MovieChat Forums > An Invisible Sign (2011) Discussion > Yet another movie that depicts mathemati...

Yet another movie that depicts mathematicians as crazy

posted 13 years ago by calbruin2
5 replies | jump to latest

The only positive I may comment about the movie is the funny line of kid logic.
"Plastic is not natural, it is man-made."
"Man is from nature, therefore plastic is natural."

I was half way into watching the movie when I got bored and tired of the old cliché.

Here we have another movie that depicts math teachers, math lovers, and mathematicians in a poor light.
• Until later in the film, Mr Jones is the sullen math teacher
• Mona's dad becomes afflicted with madness not from a stroke -- no, he just goes plain crazy. Could they have given him a stroke to justify his mental state.
• Mona herself remains throughout the film in this 'weirdo' state between Autism and Asperger Syndrome.
• The little girl student, who loves Ms Mona, the Math teacher, is of course, the oddball pupil.

There is nothing appealing or interesting about these characters. They are not even remotely likable.

For once, I would love to see a movie in which the mathematician is not some weirdo, does not go mad, crazy, or insane.

Here is an idea -- free for the taking.
How about a romantic comedy involving an English teacher who falls for the beautiful, hot math teacher and in order to win the math teacher's affections the English teacher attempts to teach himself math.
(Sorry for the hetero-normative paradigm.)

[–] warren-1976 13 years ago

On the one hand I agree, it's a bit of a tired cliché with the oddball maths genius characters. On the other hand, I really enjoyed the film, and thought it made the cliché work. Though I think it may have been as equally interesting and less clichéd if she had been an English or Science whiz or something.

http://duncansguide.blogspot.com - My Reviews

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] calbruin2 11 years ago

So basically the only critique you have of these characters was that they were weird/mentally ill and that bothered you. Perhaps you should stick to watching generic romantic comedies where people look, speak, and act like Stepford automatons.

No.
Re-read what I wrote.

There is nothing appealing or interesting about these characters. They are not even remotely likable.

For once, I would love to see a movie in which the mathematician is not some weirdo, does not go mad, crazy, or insane.

And my 4 bullet points were not enough for you?

. . .

Here is an idea . . .
How about a romantic comedy involving an English teacher who falls for the beautiful, hot math teacher and in order to win the math teacher's affections the English teacher attempts to teach himself math.

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] calbruin2 11 years ago

Or better yet, WipedAndReady, how about a story about a crazy History teacher or a lawyer who goes insane.

All the same difference.