Math Movies
Mathematics appears in the movies quite often, in both fictional feature-film form and nonfictional documentary form. Mathematics is a source of awe and wonder to many, including film directors. Of course, very few directors are mathematicians, so mathematicians in movies are often portrayed as quirky or unusual (in order to get people interested in seeing a movie about someone quirky or unusual), but their stories, and the mathematics within the movies, can be quite enjoyable.
Here is a small listing of these movies. The list is broken into two categories--Feature Films (fictional, which may include dramatizations of real events) and Documentaries (nonfictional). For each movie I include the title, the initial year of release, duration (in minutes), rating, a brief synopsis, and whether at the time of entry the film was available at Hennepin County Library. Have fun at the movies!
Here is a small listing of these movies. The list is broken into two categories--Feature Films (fictional, which may include dramatizations of real events) and Documentaries (nonfictional). For each movie I include the title, the initial year of release, duration (in minutes), rating, a brief synopsis, and whether at the time of entry the film was available at Hennepin County Library. Have fun at the movies!
Feature Films
The Accountant (2016, 128 min, R for strong violence and language throughout) - The accountant is a math whiz on the autism spectrum whose job is to cook the books for criminals, yet he is loyal in his own way. Available at Hennepin County Library.
A Brilliant Mind (2006, 135 min, PG-13) - A story of John Nash, Nobel-Prize-winning mathematician who developed game theory (with particular applications to economics) and suffered from delusions. Available at Hennepin County Library.
A Brilliant Young Mind (2014, 112 min, PG-13) - A story of a socially awkward teenager who earns a spot on Great Britain's International Olympiad math team and learns about mathematics and life. Available at Hennepin County Library.
Gifted (2017, 101 min, PG-13) - Frank cares for his niece Mary, a first-grader with impressive mathematical skills. What is best for Mary: 24/7 mathematics starting now, or time to be a kid? Available at Hennepin County Library.
Good Will Hunting (1997, 126 min, R) - A story of a college-age MIT janitor with prodigious mathematical skills and how he deals with abundant emotional challenges with the help of a caring psychologist. Available at Hennepin County Library.
Hidden Figures (2016, 127 min, PG for thematic elements and some language) - A dramatization of the true story of African-American women (Dorothy Vaughn, Mary Jackson, and Katherine Coleman Goble) who provided significant contributions (in computer science, engineering, and physics & mathematics, respectively) to the U.S. Space Program during the 1960s and beyond. Available at Hennepin County Library.
The Imitation Game (2014, 114 min, PG-13) - A story of Alan Turing, British mathematician who worked on cracking the German Enigma code during World War II. Available at Hennepin County Library.
Little Man Tate (1991, 99 min, PG) - A story of a single mother raising a quiet boy with mathematical prowess. The scene in which the boy is thinking about a math problem and what he "sees" in his mind as portrayed on the screen is particularly well done.
The Man Who Knew Infinity (2016, 108 min, PG-13) - A story of the friendship and collaboration between the brilliant but untrained Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan and the English mathematician G. H. Hardy. Available at Hennepin County Library
The Social Network (2010, 120 min, PG-13) - A story of Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook founder. An engaging demonstration of the broad reach of software implementation of mathematical algorithms. Available at Hennepin County Library.
Travelling Salesman (2012, 80 min, not rated) - A story of four mathematicians who collaborate to solve the N vs. P problem. Not much action, but lots of mathematical talk with ominous global implications. There is one brief scary part. Note that the story is fictional--the problem has not yet been solved, (But there is $1 million and likely a Time magazine cover with your picture on it for you if you solve it! Why not start tonight?)
Documentaries
The Great Math Mystery (2015, 60 min, TV-PG) - Astrophysicist Mario Livio hosts this NOVA-produced documentary on a "mathematical mystery tour--a provocative exploration of math's astonishing power across the centuries." Available at Hennepin County Library.
N Is a Number - A Portrait of Paul Erdos (1993, 57 min, not rated) - The story of mathematician Paul Erdos, who traveled the world to collaborate with more people than anyone in writing more mathematical papers than anyone. Was anyone ever more curious and prolific then Dr. Erdos? Occasionally the entire movie is on YouTube--try here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN4yLPPvRBg
The Story of Math (2008, 232 min) - Oxford professor Marcus du Sautoy hosts this engaging 4-episode, BBC-produced documentary on the history of and historical figures in mathematics. Available at Hennepin County Library.