The Theory of Everything

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 The sad thing is that before The Theory of Everything most people didn't really know Stephen Hawking. They knew the man in the wheelchair, sure, but they didn't really know the man who was sitting in that chair. The Theory of Everything takes one of the greatest minds in history back to the days of his emerging manhood, only to face the ultimate hindrance to success just as he begins to change the world's perception of science in the grand scheme of the universe. Fortunately, he also encounters the very thing that enables his perseverance and success in life.

Hawking is seen throughout his uneven years, and is played by Eddie Redmayne in a landmark performance. Spanning from his humble days sporting over-sized eyeglasses as a Cambridge University student to achieving world recognition for his scientific theories, we see Hawking's life from the very highest to the most broken - both physically and emotionally.

While much of the film is dedicated to Hawking's scientific undertaking, the primary focus is on the relationship between him and his wife, Jane (Felicity Jones). Jane's a literary student at Cambridge pursuing her own doctorate when the two fall head over heel for one another (no pun intended). During their initial courting, Jane hears news of Stephen's diagnosis of motor neuron disease - an ailment slated to take his life withing two years. Jane declares she wants to be with Stephen for however long they have together, and the two marry. Jane tries to balance the role of wife, mother, scholar, and caretaker as Stephen defies all odds - living decades past his terminal diagnosis. For a kind of companionship that she cannot find in Stephen, Jane kindles a questionably close friendship with fellow church choir singer Jonathan.

I typically associate biopics with being moving, powerful, or inspirational. I typically don't include "enjoyable" in that list, but during the early parts of the movie, it is enjoyable (later evolving into moving, powerful, etc.). Even though we know that Stephen and Jane's relationship will see a lot more hard times than easy on the screen, we can't help but feel that same level of blind and infatuated hopefulness for the film. The movie works, but tragically, Hawking doesn't get off that easy. He perseveres through a cane, to crutches, to a wheelchair, losing his ability to lift, walk, speak, and write, but never lets the adversities in his own life stop him or his mind from changing the world.

The film is one of whimsy and heartbreak. It is able to make us feel the entire range of emotions that Stephen and Jane felt over the decades of their time together in just two hours of screentime. This is mainly due to Redmayne's presence. In a most patient performance, where he relies entirely on body language for the final third of the movie, he magnificently excels on screen as he portrays Hawking as a charmer and a burden; a lover and an inconvenience; a visionary and a human. Carefully directed by James Marsh, The Theory of Everything is a beautiful adaptation of Jane Hawking's autobiography - a book that Anthony McCarten was able to adapt so perfectly for the big screen. A biopic worth watching (and loving), The Theory of Everything occasionally requires a bit too much patience from the viewer, but supplies them with a wonderfully grand and worthwhile payoff.

Rating: 4.5/5