The Theory of Everything

It is hard to think of a more well-known scientist in the modern era than Stephen Hawking, his book a Brief History in Time has sold over 10 million copies and he is widely accepted as one of the greatest minds in history. Hawking inspired millions of people all over the world with his genius but he appeared on shows like The Simpsons, Star Trek, Little Britain and The Big Bang Theory, displaying his amazing sense of humour too. He famously battled motor neurone disease from his early twenties and sadly passed away in March 2018.

Now it would be easy to think a movie about such a great mind would be quite difficult to take on board or slightly overwhelming for the average mind. But The Theory of Everything is a truly wonderful love story that follows the journey between Hawking and Jane Wilde. In fact the movie is an adaptation of the book written by Jane Wilde about her experiences during their relationship together and the challenges they faced after the diagnosis.

They met at Cambridge College and fell deeply in Love and when Hawking is diagnosed with motor neurone disease the prognosis is simply crushing, the doctors had given Stephen Hawking no more than two years to live. What follows is a display of love and dedication that is quite exceptional, the audience follows Jane as she adjusts to the worsening condition of Hawking and we are faced with their difficulties maintaining their relationship through great challenges, both physically and mentally.

The film was critically acclaimed and nominated for 121 awards, winning 25 including an Acadamy Award for Best Actor and a BAFTA for Best British Film. Director James Marsh (King Of Thieves) and Writer Anthony McCarten have created a spectacular masterpiece from a delicate story, the camera work is wonderful and the script handles all aspects of this story with total respect and sensitivity.

The real stand out in this film is the two lead cast members, Eddie Redmayne plays Professor Stephen Hawking winning an Oscar, a BAFTA and an Actors Guild Award for his role. Redmayne thoroughly deserved every award received as his performance is outstanding, he totally transforms himself into the role and you are completely absorbed by his performance. Jane Wilde is played by Felicity Jones who was also nominated for best female actor across multiple platforms but missed out on winning, which is a shame as her performance is pure brilliance. There is no doubt that both roles are incredibly challenging and it is a delight to observe two exceptional actors provide a performance that is completely magnetic.

All in all The Theory of Everything is a touching and inspiring movie about the challenges of love and life. If you have any interest in Stephen Hawking as a person then you will be amazed by the film but even if you know nothing of the great Stephen Hawking, you should give this film a go – catch it on Amazon Prime Video now.

Update: The Theory Of Everything is now available on Netflix US. You can also rent it on Amazon but it is not included with the Prime subscription.