The Theory of Everything (2014) [Blu-ray]
Biography | Drama | Romance
Starring Eddie Redmayne (Les Miserables) and Felicity Jones (The Amazing Spider-Man 2), this is the extraordinary story of one of the world's greatest living minds, the renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who falls deeply in love with fellow
Cambridge student Jane Wilde. Once a healthy, active young man, Hawking received an earth-shattering diagnosis at 21 years of age. With Jane fighting tirelessly by his side, Stephen embarks on his most ambitious scientific work, studying the very thing he
now has precious little of - time. Together, they defy impossible odds, breaking new ground in medicine and science, and achieving more than they could ever have dreamed. The film is based on the memoir Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen, by
Jane Hawking, and is directed by Academy Award winner James Marsh (Man on Wire).
Storyline: A look at the relationship between the famous physicist Stephen Hawking and his wife.
Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, February 16, 2015 -- Where there is life, there is hope.
The image of the wheelchair-bound Stephen Hawking and the sound of his synthetic, computer-generated voice have long stood as symbols not of scientific progress but of man's unique determination to overcome the odds -- no matter how debilitating they may
be -- and fulfill a life's wish and a universe's destiny. The Theory of Everything, directed by James Marsh (Shadow Dancer), shares the details of the life story of the renowned author and acclaimed scientific mind in a movie that's less
about the man's theories and genius and more a champion for the human spirit, a spirit that exists beyond the body and even the mind and defines a man in ways that physical dexterity or mental ability cannot. Indeed, that spirit manifests itself in one's
desire to move forward, to refuse to succumb to life's challenges and instead to rise above them, to make use of whatever gifts one has or, in Hawking's case, which remain, to refuse to allow life's burdens to interrupt, inhibit, or incapacitate life's
benefits. The film is simple but remarkably performed and fully heartfelt, a portrait of a hero whose powers aren't physical or even, despite his genius, mental, but instead an unending desire to push forward and fulfill potential no matter the
circumstances.
Cambridge student Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne) is one of the most brilliant men to ever walk the school's illustrious halls. He has everything ahead of him except of an idea where to go in his fields of study. He becomes interested in the concept of
time -- its beginning and its end -- when he and his professor (David Thewlis) attend a lecture on the very subject. As Hawking prepares his thesis, he collapses in the school's courtyard. He's diagnosed with a neurological disorder that will gradually
rob him of his ability to move and speak and eventually rob him of his very life. The diagnosis does not scare off his love interest, Jane (Felicity Jones), who marries Hawking and does all she can to aid him in his work, even as she must make sacrifices
in her own pursuits. With her help, Hawking earns his degree. The film tells the story of both his rise to stardom and the challenges of his everyday existence behind the scenes that never stopped Hawking from becoming a visionary in his field and a
science rock star, for all intents and purposes, to the general public.
The Theory of Everything proves that life need not end when tragedy strikes, that from great difficulty can rise great success if one seizes the moment, rationalizes, prioritizes, and elevates will, focus, and desire above despair, regret, and
surrender. As the film depicts Hawking in three stages -- a fully functional young genius, a man struggling with the sudden change in his life, and finally a man fully made even under less than ideal conditions -- it proves mildly heartbreaking yet
impressively uplifting. It is in those moments in which Hawking gradually accepts and comes to realize, even without the ability to care for himself, to move on his own two feet, and even to articulate his words, that he is still who he was -- his soul,
for all intents and purposes, remains -- that the story finds its strongest message of hope. Hawking's story rises above his intellect, his theories, even his sense of humor and shows that life is a sum of its parts rather than the full function of every
one, that that which makes a man cannot be denied even when he is denied even some of the most basic faculties of life.
The movie's greatest success, beyond, of course, the central theme of life and purpose even under less-than-ideal conditions, is the lead performance from Eddie Redmayne. The actor certainly nails the look, which almost completely captures that
aforementioned image of the wheelchair-bound Hawking that's so deeply ingrained in popular culture. And while looking the part is important -- after all, Redmayne is challenged to act with limited-to-no mobility and slurred-to-no speech as the
movie progresses, asked to find the character's later-film essence in the eyes and that unmistakable smile -- it's his early film performance that's arguably the most important piece of the movie's greater puzzle. Redmayne's ability to build the man
through a thirst for knowledge, eagerness to push forward with his ideas, and even a contagious playful side allow that same spirit to shine through even after Hawking has succumb to nearly every physical aspect of his disease. That also allows the film
to shift focus from the darker sides of the story -- as critical as those story elements may be -- and prepare the audience to accept and even cherish the greater good, not to dismiss the challenges but see that they're mere obstacles along the way rather
than burdens which cannot be overcome.
The Theory of Everything is a well-made movie wherein the sum is greater than the parts. The movie is at its best as the audience, and Hawking, come to realize that ends can be beginnings, that life's challenges need only interrupt and perhaps
inconvenience but not terminate one's essence. Certainly Hawking's story is unique considering the unmistakable genius at play within his mind, and even as he offers some controversial theories on beginnings and ends that some may find fault with, he's
nevertheless a hero of the human spirit as evidenced by his will to push forward even through the most challenging difficulties. Eddie Redmayne's performance is stellar in all areas, rounding a good, meaningful movie into one of the year's better entries.
Universal's Blu-ray release of The Theory of Everything features high end video and audio. A fair supplemental package is included. Highly recommended.
[CSW] -3.7- As far as this movie goes I agree with this reviewer:
This is a very sweet movie, and the love affair feels very secondary to the struggle Hawking endures from the time he is diagnosed with ALS. There are no bad guys in this movie - everyone is portrayed as very real, with the strengths and
weaknesses of actual human beings. Eddie Redmayne deserves an Oscar for his portrayal of Hawking, while Felicity Jones is a bit wooden throughout, not showing much emotion at all. This may very well be how the real Jane Hawking is in real life, I don't
know. It's definitely worth watching, for the love story, the physical struggle, and the physics!
[V4.5-A4.5] MPEG-4 AVC - No D-Box.
A Side Note:
Stephen Hawking is a misogynist; and also, quite possibly, a narcissist. You wouldn't know it from watching The Theory Of Everything. Based on his first wife's memoir, the film refuses to tell her complicated and disturbing story. From the book
Music to Move the Stars: A Life With Stephen by Jane Hawking you get the idea that proper depiction would be "Stephen Hawking: the man who mistook his wife for a nurse."
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