him a towel. As John begins to tamp his forehead, Charles puts his hands or:.theedge of the desk.

Charles pulls the desk back from the window, but doesn't let go. Instead he bends, as if for traction.

Charles begins shoving the desk towards the window ...

The desk HITS and SMASHESthrough the glass.

The desk blows through the window, tumbling two stories to the ground in an EXPLOSION of wood and floating sheets of paper.

Nash stands with Charles looking down, out of the broken picture window at the still settling debris.

Nash nods, can't help a shocked grin.

Nash stares at him a beat.

i\ ~.•.,••✓• ·.~.

·····--·------

,~, 21 i----- ' CHARLES

Coming from you, do you have any idea how much that scares me?

(OVER) Sinatra on the juke. Our boys are playing pool. John sits alone, staring at the floor.

Milnor is gesturing to the door.About six women have entered the bar. Well, five and one. The BLONDin the lead is simply, perfect.

PAN ACROSS the guys' stunned faces.

The group sits talking, casting furtive glances at the Blond and her girlfriends a couple of tables away.

(------..__,. \,---, FOX

In competition, individual ambition serves the common good.

John nods. Then his gaze fixes on the girls.

But John doesn't respond to the taunt. Instead he continues to stare intently at the girls.

But Nash doesn't take his eyes off the girls' table.

NASH-POV. The girls' table grows dark, only the blond girl highlighted, moving into the foreground.

NASH-POV. Images of all the boys surround the blond, then blow apart like fragments of glass, leaving the blond standing alone.

NASH-POV. The other girls rise into the foreground, images of our boys pairing off with them.

NASH-POV. All the other girls suddenly go dark, leaving our group standing alone.

NASH-POV. The blond girl goes dark.

NASH-POV. Now images of theboys pair up with the remaining girls.

NASH-POV. The world goes dark except for the couples which twirl like a mobile of arabesques in a victorious swirl.

All are staring at him.

But Nash isn't listening. He's already pulling on his coat.

And with that he's grabbed his coat, heading out the door, his puzzled ~riends watching on.

HOLD on Milnor. Face darkening with concern.

Nash sits bent over his pad, working.Within the window frame Nash continues to work, time passing normally. PULL BACK AND OUT...

Outside, snow covers the building, thenmelts, and tendrils of ivy snake up the concrete facade and bloom, all while Nash works on.

Van Neumann sits across the desk from Nash, holding Nash's handwritten paper in his hand.

Nash simply nods.

Van Neumann stares at the young man. Drops the paper on his desk.

,,,----.,_ 25 / \ I----- \ ' VAN NEUMANN

Well, Mr. Nash, this document may be the single most important work on competitive bargaining I have seen.

Van Neumann raises an eyebrow. Leans back in his chair.

Sun breaks on the monolithic stone building.

Lit map-boards of the cold war globe. The hulking behemoths of early IBM computers.A young CAPTAIN stands on a grillworklanding.

REVERSE. Two uniformedTECHNICIANS, a senior ANALYST anda GENERAL stand before a wall papered with sheets of numbers.

The Captain hits a button. A red wall light goes green. Three MEN in raincoats ENTER, faces obscured by the shadows of their hats.

\ \,....,.....·

The lead man removes his hat to reveal...

Close cropped hair. Four years since we have last seen him.

Nash nods. Hands hisovercoat and gloves to one of hisAides. He is wearing a slimblack suit and tie. The General nods tothe Analys~.

Nash actually smiles.

Nash moves to the wall papered with code.

But Nash raises his hand, silencing the officer. He stands still, just staring at the numbers. Then Nash begins to WHISTLE.

PUSH IN ON Nash's eyes. In the black ocean of his pupils, the reflected rows of code begin to move, forming shifting patterns.

PULL BACK ON Nash, still staring at the wall. Hours have passed, folks sitting, jackets hanging on chair backs, coffee cups empty.

NASH-POV. Series of numbers darken as others rise, a cascade of rapidly changing patterns, endless permutations until...

Nash opens his hand to a pencil from one of his rising Aides. He walks to the wall, begins circling various numbers. All scare.

The General and the Analyst exchange a look. The General nods and the Captain illum~nates a map Board of North America.

Nash is already marking the map board.

Nash glances upwards. From a glass booch overlookir.gthe room, a MAN is watching him. Fine da~k suit. Thin tie.

GENERAL

Excuse me?

But when Nash looksup again, the booth is empty. TheMan has gone.

But the General just claps him on the shoulder.

The General turns, Nash watching asthe men begin tearing down the sheets of code from the wall.

A black sedan slows at a gate manned by uniformed soldiers. One soldier nods, waving the car through into...

r=·-~; EXT.-MIT-RAND COMPOUND-AFTER.NOON

High fences. A section of buildings that essentially comprise a small military base in the center of MIT's campus.

Nash eme~ges from the car, past scholars and military personnel. Vanishes into a large, single story building. RM.~ headquarters.

Bustling. And hot. Nash is walking down a long, sun-lit corridor. A fellow falls into step with him. It's Fox.

Nash strips off his jacket. Another figure falls into step with them, a file folder in his hand. Zweifel.

Large. Sunlit. Walls covered with mathematical symbols, technical schematics. Nash peels off his shirt, leaving only hist.

Zweifel and Fox exchange a look.They know what's coming.

Nash begins rifling his mail. A letter to Charles Herman at U r Texas. Stamped: Return To Sender-Address Unknown. ,,__........

FORBES-CLOSE. Nash lifts themagazine from his mail pile. The cover reads, America's geniuses. Four portraits. John looks pissed.

ZWEIFEL

j. Anyway, you've got ten minutes-

NASH-CLOSE. Actually pales.

Fox thrusts a briefcase into Nash's arms.

\) NASH ..............

(heading for the door) Screw you both. Really.

And with that, he's gone.

A HARDHAT is JACK-HAMMERING one of the cementwalkways. DEAFENING. PULL BACK THROUGH A WINDOW TO REVEAL...

(OVER) The CONSTRUCTION RACKET. Maybe two dozen grad students sit restlessly at their desks, sweating, fanning themselves, windows opi:nto the meager breeze..

Nash ENTERS in hist-shirt. He depositshis briefcase on the desk, stares out at the class like a soldier eying the enemy.

\ Nash begins closing windows, shuttingout the CONSTRUCTION NOISE.

Nash has returned to the board. Turns to face the boy who spoke.

PAN across the stunned faces.A beat. Nash returns to the board.

Nash trails off. A GIRL, maybe20, has risen. Exquisite. Powerfully intelligent eyes.A dancer's body. This isALICIA LARDE.

Shecrosses the room, turns now and holds Nash's gaze a beat. Then she pushes open a window.

Folks just stare, stunned, as she pokes her head outside, begins TALKING. We hear only randomWORDS, then LAUGHTER.

THROUGH THE WINDOW.The ConstructionWorkers move off.

See the look she gives him, as stunning as it is impassable. A beat. Then Nash offers the barest nod. Turns back to theboard.

PULL BACK over Nash as Alicia continues around the room, opening every window to thebreeze.

Nash is climbing the front stepstowards themain doors.

VOICE {OVER) ProfessorNash ...

Standing on the path is a single figure. Slim black suit. ,___.., ,.

Nash inspects the Department of Defense photo ID and badge, embossed with a government seal. Meet WILLIAM PARCHER.

Parcher is leading Nash away from the main RAND building, deeper into the fenced off military compound.

John just nods.

Nash stops, terribly impressed. William just shakes his head.

William's smile, coming now, is very old.

William resumes walking. John falls into step.

Parcher's LAUGHcatches Nash by surprise.

They have come to a row of warehouses at the rear of the compound. All abandoned, paint chipping, windows boarded up.

They have arrived at a warehouse at the end of the row. New windows, a fresh coat of paint. A soldier standing guard salutes.

,.. •..

William walks to the door, pulls it open.

Sprawling. White suited Technicians scurry back and forth amidst hi-tech computing machines and giant illuminated globes.

William leads the ogling Nash throughthe maze of equipment towards a large glass office.

Nash sits across the desk. Photos of William with Roosevelt; with Ei~stein; in a Colonel's uniform withan allied liberation force at the gates of a concentration camp.

William looks off a beat. Eyes that have seen too much. Then ...

William slides a form with a government watermark across the desk.

/'~-.

PARCHER

(,:~c

Whether or not you agree to assist in this operation, disclosure of secure information .can result in imprisonment.Get it?

John signs the form, slides it back. William nods. Then he lifts a small remote control, points it at a blank TV screen in thewall.

ON SCREEN-A placard reading Eyes Only is replaced by black and whites of a giant factory, US soldiers scattered in every frame.

?ARCHER (OVER) This factory is in Berlin. We seized it at the end of the war.

~ ON SCREEN-Closer shots of large, complex production equipment. '·~--···"

William looks up at John a beat, then back to the screenwhich now shows a device no larger than a television.

William just stares at him, letting this sink in.

Simple as that.

Nash stares at him.

Nash and William stand over a monitor manned by a Technician.

John looks at the list. Nods.

William stands with John at anotherwork-station. A Technician has lowered what appears to be large x-ray machine over his arm.

The machine makes contact with John's arm and HISSES.

The Technician lifts themachine, shinesa black light over John's wrist. In a fresh welt abovehis wrist we see a series of numbers.

John emerges from the door, blinking into the dying light.

PULL BACK A..."'IDUP overJohnstandinginthe courtyard. Alone.

A LIFE MAGAZINE-CLOSE. A PEN ENTERS FRAME circles certain occurrences of certain words, then crosses them out. WIDER.

Nash sits behind his desk, pen in hand. (OVER) a KNOCK.

Nash looks up to see a figure standing in his doorway. Alicia, a soldier-escort behind her.

Nash stares a beat. Then he shakeshis head.

The .Soldier tipshis hat toAlicia and is gone.

Alicia throws her hair and GIGGLES, the very picture of a sex kitten. Then shebrings the intelligenceback intoher eyes.

Nash GRUNTS, returns to work as Alicia steps into the room.

Nash looks up, despite the kidding inhis eyes, he looks tired.

Nash simply stares ather.

Ee resumes working. Alicia slidesa single page atop his magazine.

Nash barely glances at her paper as he hands it back.

Alicia stares at him. Then looks back at her equation. Frowns.

Alicia beams. Nash continues to work. She doesn't move.

Nash looks up at her. Stunned.

He sizes her up. A long beat, then...

\~ 1 Nash goes back to work.

Alicia smiles a wry smile,starts for the door. Nash callsafter ...

Alicia turns back to him, sunlight through the window strikingher face so per~ectly it steals your breath.

Hundreds of tiny white lights illuminate the giant stone mansion, glittering in the darkness like a Christmas ornament. Limos pull through the circular drive, disgorging passengers.

NASH {OVER) Governor, may I present ...

i .. '•

--···-·-------------------

A resplendent black tieparty. Nash stands just insidethe doorway.

WIDER. Standing beside Nash in a stunning black dress before the Politician is Alicia. She smiles, warmly bemused.

Alicia and Nash inspect a Rothko on the wall. Alicia is rivetted.

Nash nods. But he's not listening, looking instead at two non- descript MEN a~ the bar. They notice his gaze, look away.

She raises her hand. Faint paint-stains color her skin.

The two Men at the bar are watching Nash again. This time, when they catch his eyes, they move off.

Nash nods, following the Men with his eyes.

He's still staring across the room. That's when she kicks him, hard, in the shin. He starts. That got his attention.

He stares at her a beat. Then he nods. She smiles again, warm.

Alicia stands on a terrace talking to a handsome young man.

The fellow LAUGHS. Waits for her to join in. A beat, then ...

WIDER. Standing behind the man is Nash, two beading flutes of champagne in his hands.

The fellow heads off. John hands her a glass, comes to stand next to her. They stare out across Beacon Hill at the glittering city.

Nash nods, glances inside the door. The same two Men.

Nash looks startled. Alicia begins backing towards the door.

Alicia opens the balcony door, face to face now with the Men.

The Men stare at her, startled. Then emerge onto the balcony.

HOLD on Nash. Not convinced.

Nash and Alicia walk the gardens. They cross into a dark fie1d surrounded by elms, sky overhead a glittering canopy of stars.

NASH-POV. As he holds the night in his gaze. The sky grows dark except for a series of stars. They do in fact form an umbrella. ; •... -.

Nash steps behind her,taking her hand in his andguiding her eyes, pointing out thepattern in the stars,Alicia LAUGHSwith surprise.

Nash star.ds with Alicia under a sky that is totally black save several glittering constellations.An urr.brella.An octopus.A rose. A donkey. A ballerina.

Two tiny figures in a universe all their own.

A car pulls curbside. Fox emerges.

Fox KNOCKSon an apartment door. Nothing.

FOX

0 Nash? Nash?

The door is ajar. Fox pushes into...

Small and sparse. No sign of Nash. {OVER) Sounds from ...

Windows face bright rooftops beyond. Nash stands over a sea of magazines, spread out on the floor around him.

Nash looks up, startled.

Nash is now taping magazine pages to thewall. Fox lifts a file of articles off a cabinet. All on Hiroshima.

Nash retrieves the file without speaking,deposits it out of Fox's reach on his desk.

Nash looks at Fox for the first time. His eyes aren't just tired. They're haunted.

Fox starts to speak. But Nash just raises his hand.

-----------·----------

_,,.,·~~--. t,··-·--···· NASH

I'll be back at work tomorrow.

Fox stares as Nashgoes to his desk and resumesworking. Apparently Nash doesn't have anything else to say. Finally Fox leaves.

HOLD on Nash as (OVER) thedoor SHUTS.

Nash is standing over his sea of torn pages. All ar:-oundhim shifting patterns rise and fall with ever increasing speed.

Suddenly, the rapid cascade of patterns freezes, all the dark shapes falling away, leaving a singlepattern hovering inmid air.

Nash gathers up severalpages and the map, puts them in a grayRAND envelope. He takes a stick of sealing wax, lights the wick ...

(OVER) CRICKETS. Nash is walking, alone, past large houses set apart on larger lots, his sealed, grey RAND envelope in his hand.

He stops before a giant wrought iron gate, behind which sits a resplendent white colonial mansion, lights burning in every room.

On the gate, a small keypad is illuminatedby the purple glow of a tiny bulb. Nash stares at the keypad, reaches forward.

NASH'S WRIST-CLOSE. In the purple light, a new set of numbers appear beneath the surface of his skin.

He rubs his wrist in wonder. Then enters the numbers into the keypad. The lock CLICKS open. Nash pushes the gate wide.

Beyond thegate is a free standingmailbox. Freshly painted wrought iron, dug into the firmament, secured with a heavy padlock.

Nash slides the gray envelope into the mail slot. (OVER) A sudden RUSTLING from behind him.

Nash spins. The bushes across the road move. Just the wind?

Nash has slipped back out through the gate, is pulling it LOCKED behind him. (OVER) More RUSTLING, this time to his left.

Nothing. Nash turns, starts moving,·firsta jog, then a run towards his car parked at the end of the street.

Nash climbs in, SLAMS and locks the doors. Leans his head against the steering wheel. Catching his breath. Freaked.

High above the forest rimmed iris of blue that was the heart of Thoreau's imagination. CAMERA TILTS DOWN ...

DOWN past Cardinals swooping from tree to tree towards the edge of the pond where two small figures bob.

CAMERA rushes over thewater's surface towards two figures swimming the breast stroke, corninghead on in a dead heat across the pond.

Nash is in the lead, Alicia maybe three strokes behind him. Both are swimming fast. But the race is John's.

He pulls himself up onto the shore. A few seconds later Alicia hoists herself onto land beside him.

Both are beautiful, fit and trim. Their breathlessness is asmuch a function of their glistening proximity as their exercise.

Nash just smiles at her.

Another smile from Nash. The silences stretches on.

i \

AL!CIA I'm not talking about work, John.

John stares off a beat. Then he looks back at her.

\,,,~_) information flow by being direct.

Often I don't get a good result.

John stares at her a beat. Then ...

Alicia stares at him a beat.

She leans in and kisses him on the mouth.

,.,.~--..... /~__ \ ALICIA ' I

How was that result?

Dark. Th~ door swings open, flooding the room with yellow hall light. Alicia stands wearing John's shirt over her bathing suit.

John moves through the living room, grabbing from every surface magazines and newspapers covered with scrawls. He hurries into ...

John throws his work into a filing cabinet, begins gathering up pa~ers here too. He glances out the wi~dow.

A black sedan sits parked across the street. Insidetwo me~ sit. A beat. Joh~ draws the shade.

A F.A.~Dgrabshis shoulder. John spins. Alicia stands behind him. She's taken off her shirt, now wearing only her bathing suit.

And she begins pulling off the top of her bathing suit, stripping it down to her waist.

And he goes to her.

Nash and Alicia make love on the desk under the slatted light spilling in from the street. PAN DOWN...

On the floor are several of John's newspapers, marked up with his code-breaking scrawl. Fallen to the floor. Forgotten.

Nash stands atop the hill, looking out at the city beyond.

Suddenly downtown Boston erupts with a low nuclear cloud. Kex: comes the white light, then the blast wave, leveling build:ngs, whipping toward Nash in a colossal wave of ruin.

Nash bolts up in his bed,' sweating and breathless from the nightmare. He looks down at·Alicia, asleep peacefully beside h~m.

Nash sits under a tree, markir.gupanother magazine. A :ittle ai~~ (MA.~CEE,9) walks up to him.

Nash looks up at her.

JV'i.ARCEE Chasin' pigeons. You talkfunny, Mr. Nash.

VOICE (OVER) The prodigal roommate returns.

Nash looks up and standing over him is Charles. Nash grins.

Nash and Charles stroll together. Marcee runs a few yards ahead, chasing pigeons, eyes wide with a child's fascination.

-·---------------·----·------------------------

Marcee runs at the pigeons. To her dismay, theydon't react.

The two walk in silence. Then ...

That's when Marcee runs up, her expression grave.

A beat. Then Nash smiles.

Two men and a little girl, arms high, ROARINGlike monsters, race through the pigeons, the birds soaring away, taking fligh~.

Nash and Alicia drink beers, watch the last of the sunset.

Alicia LAUGHS, looks away.

{

He just stares at her blankly. She smiles.

Nash stares out at the sunset.

HOLD on Nash. That really hadn't occurred to him. He blanches.

1<:::c

Shapely, Fox and a few of Alicia's friends hurl rice. Joh~ and Alicia pose as folks snap pictures.

John notices a figure standingat the edge of the trees. Willia~.

A =lash catches John's attention.When he turns back to the woods, William is gone.

NASH'S WRIST-CLOSE. In the glow of the purple light, a new set of nurrbersshine through the skin. WIDER.

Nash punches inthe codes, pushes open the gate, a new sealed grey RAND envelope in his hand. He drops the envelope into the slot.

(OVER) aSCREECHINGof tires. CAR HEADLIGHTSturn onto the street. Nash stands frozen, the car bearing down on him.

Suddenlythe car SCREECHESto a halt.A figure is SHOUTINGfrom the driver's seat.

William GUNS the engine before Nash's door is even closed.

OUT THE BACKWINDSCREEN.Another setof headlights SCREECHESaround thecorner, in close pursuit.

{OVER) asharp CRACK. The back window shatters.

John ducks. William cuts around the corner, SLAMMING John, hard, into the car door.

William, still steering with one hand, tosses something onto the seat. A revolver. Nash just stares at him blankly.

The pursuit car is gaining. A shadowy figure 2.eansout of the passenger side window, gun in hand. He FIRES.

(OVER) Another CRACK. A bullet lodges in the windshield between Nash and William, spider-webbing the glass.

Nash just stares at the weapon. William grabs the revolver, tries steering with one hand and SHOOTINGout the window with the other.

William's car turns onto the riverfront, the chase car in close pursuit. William and the shadowy gunman exchange FIRE as the two cars race along the moonlit edge of the Charles.

--------------------~-----------

'NASH (frantic) Can't we just get away?

William spins the wheel, hitting the brakes, wheels SCREECHING ...

William's car spins broadside. The pursuit car is bearing down or. them. William aims out the window and FIRES, SHOT after SHOT.

The pursuit car keepscoming. William let's off a finalVOLLEY, the pursuit car now virtually on top of them.

At the lastinstant, the villains' windshield SH.~TTERS,thepursuit car skidding off the road and flying, hard, into the water.

~ CLOSE on John's eyes. Wide with disbelief. '·-......-/

William and Nash emerge from their car,watching as the last signs of che sedan are swallowed by the black water.

Nash nods dumbly.

John manages to nod again.

(OVER) a distant SIREN.William hands him the gun.

John looksdown at thegun inhis hand. A beat. Then he tosses it away onto the seat ofWilliam's car.

John watches as William's car pulls away. Then he turns andstares into the dark waters. Terrified and alone.

Nash ENTERS. The apartment has changed. A woman's touch.Alicia is sitting on the couch, wrapped in a blanket.

She r~ses, the blanket falling away to reveal a belly threemonths pregnant. She rushes to her husband, wrapping her armsaround him. But he stands there, still, like a ghost.

He just shakes his head.Kisses her on the cheek distantly. Thenhe goes into the study and closes the door.

Alicia tries the knob. Locked.

No answer. She bows her forehead against the door.

But from beyond the shut portal, only silence.

Alicia's paintings rest on easels. Nash sits at his desk. A beat. Then he buries his head in his hands and begins to cry.

·;· ..'~

John standsat the window, staring out at the parking row. A black sedanpulls up. Two suspicious men intrench coats and hats emerge.

NASH-CLOSE. Really nervous.

Then two women emerge from the car, followedby their kids. Not hit men, just two families. WIDER

John turns to face a classroom fullof students, all staring at him with confusion. His eyes are hollow as he moves to his desk.

Nash walks out, leaving thegroup of stunned students behind.

Nash is walking down a corridor. (OVER) FOOTSTEPS behindhim. He turns over his shoulder.No one. Resumes walking.

Again FOOTSTEPS. He picks up his pace. So do the FOOTSTEPS.

Nash breaks into arun, down the corridor, ducking just inside an alcove, back pressed against the wall, BREATHLESS.

The FOOTSTEPS grow LOUDER, closing until...Alicia and Zweifel turn the corner, stop and stare at Nash.

John rubs his eyes, shakes his head. He didn't.

Nash leads Alicia off. He doesn't notice the look she throws over her shoulder at Zweifel who just stands there, watching them go.

/~~ EXT.-MIT-PARCHER'S WAREHOUSE-AFTER.NOON

Nash approaches the warehouse which houses William's lab.The same armed soldier stands at the door.

A beat. Nash heads off.

The setting sun draws long shadowsout the windows. Nash pul:s his office door c:osed. He turns, practically colliding with Willia~.

Nash takes a second to gather himself.

William looks away. His eyes are terribly sad.

William puts his hands on Nash's shoulders.

William's tone is steely when he speaks.

William's answer is only silence.

·~..,_..,,,,

Finally, John realizes William's eyes are dead.

In the dying light, William turns, heads for the front door.

Fox emerges from his door, stares at Nash, obviously concerned.

But Nash doesn't answer, just stares after William as the door kisses closed behind him.

Nash sits, his back to us, in the dark, staring into space.

She flicks on the light,standing now in the doorway, a threemonth old infant swaddled in he~ arms.

We see his face now, unshaven, cheeks hollow, eyes wide.

He is up fast, SLAMMING his hand on the wall, extinguishing the light. His fast moves have scared the baby who has begin to WAIL.

Nash moves to the window, knocking over Alicia's easel and half finished painting. He hurls the canvas out the door.

John raises the drawn blind a bit and peeks out.

OUT THE WINDOW.A black sedan. An identical carpulls up beside it. A shadow inside the first car points towards John's apartment.

A beat. John lets the shade fall again. He turns now to face his wife and WAILING child.

John just stares at her. When his VOICE comes, it's soft.

ALI::A John, what's going, on? Please, you've got to ~alk to ·me-

John rises and SLAMS the door. He sits back at his desk, peers again out the window, then hugs himself, rocking slightly.

Alicia rocks her baby in her arms, her ruined canvas at her feet. She pauses over the phone. A beat. Then she lifts the receiver.

Nash climbs the steps of the Mathematics building. His suit looks slept in, his hair a wild garden. He keeps looking behind him.

Nash pauses by a signthat reads: GUEST LECTURER-~OHNNASH. A beat. ~ He checks over his shoulder again, then heads inside. \,..............J·'

Jchn is walking skittishlythrough the lobby when a small,familiar fig.ireruns up to greet him. Marcee.

She raises her handshigh over her head, bares her teethand looses a savage GROWL.

He lifts her up in his arms and hugs her, tight, eyes closing against the smell of her small girl's hair. Sets her down.

/,.,.,~........~, 63 /-----' Nash's smile is weak.

Joh:1looks like he's about to speak. Then ...

VOICE (OVER) Professor Nash ...

A GRJ..DUA~ES~UDENTstands at the open door to the lecture hall. Beckoning John. Apparently his lecture is about to begin.

Before Charles can stop him, Nash heads inside.

\~,! INT.-HARVARD-LECTUREHALL

John stands on stage, a blackboard scrawled with numbers behind hirr..Heis speaking, staring out into the audience.

Nash'svoice trails off. A couple of MENhave ENTEREDat the top of a stairway, wearing overcoats and hats.

Nash's voice trails off again. Another MAN has emerged at the top of the other stairway, also in overcoat and top hat.

Nash is staring at the young Graduate Student in the front row.

(~~ , 1 Folks look puzzled. The Student, confused, points to a sidedoor.

Nash turns and rushes off stage, out the side door. The audience stares in befuddled wonder.

Nash emerges from a side door, moving fast towards the street. A

figure blocks his way. It sthe lone Man from one of thestairways.

Nash stops cold in his tracks. Spins. The other two Men are standing right behind him. Nowhere to run.

~.AN Let's avoid a scene, shall we?

John offers a charming smile.

He begins towards the Man, then hauls off and DECKS him, hard, across the face. Bolts towards the street. -.,.

The two Men are on him in a second, grabbing him, restraininghim.

Rosen approaches, pulling a hypo from a case inhis coat.

Folks are watching. At the top of the steps, Charles and Marcee have emerged. John spots them.

That's when Rosen sinks the needle into his arm.

e Nash's struggling begins to slow as the medication takes effect.

The two Men stuff John into the back of the car asRosen climbsin next to the driver.

Nash stares out the window at Charles coming fast down the steps, Marcee behind him.

Nash raises his hand towards his friend, findingonly window glass between them as the car pulls away, leavingthe university behind.

NASH-POV. DARKNESS. Then lightthrough the blinks of slowlyopening eyes reveal Rosen's peering face.

/---..__ INT. -OFFICE

Nash lays on a couch, Rosen sitting over him. Leather chairs, an oak desk, degrees on the walls. Picture perfect.

Nash blinks. Takes in Rosen. Tries to sit up. No luck. He looks down. His hands are bound.

NASH

You can cut the shrink act, okay?

John nods, then heshoves Rosen onto the floor. Jumpsup, tries for the door. But hegoes down, hard. His ankleshave restraints around them too.

John looks up f::::-om thefloor.What he sees chills his bones. Sitting on a windowseat in the cornerare two figures. Charles and Marcee, staring at him expressionlessly.

But his old friend says nothing, just sits there impassively.

Rosen has stood, gone to the desk and pressed a buzzer. 7he door swings open and two burly orderlies ENTER.

But Charles and Marcee show no expression, just sit, watching on.

C The Orderlies pull John standing. Rage rises in him like a tide.

Rosen has moved in front of Nash. Stares at him a beat.

Rosen stares at him a beat.

//~,, 68 1-·--- ', __)

· Rosen nods and the Orderlies begin dragging him out.

John is growing hysterical.

The Orderlies drag Nash into the hallway, Charles and Marcee staring after him like the dead, unmoving, perfectly still.

Lovely steepled brick buildings situated on resplendent browning lawns. Folks wonder like ghosts. A sprawling palace of the mad.

John Nash sits on a cot ina cell, rocking, mumbling. PULL BACK...

Alicia stands watching John through the window of his cell. She turns now, eyes red, to face Rosen.

Alicia can't even ask what he means, only shakes her head.

,,

Rosen takes a minute before he speaks. Then ...

Alicia looks at Rosen like he's thecrazy one.

Rosen holds her gaze, watches her glimpse thendiscard thepanic.

··r

_,..,--~__ 70

But her words carry more conviction thanher eyes.

Rosen and Alicia walk the tree lined paths. Over the horizon hangs a low harvest moon, plump andyellow.

She hugs her coat tighter.

{.

Alicia starts to speak.Then purses her lips, not sure what tosay.

Alicia stops, eyes narrowing.

Rosen's sudden smile seems forced.

Alicia is silent. Holds Rosen's eyes.

',___,..- ..'

/·-•.\ i"___, ) ALICIA

He wasn't sleeping. I wantedsomeone to talk with him. Zweifelrecommend-

Alicia stares at him a beat. Unsure. Then ...

She's growing agitated. Rosen's smile is full of compassion.

0 Nine AM-.

She stares at hirr.,fightingback the fear.

Alicia stares at him. Nowhere to go. Finally...

And with that she walks off. HOLD on Rosen as he watches her go.

John stands at the window, staring through the mesh as Alicia's tiny form separates from Rosen's, walks o:f under theyellow moon.

Dark. A light burns in the bedroom window.

Alicia sits in bed, rockingher swaddled infant in her arms.Spread on the comforter before her are several strewn envelopes. Eacr. addressed to Charles Herman. Each stamped Return To Sender.

Alicia reaches for the phone, begins to dial a number,wearily, as if for the hundredth time.

CAMERA.DRIFTS across the bed to an open address book and FINDS Charles Herman's name and number. (OVER) The RING signal is replaced by a recorded VOICE.

r-". \"--~_,:HOL:)an Alicia's face. Eyes hollow, like a ghost's.

A CLOCK-CLOSE. Reads 9:00.PULL BACKTO REVEALRosen sit~ing behind his desk, looking at the door. No Alicia.

Alicia stands at the Guard Booth. Fox runs up, late,to greet her, taking her hands in his as the Guard raises the barricade.

Alicia stands with Fox and Zweifel. Both men seem uncomfortable.

Alicia just shakes her head.

---------------------·· ·-----

--~ 74

What she does now is extraordinary. She SLAPS himacross the face.

And she SLAPS him again. Harder.

And a third swing. But this one he catches by the wrist. Looks at Fox. Back to Alicia.

Fox pushes open the door. The walls, ceiling and windows are covered with scrawled magazine and newspaper clippings. The work is, without question, bizarre, perhaps even mad.

Alicia sits with Fox and Zweifel. She is trying to hang on, her eyes fierce, determined.

She gestures to the magazine papered ceiling.

Fox opens his hands before him.

Fox and Zweifel exchange a look.

Nash, Alicia and Fox arewalking the row of abandoned warehouses.

,---......, (··---~ ZWEIFEL

He'd go inside. You'd hear him sort of ...talkingto himself.

PULL BACK TO REVEAL...

The three of them face the warehouse that housed William's secret lab. No fresh coat of paint. No new windows.No guard at the gate.

Alicia climbs the steps, pushes open the door.

No secret lab. No personnel. Just sunlight pa~ntir.gthe colurr~sof dust through the windows. No one hasbeen here in a very long time. PULL BACK as Alicia stands alone in the giant, empty space.

FCY.-CLOSE. His frown is inscrutable.

~-~/ Crisp. Sunny. John and Rosen walk, John's handsbound before him. A burly ORDERLY paces them, a few feetbehind. Patientsmill.

Rosen can't help but smile.

/.,.----.,, (.______. ', NASH

I think you did seP.them. I think this isall somekind of attempt to brainwash me.

, ROSEN And why would Iwant to do that?

Rosen nods. He doesn't seem surprised.

0 John stumbles a beat. Then recovers.

Rosen motions across the courtyard. A white haired man stands ina corner, gesturing angrily, TALKING to thin air.

The white haired man begins to plead and SHOUT.

'

Rosen stops,puts his hand on John's arm.

John stops, anger flashing in his eyes.

John knocks Rosen's hand away with his bound wrists. Despite his spiking temper, John seems almost relieved.

The Orderly has moved in. John spins to face the man.

But Rosen stops the Orderly with a gesture. Turns to face Nash.

(

the medication until you askfor it.

1<..----~> ', i' This turn seems to throw John. His expression darkens.

Rosen's expression is sad.

Alicia is walking up a familiar street. She stops, looks up. REVERSE Ji...~GLE...

The same house we've seen before. And terribly different. Broken windows. Dilapidated side boards. Long ago deserted.

Alicia walks to the front gate. The remains of an aging lock pad hangs by wires. Broken. She pushes the gate, CREAKING, open.

('""; An old mailbox sits ahead.A rusting pad lock hangs at its base. ........,_........·· Alicia looks up at the empty house. Thenshe lifts a large rock and begins HAMMERING away at the lock, face set with determination.

Nash sits alone in his cell. Spread out before h~m are documents from Princeton. His housing form.A class list.

HOLD on John as he stares at the documentation. A beat. Is that a crack in his resolve?

Then he wipes the materials onto the floor, angry. Draws his knees up to his chin and sits, face fixed once again with determination.

Alicia sits alone, uncomfortable. Other patients occupy other tables. Many wear the vacant staresof the damned. Alicia's eyes go to an opening door.

John ENTERS, escorted by two Orderlies. He sits at the long table across from her. The Orderlies retire to a table not far off.

Alicia reaches across and takes his hands, holds them in hers. The pain on her face ispalpable.

/"-·-·~~. 80 (_..:

Alicia bites her lip, tries not to react.

John rubs his wrist.

Alicia is s~aring at him, fighting back the tears.

Folks in the room stare.Nash sits back, stunned. Alicia gathers herself. Takes a breath.

Alicia has reached into her bag. Lifts something onto the table.

~--~ And with that, she deposits on the table a stack of gray RAND envelopes.All still sealed with John's seal.

John tears one open. Inside, his pages of code. His marked maps. Never picked up.Never seen by anyone.

Alicia begins to cry, the tears coming now, streaming down her cheeks. Finally she bows to John's hand on the table, pressing her cheek to the back of his palm, body racked with trembling SOBS.

HOLD on John as he looks from his weeping wife to his work. He lifts a torn magazine page, marked and scrawled.

HOLD on John. On his face, for the first time, fear.

? Rosen sits over his desk. The door opens and a NURSE ENTERS. i_

----------··----····---

,,----..... I '

Rosen is up fast.

Rosen UNLOCKS Nash's cell and ENTERS to findNash, his back to the door, standing in a pool of blood.

Nash tu!:"ns,holding his wrist in his hand. Blood is sp.:.lling through his fingers.

As Rosen gently takes John's handhe notices a brad from under the mattress frame, torn free and bloody on the floor.

The flesh on top of John's wrist has been gouged away, almost to the bone. The Nurse hands Rosen a wad of gauze. Rosen begins to dress the wound. John is crying. ~'-..../

Small. A single gurney sits in the middle of the floor. A NURSE stands by a silver medical table.

The dooropens. Nash shuffles in wearing hospitalclothes and paper slippers. He sits on the gurney. Draws up his legs and arms.

NT.-MCLEAN-OBSERVATION ROOM-DAY

Rosen and ATicia watch through a plexi window.

Leather restraints are pulled tight around his wrists and ankles, • his forehead.

·.:..

-------- -·

The Nurse places a plastic bit in his mouth. Lifts the hypo.

Alicia touches the divide as the Nurse swabs John's arm, looks to Rosen for the nod. She puts needle to flesh..Alic~a turns away.

See Nash as his body arches into the agony of insulin shock, eyes roll~ng up, SCREAMING through the bit as we PULL BACK AND UP...

(OVER) Nash's GROWLED SCREA.~.We continue up; higher and higher, Mclean disappearing in ~he first falling storm of snow until the world is awash of white...

D:SSOLVE :'O:

WHITE CHERRYBLOSSOMS-CLOSE. PULL BACK TO REVEAL...

Rows and rows of cherry trees, blowing in the breeze. Alicia and Fox walk away from us along the bank of a brook.

REVERSE ANGLE. Alicia seems older. It's her eyes.

Fox's eyes ask thequestion.

, ~...

Fox just nods. They continueon. A lovely white colonial isvisible in the distance.

Alicia stills him with a casualwave of her hand. She hasabout her th.:odd self-possession thatcomes with close proximity tomadness.

\'""'::'·She looks off, gaze going well past the visible horizon . ..__,...,

Fox wants to speak, he just doesn't know what to say.

There is definitely about her an odd feeling, both strong c:.••- fragile, like giant plates of shifting ice.

For a moment she seems not to be able to even unde::::-standtte question. Then ...

Fox walks on, amazed at this woman.

Nash sits on the porch swing, staringat a pad of equations, pen i~ hand. Fox climbs the porch steps.

Nash looks up. He seems pale, drawn, as if part of him has go~e missing, been replaced by shadow.

1•.,

•.··:·

/,..-.......,_ i\···--- Nash gestures to an empty porch swing.

Alicia appears and hands John two red pills and a glass of water. She kisses him on the head and leaves them again.

He swallows the pills, takes a long drink.

FOX

,...._, Zweifel wanted to come but ... \.___.,/

Nash actually smiles.

Fox gives a sad smile.

' Nash seems sincerely puzzled. \.~~--,·.. ~

Fox findshis answerblocked by a lump inhis throat, looks away.

Nash slides his pad over to Fox.

Fox's smile tries to hide the fact that Nash's calculations don't seem to make much sense.He slides back the pad.

John stares at him.

Alicia is doing the dishes. John stands staring at the kitchen table. He lifts a napkin, toys with it curiously, like an alien come to Earth for the first time.

By Alicia's expression, this question is not coming for the first time. But she rallies herself again for the answer.

i \

John nods, but by his expression, he surely doesn't understand.

He lifts the trash bag, walks out the kitchen door. Alicia begins ~ putting the dishes away. (OVER) We hear Nash TALKING. ·,,__....,... ALICIA-CLOSE. Terrified. She spins as John re-enters.

Alicia stares at him. Unsure. Then a figure passes the window. A garbage man after all, throwingthe bag into a truck HISSING past.

He takesher in his arms. She folds into hischest. Normal life has become a mine field.

', ' '..-,-;"·. {

But by his expression, he seems anyt~ing but sure.

Nash sits over his pad. He stares out the picture window. Then tries to write. Stares at the line of equations. Gibberish.

Nash presses his pencil into the paper, crushingthrough the lead, finally SNAPPING the hilt.

John lays on his back, Alicia curled beside him. Spring moonlight pours in through the open window.

Alicia kisses his neck tentatively, then hisface. John lies still as a statue. He tiltshis head away, strokesher head platonically.

Alicia surrenders, sliding back down and layingon his chest. HOLD on her =ace, sad eyes open in the moonlight.

John stands with his SCREAMING baby inhis arms. He seems entirely unsure how to handle this unwieldy little human.

Alicia comes in from the kitchen. She SLAMSJohn's medication and water glass on the table.

Then she scoops up her child in one hand, retrieves the fallen pacifier from the floor with the other.

She feedsth~ir son the binky, the child'sCRIES instantly stilled.

Alicia exits with the baby. John stands inthe middle of the room, sad, helpless. No good at real life. He stares down at his pills.

Alicia stands staring into themirror. She begins fixing her hair, finding several streaks of premature grey.

Her fingers dr~ftdown to her cheek, trace the linesthere. HOLDon her as she stares at her expression, one suddenly so very old .

A beat. Then she pulls the mirror off the wall, throwing it, SHATTERINGto the floor.

Alicia leans back, slid~ng down now against the wall, k~ees coming up to her chin as she begins to CRY.

John is pouring the shards ofthe mirror off an impromptu cardboard dustpan into the trash can. He turns, heads back into...

Alicia is setting his medication and water on the table. She looks worse than she ever has. Eyes dark and hollow. What a toll, this.

\~~! She lying and they both know it.

John smiles. Then he nods. She kisses his head, goes out thedoor.

Glass enclosed. Moonlight beams in through the large windows, illuminating the dark forest beyond the lawn.

John sits at his desk, staring at the pills and water before him. A beat. Therihe opens a drawer.

INSIDE THE DRAWER. Maybe five days worth of his pills. Not taken. John drops the two new tablets inside. Closes the drawer.

Nash looks at his desk. Piles of unopened mail. Several math journals. He notices a New·York Times. He opens the paper.

NASH-POV. Columns of articles. Suddenly the text goes black, characters rising into the air in a perfectly revealed pattern.

\...- (OVER) A RAP as something hits the window. Hard . ..

..··-····--·····--·-----·-----··--·-

-----------··-·-··--····

John peers out into the night. Someone, asilhouette, darts across the lawn. John is up, fast, ~oving into the hallway.

Nash shoves open the screen door, stares out into the night.

(OVER) CRICKETS. A figure bolts across the green, littlemore than a shadow, racing towards the tree line and then gone.

Nash takes off in a spr~nt after the fleeing specter.

EX~.-NASH HOUSE-NIGHT

The figure disappears into the dark tree line, Nash racing fast across the lawn ~n close pursuit, bursting now, into...

Nash continues running through the trees, slowing now, finally comir.g to a stop deep in the dark forest. He looks around. Moonlight. Night bird CRIES. But no signof the mysterious figure.

(OVER) A RUSTLING. Nash spins to his left, a shadow darting from tree to tree, there, then gone into the darkness.

(OVER) ANOTHER RUSTLING. Nashspins to his rightto glimpse another darting shadow, vanishing into the night.

That's when John is grabbed from behind. His arms are pulled backwards in restraint as a figure steps out of the darkness.

Hat and trenchcoat make him little more than anelegant shadow. As he approaches, his face becomes visible in the moonlight...

i----; William nods and the MAN behind Nash releaseshim. As the stranger _, steps into the moonlight we see he is a U.S. soldier.

William wraps his arm around Nash.

He begins leading Nash deeper into the forest.

Alicia lies in bed, her sleep fitful, moving under the covers. A small MOAN escapes her lips, victim to dark dreams.

William and his guardhave led John to an old tool shedon the edge of the property.

William has walked to the front door.

William pulls open the door, the night flooded with sudden white light. William bowsand gestures with his arm,ushering him inside.

Bright. Men in 'labcoatsmove back and forth in front of high-tech decoding equipment. William leads Nash to a giant, lit map board.

,,,--....__,_ 93 (.----'.\ John stares at him.

John just stares at him.

William nods and two figuresemerge from the shadows. Charles, and behind him, Marcee.

/,,.,.,,.,...-....,, I-------.:

She races to him and leaps into his arms. He holds her so tight.

John reluctantly sets her down, his expression darkening.

HOLD on John abeat as he stares at William.

~ ·,,_______..Williamwalksrightup to him, stares intohis eyes.

John looks at Charles. At little Marcee. Finally...

William extends his grasp. Nash stares a beat. He takes his hand.

PARCHER

; Welcome back. ~·r·~ (. 1..~,..

Alicia lies asleep. John stands over her, staring. Then he turns. William is standing in the door way. John heads towards him.

Nash crosses the dark lawn, into the forest.

Nash stands amidst the high tech machinery, before a light board covered with maps and code, lecturing to a team of analysts.

Nash is carrying the baby upstairs as Alicia heads outside.

Her concern flashes for only asecond. But he registers it anyway.

Alicia's forced smile is full of hope for truth in his words. She heads outside.

Storm clouds are assembling on the horizon. Dark. The wind is fierce. Alicia gathers blanket andtoys. (OVER) A BANGINGfrom the woods just beyond the house.

Alicia looks up at the SOUND, puzzled.A beat. Then she leaves the detritus on the lawn, begins heading towards the BANGING.

Alicia walks through the trees. In just minutes the sky has grown darker. The wind has picked up, MOANING now.

(OVER) The BANGING has increased in both tempo and volume. She heads towards...

:.---' EXT. -TOOL SHED-DAY

The door t~.the old shed has been left ajar, BANGINGin thewind. It begins to rain, the sky pelting her with big, heavy drops. Alicia approaches the shack. She pulls the door open.

ALICIA-CLOSE. Face broken with horror. PULL BACK TO REVEAL ...

The entire shed, walls, floorand ceiling are covered with scrawled newspaper and magazine clippings, the hallmarks of John'smadness.

See Alicia, tiny from this height, racing across the lawn towards the house. Lightening. (OVER) Thedull THUD of distant thunder.

Alicia pushes inside. Looks in the living room. No sign of John. (OVER) From upstairs the sound of WATER RUNNING.

Alicia is racing up the stairs. (OVER) Thesound of RUNNING WATER has grown LOUDER. Another lightening flash. A CRACKof thunder.

Alicia bursts into the bedroom in time to see Nash struggling to close a window. The baby is nowhere in sight. (OVER) Thesound of RUNNING WATERis loud from the bathroom.

FOLLOWAlicia as she rushes into the room, past John's startled expression, and freezes in the open bathroom door.

/,,----.._, 97 (__\ I. /;

The baby is in thetub. Alone. The water is almost up to his chin, seconds from drowning.Alicia moves with lightning speed, grabbing her child up and into her arms.

She clutches him for dear life. Spins to face John who's standing there, eyes wide with panic.

Alicia is moving down the stairs, fast, baby in her arms. Nash is chasing after her.

John's VOICE trails off. Alicia has spunaround, is staring at him.

Alicia startsmoving again, John following her into...

Alicia lifts the phone.

That's when William steps into the doorway.

William takes a step into the room.

Alicia has begun dialing the phone. Hands unsteady, trembling lips finding the-numbers.

William unbuttons his jacket, revealing his holster.

William reaches for his weapon. His eyes are sad.

John SLAPS the receiver out of Alicia's hand, sending the phone SMASHINGagainst the wall.

Alicia steps back against the wall. John stands facing her. The baby WAILS inher arms. When her voice finallycomes, its WHISPER.

C--, John takes a stepback from the force of her VOICE, and she's out, ,,_/ pushing past him into...

She'sgrabbed her bag, heading for the door. Shespins to face John who just stands in the hallway, watching.

John starts to speak. But no words come.

And with that, shepushes out the front door into thepouring rain.

John stands in the open doorway, watching his wife disappear down the walkway in the pouring rain towards their car.

John stands staring outside.

William steps into the doorway behind him. Watching.

Another figure begins descending the steps. Charles.

A third tiny form tugs his hand. Marcee.

The fro~t door SIJL~Sclosed inthe wind. PULL BACK AN'"DUP tosee Nash there, alone in the house with his ghosts.

It's po~ring. Alicia is putting the baby in the passenger seat. A hand touches her shoulder. She spins to face her husband.

His lips are shaking, mixing with therain now, his falling tears.

The two juststand there staring at each other inthe pouring rain.

The storm has broken. Crimson light stains the old colonial.

Nash faces a familiar figure across the porch. Dr. Rosen.

\...,..,Nash manages a brave smile. i ",;:..

REVERSE ANGLE. Marcee sits on the porch playing Jacks. Charles stands in the doorway, shaking his head disapprovingly.

Nash looks again at Marcee.

PAN ACROSS open dresser drawers, a suitcase half packed on the floor, FIND Nash sitting on the bed, holding aclosed book between his palms, staring into space.

Alicia stands in the doorway, her expression brave.

Nash looksup to his wife, his smilesad enough to snap your heart.

Nash nods, so terribly tired.What he expected.

She steps towards him but he stopsher with agesture. Only ashe looks up do we really see the tollthis istaking on him.

~ He rubs the book inhis hand. "-~-/

Alicia stands in the doorway. Staring at her husband.

A figure races past behind her, like a ghost, startlingly fast, then gone. He looks up at his wife.

Nash has to look away. How elseto blink back the waterbrimming in his eyes? When he looks up, she is gone.

HOLD on Nash as he lets his head fall into his hands,palms taking the weight of his defeat. PUSH IN on this single figure. Alone.

llICIA (OVER) Rosen said to call if you try to

---··-r kill me or anything. ..

REVERSE. Alicia ENTERS. Offers a wry smile as John stands. (OVER) An ENGINE starts, FADES away.

Nash's stares at her, confused. She takes the book fromhim, turns it over in her hands.

She walks to him, their faces close, her voice coming quiet.

She takes a rose ernbroideredhandkerchief, wipes the tears now spilling from his eyes.

What he does, he reaches out and takes her in his arms, holding fast, holding on to her for dear life.

Nash and Alicia sit on the floor reading amidst a sea of books. Outside the window, orange and red streaks rake away the stars.

Nash MURMURS. Then he looks up at her, brow furrowing.

John closes his book.

Alicia takes a beat, considering. Then ...

Nash taps his head.

But Nash isn't listening.

~-...

Alicia stares at him, equal parts confusion and concern.

Fall. Through swirls of falling color, students move across the common. The clothes may be different, but it's the same Princeton Nash entered so many years ago as a Freshman. PUSH IN TO FIND...

Nash stands before the steps to thebuilding. Takes a step towards it, then a step back, repeats the tiny dance of indecision.

He stops, takes something out of his pocket. Alicia's rose embroidered handkerchief.

Holding it tightlike a talisman, he heads up thesteps and inside.

A fellow sits, head bent over a desk, his face not yet visible to· us. (OVER) A KNOCK.

Nash ENTERS, stands in the doorway.

The fellow looks up, familiar face going from confusion to shock. It's Milnor. '••-;;, I ·~ \,

-··------·---------------------------------------·--···----

Milnor just stares, his expression almost impossible to decode.

Then he s~ands, comes around the desk, and does something almost unimaginable, he wraps his arms around Nash and holds him.

NASH-CLOSE. So stunned he has to blink back the tears. Milnor finally steps away, holds his shoulders at arms length.

Milnor pulls John to his book shelves. There, beneath medals and prizes are pictures of Nash, Milnor, Fox, Zweifel and Shapely. Young, full of hope for the future.

Nash shakes his head.

Nash just shakes his head. He didn't.

Nash does. Milnor returns behind his desk.

,MILNOR : I'm so glad to see you. What brings you back to ~rinceton?

Nash sp~ns over his shoulder to see Charles in the open doorway.

John reaches around in his chair and SLAMS the door in Charles' face. Turns back to face Milnor, who stares a beat. Then smiles.

A beat. Then John just shakes his head.

Milnor stares at him across the desk, this arch rival, this old :riend. It is a moment before he speaks. Then ...

/,,,....-....,, (-----___:_

Two students at a games table play Nash on a triangular board. One keeps glancing over his shouldernervously.

WIDER. Standing behind him is Nash in his baggy suit. Rocking on his heals the way he does, he looks like amadman.

NASH-CLOSE. Taken aback. A beat. HOLD on Nash standing alone.

A young ADJUNCT ~s walking M~lnor fast down thelong hall.

MILNOR

\,,___)

Why can't people readtheir memos ...

They arrive at the picture window at the end of the hall. Milnor looks down, expression darkening...

THROUGH THE WINDOW-COURTYARD-HIGH ANGLE

Amidst a crowd of gaping students, Nash is storming the courtyard in tight figure eights, CURSING at the empty air.

Nash walks his figure eights. William keeps pace, matching Nash step for step, right in his face.

·-·.:·.··•

/-~--. 'f-•·-----!.. \ NASH·

Get away from me!

Two campus cops peel away from the inside of the crowd, heading towards Nash. Milnor gets there first, grabbing Nash.

Nash stops. Faces Milnor. William stands behind them.

~ \,.~/ Nash is looking around. At the gaping students. The still wary security guards. All staring at him.

~ILNOR I just heard what happened...

But John has stopped listening. His eyes are hollow with embarrassment, defeat.A beat. Then he walks offtowards the gate.

But John keeps walking. William smiles. Opens his arm.

Nash sits on the couch, shirt untucked, tie half off, staring at the floor. His face, his posture, a portrait of surrender.

(OVER) The BANGING gets LOUDER. Finally, Nash rises. As if moving through molasses, heads towards the kitchen and the SOUND...

er·--,, INT. -NASH HOUSE-PANTRY-EVENING

Alicia sits on the floor next to the open back of the clothes dryer. Pieces of fan and belt are spread out before her.

Nash stares at her. Then he leans over, li:ts the part.

Nash squats, shaves a groove with a screwdriver.

Alicia replaces the part. Tries the power. A HUMbut no action.

AL::::CIA It still won't work.

Nash looks at the assembly. Tries the switch. Feels the machine.

Alicia nods.

She reaches forward, touches her finger to his lips to quiet him.

Alicia ENTERS, toweling grease off her hands. No sign of John.

John opens the door, turns on the light. No lab. Just walls and walls of clippings.

--~•..

William stands in the corner, arms crossed.

John stares at him a beat. Then he obliges.

Nash can't help but stifle a LAUGH of su=prise. William smiles.

William steps away from the wall, walks towards him.

William has moved close.

Nash stares athim a beat. Then he reaches upand grabs a clipping.

\__ _

He tears the clipping down. William looks him right in the eyes.

Still holding his gaze, Nash tears another clipping from thewal:.

William leans in close. And smiles a smile to freeze yo~r heart.

Students file into a classroom. Nash stands at the door facing Charles and Marcee, Alicia'shandkerchief in his hand for courage.

Nash bends on one knee before Marcee and touches her tiny cheek.

A PROFESSOR comes to thedoorway, stops to stare at this oddman on his knee, kissing thin air. Nash rises, turns to the Professqr.

The young Professor's eyes narrow. He seems suddenly flustered.

John is about to step over the threshold of the door. He stops.

I

And with that, he steps inside. Charles and Marcee follow.

John wakes. Rises to get a drink of water. He pulls open the bathroom door but beyond there is only solid wall. He spins ...

Small. Dark. Windows barred. John looks around wildly, heart sinking with shock and dread. William steps out of the shadows..

PARCHER

C We don't have much time.This is the

real world. Don't let them drug you again. Hang on, Nash-

(OVER) The doorUNLOCKS.Opens. A Nurse steps in, hypoin her hand, face hidden by shadow. She seeps forward into the light. Alicia.

Nash jolts awake with a start. Alicia is sitting up beside him.

He stares at her a beat. Not so sure.

Morning breaks on the old stone building.

NT.-PRINCETON-LIBRARY-DAY

TRACKPAST a librarian, PAST oaktables and green reading lights.

(~~~~ \ A couple of STUDENTS stand before the large circular window, covered now with wax markings. ,The symbols seem disorganized.

The second begins wiping off the window.

VOICE (OVER) Get away! Don't touch that!

They turn to find Nash, towering over them, face distraught.

They walk of:. Nash goes to the window, with his wax pencil begins trying to reconstruct the symbols.

A beat. Then he touches hishead to the glass, defeated, looksdown at the courtyard below. What he sees is startling. See itnow ...

One of the kids returns to grab a forgotten book. Notices Nash's move. Nash starts to explain, looks over the boy's shoulder to ...

A slightly older Nash sitsamidst a group of students under atree, listening to Milnor give a seminar.

Nash seems out of place. Marcee plays with his hairbut he ignores her, taking notes. Nash looks to see...

EXT-COURTYARD-DAY

A slightly older Nash walks in figure eights, silent as William SHOUTS in his face.

Students pass without a second glance, folks used to him by now. Nash looks towards...

·! '·,

/r,.,..,..--...,~', ',~--r EXT.-PRINCETON-MAINGATE

A slightly older Nash sits under a giant weeping willow, havir.ga picnic with Alicia. Nash LAUGHS, looks up towards...

A figure looks down at campus through rows of symbols that cover the glassbefore him. It's Nash, ten years older then when we left him here.

Nash finishes writing on the pane. The syrrbolsare now orderly, their sequences in long, graceful lines.

He takes a step back, appraises his work. Allows a slight nod and walks off.

PA.~RIGHT.Two STUDENTS, one SKINNY, one FAIR, have been watching. Theymove to the window, stare at the equations.

FAT STUDENT

(:)'

I think he solved Riemann ...

Nash works over his pad at one of the oak tables. Marcee sits on the table top in front of him, reading Green Eggs and Ham.

VOICE (OVER) ProfessorNash?

John looks up to face the Skinny Student.

Nash looks at him and smiles.

The Student PLONKShis textbook on the table. Opens it.

/.r-----~\ 116 '---•--". \

TEXT BOOK-CLOSE. Under the title FUNDAMENTALSIN MATHEMATICS is Nash's Bargaining Equilibria.

John looks at this boy, the ambition in his eyes. So bright, so familiar. The kid slides his notebook towards Nash.

C~j The boy stares at him blankly.

Nash closes the boy's notebook. Reaches intohis brown paper lunch bag and removes a sandwich.

He slides half his sandwich across. Pats the chair next to him.

Nas~ sits at one of thegames tablesover a go board. Milnor walks up, older now, sits down across from him.

·,

~...---...., 117 (____:_

Milnor stares at him.

C~·' Nash looks. Sitting across the path are Charles, William and Marcee. The stare at him with little emotion.

Milnor looks up. Shapely, Fox and Zweifelrace past. All young. He looks back at Nash and the cool autumn day is empty once more.

.....,,~~ '.:,.-

A beat. Then John stands.

John nods, begins to head off.

Nash spins. Milnor TAPS the game board in front of him.

MIL~OR You scared?

John stares at hi~. Then he grins.

As John goes and sits back down PULL BACKAND UP over these two old friends, playing with the hearts of the boys they once were.

Lights burn. Alicia's car pulls into the driveway.

An unfinished painting sits on an easel. Walden Pond in winter, trees lifeless, but off the ice, a sparkle that might be hope.

The door opens and Alicia ENTERS. Looks around. The phone receiver hangs off t~ehook, swingingby the cord. Her expression darkens.

Alicia drives, expression intense. Looking. She spots a man in a doorway, RANTING. She slows.Just a stranger.

Alicia takes a beat, gathers herself. Drives on.

·...(.:

r~~..

Nash stands on the same roof wherehe and Charles passed the flask, so very long ago.

'ALICIA Looking for divine inspiration?

John looks at her. A beat. Then into the distance again.

She stares at him, eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

He turns to face her, to look right into her eyes.

He looks up at the glittering panoply streaking the night sky.

As she slides her arm around him, HOLD on this couple. Standing together against all the dark in theworld.

NASH-CLOSE. Clean shaven, hair cut short. Dazzling.

From this angle John might be talking to himself. PULL BACK TO REVEALhe's not alone. Alicia is standing behind him.

His face is suddenly child-like with panic. She reaches into her purse, takes out what he was looking for. Her handkerchief, which she folds and places in his pocket.

He smiles at her.

He turns andheads into the classroom. Alicia staresat him through the door as the kids settle.

John's smile is brilliant.

The kids BREAK out in LAUGHTER, the tension broken.

ALICIA-CLOSE. Eyes bright with pride.

\_----~ HOLDon the CLASSROOM DOORas Alicia slowlyDISSOLVES. The hallway CHANGES COLORonce, then AGAIN, time passing until we are ...

THE DOORswings open.Nash emerges amidst a gaggle ofstudents. His suit is t·ailored,his face covered with a closebeard. The way the students cling to him, JABBERING, this man is one fine teacher.

A MAN is standing bythe doorway. This is HOWARD KUHN.Nash's smile is polite, but vaguely puzzled. Turns to one of his students.

The stude~t nods.

Although Kuhn is puzzled, the students seem to take it in stride. (~~) They just like this guy.

Nash watches them go, smiling, paternal.

Kuhn takes a beat before speaking. Then ...

Nash and Kuhn walk. Students who pass greet Nash.

......._.,.,·

They hav~ come to a familiar doorway. It's the faculty lounge.

High Tea is in progress. The formaldress is gone. The students are -multi-national,the waiters women. But the ritual is the same.

Nash stares through the door a long beat. When he looks back at Kuhn, his eyes are sad.

There is a tragic tenderness to his expression, an acknowledgement of all that has been lost to time.

He puts his hand on the small of John's back. John looks at him warily and then, finally, steps over the threshold.

Nash and Kuhn sit across from each other. A young girl serves them tea from a silver service. Nash smiles at her.

The sentence seems to resonate more deeply to him than he had intended as_it rolls offhis lips. He grows pensive a beat.Then ...

,,,,----- 123 (.---\ Kuhn stops a beat. Takes a sip of tea.

It's Nash's tone that put's Kuhn at ease.

Nash stops, stares off. Then ...

He opens his hands.

John looks up.A young faculty member is staring athim. He reaches into his pocket, layssomething down in front of him. It'shis pen.

WIDER

Another teacher stands behind him. He too layshis pen down before Nash. And now everyonein the room is rising, coming tohim, laying their pens down, one after another in a growing tribute to a lifetime of accomplishment.

The pens keepcoming. Nash opens his mouth to answer. Buthe can't, eyes suddenly flooding with tears for this journey taken so very far.

A giant hall. Full.Nash standsat the podium, blinking his eyes. Hundreds sit watching, as camera flashbulbs finally cease.

But Nash _juststands there. A long beat. And even longer.

KUHN-CLOSE. In the audience. Concerned.

ALICIA-CLOSE. In the front row. Starting to worry.

BACKTO NASH. Still standing there. See what he sees. Hundreds o: faces staring back at him..Finally, just when all seems lost...

Buthe's not looking atthe speech before him. He's not looking at theAudience. He's looking only at Alicia.

~ \\~..,._........·' love that anylogic or reason can be

found. Perhaps it is good to have a beautiful mind.But a better gift is to discover a beautiful heart.

And suddenly thereis no one else in the room but the two of them, Nash's magical vision revealing the patterns of the heart.

Nash reaches into his breast pocket and takes out something familiar. It's her rose embroidered handkerchief.

And with that he tucks the handkerchief in his suit pocket.

12S

The room EXPLODES with APPLAUSE, suddenly full again. Zweifel stands, his APPLAUSEever more enth1.isiastic,asdoes Fox, and then those around them, all rising in ovation.

ALICIA-CLOSE. CLAPS as hard as the r~st, full of love and pride.

John just stands on stage. Taking it all in. Then, finally, he bows, folksAPPLAUDING even so loud that Nashcan't stifle a LAUGH.

John stands with Alicia and amidst the dwindling well wishers.

He helps her on with her wrap. That's when he sees them, standing by the door. Three familiar figures. Charles, Marcee and William.

Then William does something odd. He gives Nash a small salute.

He turns to his wife. His smile is long in coming, but when it comes, it melts the worry on his face along with our hearts.

He takes her hand, turning his back on them, man anq wife heading away together, outside, into the light and gone.

FINAL FADE TO BLACK.