Pi, the infinite number that can be represented as 3.14, is famous for its irrational nature and the fact that it can be found everywhere from circles to arcs to pendulums. Its fascination has led to it becoming an international symbol and a holiday. It's no surprise then that movies about mathematicians and the number are a great way to celebrate Pi Day.
There are two movies where pi plays an important role, one that is heartwarming and the other is more a psychological thriller. The first is A Beautiful Mind which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2002. The film is based on the real life story of mathematician John Nash who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and hallucinations that are connected to numbers. He believes that mathematics is the language of the universe.
The other movie is a more recent release, Hidden Figures, which is based on Margot Lee Shetterly's book about the African American female mathematicians who helped to launch the space program in the 1960s. The film is an Oscar-nominated drama starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae.
The film follows the true story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson who were all mathematicians at NASA. The story shows how these women made a difference in a field that was mostly male and white at the time. It's a great movie to watch on Pi Day with friends or family. It's also available on Netflix and Amazon Prime.
