Worst2First: My Top Ten Films Dealing With Mathematics

Worst2First: 

My Top Ten Films Dealing With Mathematics

In high school, math was never one of my strong suits, and remains so to this day.  Thankfully I have a calculator on my cell phone, otherwise I'd be a goner.  Math never really interested me as much as other subjects, such as geography and history, and I just found it boring.

Yet, as I've been watching films, I've noticed a lot of them dealing with the topic of mathematics.  Either a biopic about a famous mathematician, using math to cheat the system or finding hidden mathematical formulas in history, there's no shortage of films that deal with the topic of mathematics.

Here are my top ten films dealing with mathematics, worst2first...

**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**

#10

The Number 23

Directed by Joel Schumacher ("Flatliners"), "The Number 23" stars Jim Carrey as a man obsessed with the number 23, and sees it as a repeating pattern in his life that could open the door for evil to come through.  The concept of the number 23 is more than just something made for the movies, as there's officially a theory called the "23 enigma" that serves as a superstitious belief in the number 23 in dealing with the most tragic events in history.  While the film itself wasn't great, it was still interesting to see how it all played out and served as an adequate psychological thriller.

#9

21

"21" is loosely based on the true story of six MIT students and their professor who used their mathematical intellect to count cards in Vegas and win millions.  Featuring naturally charismatic leads Kevin Spacey and Jim Sturgess, the film is a great blend of dark humor and drama, filled with tension and excitement.

#8

The Da Vinci Code

Based off the highly controversial novel by Dan Brown, "The Da Vinci Code" stars Tom Hanks as the titular character Robert Langdon, a professor of religious iconography and symbology at Harvard who is caught up in a murder mystery that threatens the very existence of the church.  Langdon utilizes the famed Fibonacci Sequence to decipher cryptic clues in his search for the truth.  The film is thrilling and exciting, with terrific performances from Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina and Paul Bettany.

#7

Stand and Deliver

"Stand and Deliver" tells the true story of Jaime Escalante (played by Edward James Olmos, who earned an Academy Award nomination for his role), a teacher in Los Angeles who manages to inspire a group of rough inner city youth to learn and appreciate calculus.  Co-starring Lou Diamond Phillips, Andy Garcia and Estelle Harris, the film earned the prestigious honor of being included in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 2011, and serves as a powerful example as to how you can inspire anyone, no matter how hopeless they seem.

#6

The Theory of Everything

 "The Theory of Everything," based off the novel by Jane Wilde Hawking, tells the story of famed mathematician and theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking.  The film focuses on his relationship with Jane, and also his struggle with being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.  The film is a triumph, having been nominated for several awards and earning Eddie Redmayne his first Oscar for Best Actor.  It's a harrowing true-life tale of overcoming insurmountable obstacles and finding hope in the midst of hopelessness.

#5

Pi

Directed by famed visionary Darren Aronofsky, "Pi" centers around genius Max Cohen, who discovers order in chaos by surmising that everything can be determined by mathematics, including religion, space, science, and life itself.  The film is a surreal psychological thriller that was Aronofsky's first film, earning him the prestigious Directing Award at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival, and serves as witnessing one man's descent into madness - or complete understanding of the universe.

#4

The Imitation Game

Throughout history, there's been unsung heroes who, if it weren't for their contributions, would alter the course of history forever, and Alan Turing is one of those heroes.  Turing was a cryptanalyst who was brought in by the British to decipher a seemingly impossible enigma the Germans used to communicate with each other during World War II.  Under impossible odds, Turing managed to decipher the impossible, but all the while harboring his own dark secret - he was a homosexual in a time where it was illegal, and his story is just as powerful as what he managed to achieve.  Benedict Cumberbatch delivers a tour-de-force performance that earned him an Oscar nomination, and Keira Knightly also gives an equally strong performance.

#3

A Beautiful Mind

Winner of four Academy Awards (including Best Picture, Best Actress for Jennifer Connolly, Best Director for Ron Howard, and Best Screenplay), "A Beautiful Mind" is the loosely inspired story of famed economics master John Nash, who won the coveted Nobel Prize in Economic Science for his work in game theory, while also struggling with paranoid schizophrenia.  Russell Crowe gives a commanding performance, surrounded by veteran actors Connolly, Ed Harris, Paul Bettany, Josh Lucas and Judd Hirsch.

#2

Hidden Figures

A soaring, inspiring, downright uplifting true-story tale of three unsung heroines - Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson - who endured the harsh time of segregation to work at NASA, and also served as integral parts in getting the first American to orbit the Earth, especially Katherine's famed mathematical mind.  The film is a powerful true story of these women who changed the course of the future, but you never knew their names.  The perfect trifecta of Janelle Monae, Octavia Spencer (Oscar-nominated for her role), and Taraji P. Henson (why she wasn't nominated for Best Actress still eludes me) bring these fierce, strong, powerful women to the big screen for everyone to appreciate.

#1

Good Will Hunting

Will Hunting is a mathematical prodigy, but he is also very rough around the edges.  He's been in prison and works as a janitor at MIT, and one day is discovered by one of the professors to have an unparalleled intelligence in mathematics.  Through therapy sessions with Sean Maguire, Will is able to confront his past, deal with his friends and girlfriend, and fully accept who he's really meant to be.  The film won two Oscars - one for Robin Williams for Best Supporting Actor and the other for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck for Best Writing, and was also nominated for seven more.  The film is a masterclass in cinematic history, features quotes still used today ("My boy's wicked smart," "Do you like apples?  Well, I got her number.  How do you like them apples?"), and showcases some tremendous talent in a story that's as basic as they come, but nonetheless moving and compelling.