AWAYTOC

I put off seeing this film the entire time it was in the theater-not a big fan of sick flicks. In this case, I was wrong. Sure, the movie gives a handsome actor a chance to act debilitated, but it escapes from the pity-inducing mode of most disease movies by turning mental illness into a metaphor. Take the "advanced" language level seriously. The accents are thick and mixed, the dialog is fast and smart, and the vocabulary…immense. If students are in this course and they understand all of the language, then there is something wrong with assessment tools. Also, the film is long, so the length of the video sections will seldom allow replay. I doubt this will be the most popular film in the book among language teachers, but it's a great challenge for advanced students, and it reaches for a subgroup of the ESL population-the scientists, the engineers, the super-intelligent who are now sweeping floors as immigrants-and these students deserve something great. I've never been able to work it out, but I think it would be fun to have a course that combined The Matrix, Unbreakable, and this film.

1. Princeton: elite university in New England
2. Cold War: 50-year struggle between the USA and the USSR
3. fascism: absolute control by the government
4. cryptography: studying codes, especially for military use
5. supplicants: people who beg or pray at a religious place
6. seminal: a new, basic idea that can result in other ideas
7. innovative: new way of solving a problem
8. prodigal: someone who acts badly (the story of "The Prodigal Son")
9. hangover: being sick in the morning after drinking too much alcohol
10. Kreb Cycles: the chemical process for turning sunlight into energy within plants
11. D.H. Lawrence: early 20th-century British author
12. break the ice: start a conversation with a stranger
13. a chip on the shoulder: easily made angry.
14. integers: whole numbers (1,2,3,4,5…)
15. a helping: one portion of food at a meal
16. constitutional: refreshment, a bath and shave
17. have the nerve: act daring
18. DOD: Department of Defense
19. hubris: great pride based on accomplishments
20. cognitive: mental, related to thought
21. reverie: daydreams, random thoughts
22. bombs away: (slang) let's begin
23. intercourse: sexual relations
24. Einstein: famous physicist who worked at Princeton
25. Isaac Newton: founder of modern physics

1. Describe the opening sequence when John Nash sees the others. What patterns does he see? Why is this important?
2. What is Nash's role at Princeton?
3. What are the prizes the students talk about?
4. How does Nash relate to the other students? What does he think of them? What do they think of him? What does he do that is inappropriate?
5. Describe Nash as a student. What are his problems? Why does he have these problems?
6. What does Nash think of himself? Is his self-assessment accurate?
7. What does Nash mean when he says, "The game is flawed"? Why does he say this?
8. How does Nash's mind work? How does he see patterns? How do the filmmakers show this?
9. What is meant by the statement, "In competitive behavior, someone always loses"? Do you agree?
10. What is meant by the statement, "My odds of success dramatically improve with each attempt"? Do you agree? Do human relationships depend on probability?
11. Why do all of the professors give their pens to one man?
12. Why didn't John get a fellowship? What are his problems?
13. What does John mean when he says, "I can't fail! This is all I have!" Do you agree with him? What will happen to him if he fails?

1. It's a long section, but it will pay to spend time building the historical context before showing the film. What was going on in 1947? World War II is over, Einstein is teaching at Princeton, the Cold War is beginning…
2. Before the film, help students understand what Princeton is, it's reputation for math and physics especially.
3. Introduce students to the socio-cultural implications of different accents they hear.
4. Notice bars, lattices, patterns, grids… Have students keep a record of all of the mathematical/geometric patterns they see and the importance of these images to the film.
5. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
6. What is your dream? What would happen if you didn't achieve it?
7. This film has a lot of characters, and not all of them get major screen time even though they're essential for the story. Have students keep a list of the characters, some identifying physical trait, and their relationship to Nash. (Marvin Hanson, Charles Owen, Nils, and Saul Bender are all introduced here.)
8. Is it possible to have everyone win in life? Does life need to have winners and losers?
9. Compare the dating customs in this section to those in your culture.
10. What would you like to be your "achievement of a lifetime"?

1. sorting papers: separating papers
2. Adam Smith: founder of modern economics, famous for his theory of that self-interest will, in the end, result for the best common good
3. flies in the face of something: is proof against something
4. presumptions: basic thoughts that you use to build a theory
5. breakthrough: new idea that allows new applications
6. magnitude: large size
7. preliminary: first
8. data: information used in research
9. latitude: marks on a map from east to west
10. longitude: marks on a map from north to south
11. routing: planning directions
12. Big Brother: an all-seeing power that judges your actions, usually in government (from George Orwell's 1984).
13. escort: an official companion

1. What is John's theory? Explain it in your own words. Why is it important?
2. What does John get for his theory?
3. Describe John's relationship to the others after he gets the prize. Does he have friends now?
4. What is John's job?
5. What code does he break?

1. Discuss Adam Smith: the father of modern economics, the invisible hand, etc. How does John's theory compare to Adam Smith's?
2. Do you believe that life is better if everyone tries to get what they want? How would John's theory apply to a situation in your life?
3. What would you do if you received your dreams?
4. Write the next scene: what does John do next?

1. classified: official secrets (usually in the government)
2. Pentagon: the U.S. military headquarters in Washington, D.C.
3. H-Bomb: hydrogen bomb, a very powerful atomic weapon
4. stress tests: tests that engineers run on mechanical devices
5. dim: not bright, not smart
6. MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (one of the most respected technical schools in the world)
7. Oppenheimer: chief scientist on the development of the atomic bomb
8. incinerated: completely burned
9. lone wolf: someone who works alone and doesn't like company
10. security clearance: official permission to have access to secret information
11. McCarthy: a very powerful, very anti-Communist Senator in the 1950s
12. Miss: an unmarried woman (old-fashioned, formal, southern US)

1. Describe Nash as a teacher. What is his attitude toward his students? What is there attitude toward him? Why?
2. How does the female student handle the problem? Explain how this relates to Nash's theory.
3. What does William Parcher want from Nash?
4. Why does Parcher think Nash will be good at this job? List as many specific reasons as you can.
5. How does Nash respond to Parcher? Why does he respond this way?
6. What is Nash's new job?
7. How does Nash act toward his date at the party? Why does he act this way?
8. Why is the woman attracted to Nash?

1. Would you want a teacher like Nash? Why? What makes someone a good teacher?
2. Do you agree with Nash that, "There is a number of solutions for any given problem"? Give examples from your own life.
3. Are there benefits to being without a family and friends?
4. Is Nash's relationship with is student appropriate?
5. What is more important than friendship? Than love? Would you give up a romantic relationship for the sake of national security?
6. Would it be possible for someone like Nash to fall in love?
7. Would it be possible for someone to fall in love with Nash?

1. polishing: making it shine, finishing something
2. expedite: make it easier to finish a project
3. interact: communicate with
4. platonic: non-romantic friendship
5. pay no mind: ignore
6. biped: animal with two legs
7. contrary to all probability: unexpected (very formal)
8. there's no accounting for tastes: you can't explain what makes people like or dislike something
9. girlish notions: ideas or dreams that only little girls have, silly romantic ideas
10. verifiable data: information that can be proved by another researcher

1. Why does Nash take packages to the drop box? What is in the packages?
2. Explain the conversation at the picnic. Does Alicia love Nash? Why? Does Nash love Alicia? Why?
3. What does Nash think of marriage? Summarize his talk with Charles. What are Nash's concerns? How does Charles respond to those concerns? Do you agree with Charles?
4. Who is chasing William and Nash?
5. How does Nash respond in the car chase? Is he a hero? Is he a coward?
6. How does Alicia respond when Nash returns home? Why?

1. What makes people be attracted to each other?
2. How do you know if you're ready to marry?
3. How do you know anything? (Compare Nash's mathematical thought process with Charles' thoughts on knowing you're in love.) Is it possible to know something without experience?
4. Describe the marriage. Compare it with marriages in other cultures.
5. Describe the music in the marriage scene. How does the music make you feel? Why?
6. Should Nash tell Alicia? Should spouses have secrets from each other? Would he endanger her if he told her? Are national concerns more important than individual relationships? Why?
7. What should John do? What should Alicia do?