Stephen Hawking is one of those rare pop culture figures who has become famous not for his art or celebrity, but for his intellectual contributions to science. But if he wasn’t the really smart wheelchair-bound guy who is forced to communicate via some sort of Speak & Spell-like computer device, he still probably wouldn’t be as well known as he is.
Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking and Felicity Jones as Jane Wilde in “The Theory of Everything”. Photo by Liam Daniel/Focus Features.
What is easily forgotten with Hawking is that despite his physical appearance and his incredible intellect, he’s still a person who, at one time, went to school, fell in love and had a social life outside of science conferences. The Theory of Everything, based on the memoir Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen written by his ex-wife Jane Wilde Hawking, reveals Hawking’s humanity as he excels at the University of Cambridge, develops a relationship with Wilde and copes with the onset of Lou Gehrig’s disease. Everything that happens after that is a purely fascinating story of tragedy and triumph as Hawking continues to prove and disprove complicated scientific theories while his wife takes care of their children, a task that becomes more and more difficult to maintain while also assisting with Hawking’s own physical deterioration.
As inspiring as the story is, it’s the performances of Eddie Redmayne as Hawking and Felicity Jones as Wilde that really make The Theory of Everything something special. Redmayne’s ability to change his demeanor to become a young, able-bodied Hawking is impressive on its own. But his gradual transformation into the disabled older Hawking is painfully perfect to watch as the frustrations of having such a powerful brain, but being unable to control his own body, are apparent. While Redmayne properly portrays the humorous and upbeat attitude Hawking somehow maintains through it all, Jones accurately depicts Wilde’s struggles to remain supportive while also maintaining her own sanity. Wilde was clearly a caring and loving wife through unimaginable hardships, but Jones’ ability to fluctuate between compassion and hopeless resentment show how emotionally crippling these circumstances must have been at times.
It’s rare that people overcome the types of odds that Hawking and Wilde have endured. It’s just as rare that these types of struggles are so accurately captured on screen. In theory, this film should be good based on the source material alone. But the superb performances of Redmayne and Jones, as well as the direction of James Marsh, make The Theory of Everything a great movie that offers a romantic new perspective on a figure otherwise celebrated for his personal and professional achievements.
www.focusfeatures.com/the_theory_of_everything