First, the compliments. This is a well-told, heartbreakingly emotive true story of a profoundly brilliant man and his devastating mental illness. The direction is strong, the performances are strong. All told, it's a can't miss.

That's my only problem. Why does it feel like a producer bought the rights to the latest smash Vanity Fair article, assembled all the best players and sat back and watched them deliver a box-office-winning single up the middle? "A Beautiful Mind" comes to theaters 3 or 4 times a year, usually around November when the teenage-boy vehicles clear out, all other American demographics pack inside and everyone blindly embraces the "it" film of the year. Hollywood lifts itself on its shoulders and pats its own back for a job well done.

I recognize the elegance but resist the blueprint. I would rather gush over a movie that moves me through its originality and daring.