The Alphabet Project: P is for...

Pi (1998)

The mathematician Maximillian Cohen (Sean Gullette) is tormented by a severe migraine since he was a kid, and he uses many pills to reduce his painful headaches. He is a lonely man, and his only friend is his former professor Sol Robeson (Mark Margolis). Max has the following assumptions, which rules his life: (1) Mathematics is the language of nature; (2) Everything around us can be represented and understood from numbers; (3) If you graph the numbers in any systems, patterns emerge. Therefore there are patterns everywhere in nature. Based on these principles, Max is trying to figure out a system to predict the behavior of the stock market. Due to his research, Max is chased by a Wall Street company with obvious interest in the results of his studies, and by an orthodox Jew follower of the Torah, who believes that this long string of numbers is a code sent from God. Hilarity multiplies exponentially.

Trivia: Pi cost only $60,000 to make, most of which was raised in the form of individual $100 contributions from the director's friends and family. When it was later bought by Artisan Entertainment, each contributor got back a $150 return on their investment. The director's mother catered for the film. The movie ends with Jenna asking for the result of the division of 748 by 238. This simplifies to the fraction 22/7, the result is 3.1428 which is a good approximation of pi often taught in primary schools. (3.1415...) by 3 digits. No location permits were secured for any of the scenes filmed. The crew had to have one man constantly serving as a lookout for police so they could stop filming if needed. Yes Impman, the brain used in the film is real.

I really thought I was clever with my clue. What is more American to a mathematician then Apple Pi? Impman, after coming so close to getting O last week, you got Pi pretty quick this week, well done, I owe you a movie. Okay, this was an awesome film. It was gritty. It was captivating. It kept you interested. It was made for 60 grand. You can really see where Darren Aronofsky came from when he directed Requiem For A Dream.

Next Up: "Q" And you thought you had a hard time finding "P" movies. This Week's Clue: We are the mods, we are the mods. We are, we are, we are the mods. Here are last week's guesses:

Prizzi's Honor - Hired killers by day. Devoted lovers by night. Until they found their next assignment was each other.

Plan 9 From Outer Space - Unspeakable Horrors From Outer Space Paralyze The Living And Resurrect The Dead! (Yes, it really is as bad as they say it is)

Phone Booth - A ringing phone has to be answered.

Pulp Fiction - You won't know the facts until you've seen the fiction.

Pie In The Sky - The only thing that stands in the way of fate and true love is a little traffic.

Phenomenon - Some things in life just can't be explained.