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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

‘Beautiful Mind’ offers cinema at its best

Mike Hughes Gannett News Service

Tonight’s must-see

“A Beautiful Mind” (2001), 8-11 p.m., TNT. The true story of genius John Nash is both fascinating and difficult to turn into a movie.

Then writer Akiva Goldsman found the way to tell it – strictly from Nash’s view. That script went to two of Hollywood’s best, director Ron Howard and actor Russell Crowe; they created a masterwork.

Howard, Goldsman and Jennifer Connelly won Oscars; Crowe was nominated and “Beautiful Mind” was named best picture.

If you don’t know any more about the movie, that’s good. Just settle back for a great ride.

Might-see

“My Night at the Grammys,” 8-10 p.m., CBS. On Feb. 10, CBS will have the 50th Grammy Awards. Leading into that, here’s a list of the 25 best Grammy moments.

Expect the duet of Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond in “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,” plus wilder pairings – Prince and Beyonce, Eminem and Elton John, more.

Other choices

“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” 7:30-11 p.m., Family. The first Harry Potter film is stunning during the first half-hour, then fairly good the rest of the way.

“The Polar Express” (2004), 8-10 p.m., ABC. Sprawled across a giant screen – preferably in IMAX and 3-D – this is an impressive movie. Anywhere else, we notice that the story is so-so and the digitally animated characters are coldly distant. Still, some moments – especially in Santa’s world – are visually impressive.

“Friday Night Lights,” 9 p.m., NBC. On his first recruiting trip to a college, Smash is delighted – for a while. Back home, emotions are raw. The coach is mad at his wife; she’s mad at their daughter’s teacher. Matt wants to quit going steady with his cheerleader girlfriend; his friend Landry is supposed to meet the brother of the attacker he accidentally killed.

“Las Vegas,” 10 p.m., NBC. In the aftermath of the robbery, Danny’s uncle is a prime suspect. Meanwhile, Delinda tries to get Cooper and Sam to stop their feud.

“Numb3rs,” 10 p.m., CBS. Tracking a serial killer, the brothers disagree on a suspect.

“Daniel Tosh: Completely Serious,” 10 p.m., Comedy Central. Sometimes rude and politically incorrect, Tosh has some terrifically funny moments.

“This Film is Not Yet Rated,” 10 p.m., Independent Film Channel. This documentary takes some odd detours, including a long attempt to track and identify all the people who are on the movie ratings board. At its core, however, it makes a solid point: The board seems to avoid its own rules and to have a double standard; it’s easier on big-budget, studio films than on low-budget independents.