Directed by: James Marsh
Cast: Eddie Redmayne (Stephen Hawking), Felicity Jones (Jane Hawking), Charlie Cox (Jonathan Hellyer Jones), Emily Watson (Beryl Wilde), Simon McBurney (Frank Hawking) and David Thewlis (Dennis Sciama).
The Theory of Everything is, in a possible simple notation: 0 = 1 = ∞, or rather, some people think it might be, but that solution is not really a mathematical one, so how do you prove it? The search for an answer, one simple eloquent formula that solves everything, is what the great British scientist Steven Hawking has been trying to discover his whole life. It’s a fascinating problem to find the theory to everything, just as fascinating as the man searching for its elusive answer, and equally as fascinating as the actor playing him in this film.
“The Theory of Everything” is the extraordinary story of the world’s greatest living scientific mind, renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking. Dr. Hawking is both an important scientist and an icon of popular culture, so the material here couldn’t be mined from a richer source, nor could the performances by these brilliant young actors possibly be any better. In many ways this movie is as extraordinary as it is astonishing. It’s everything you could ever want from a bio-pic and much, much more. It is by every measure a story of the triumph of will against all odds, or as Dr. Hawking himself puts it quite simply, “Where there is life, there is hope”.
Here’s the storyline:
Based upon Jane Hawking’s memoir, “Traveling to Infinity: My Life With Stephen,” the film deals with her relationship with ex-husband theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, his diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and his success in the field of physics. It begins in the mid-sixties at Cambridge, where a healthy, active 21-year-old Hawking receives the life altering medical diagnosis that he has only two years to live (he is now 72). With his beloved Jane at his side inspiring him and holding him together, he embarks on his most ambitious scientific work, studying the nature of something he has precious little of – time. Breaking new scientific ground in both medicine and science, together they achieve more than they could ever have imagined, while raising three children and coping with his completely debilitating disease.
Remember this name, Eddie Redmayne (“Les Misérables”), his performance as Hawking is a landmark, heralding in a brilliant new star the equal of or successor to Daniel Day Lewis’ title as Best Actor. What he goes through, what he puts his body through, the absolute believability of his performance will live with you long after the film ends. His remarkable presence makes this film work.
Also, remember Felicity Jones (“The Amazing Spider-Man 2”), her calm intelligent approach to Jane and the ever-challenging slide of their lives is the perfect compliment to everything Redmayne is doing in front of her. She’s just great. Lastly, Academy Award winning director James Marsh (“Man on Wire”) is to be commended for delivering a movie that is both engaging and very moving, while never pandering to the audience.
My Take, see the movie before the Globes or the Oscars, because you’ll be hearing a lot about it as they reach for their awards.
