Written by: Anthony McCarten
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Charlie Cox, Emily Watson, Simon McBurney
Rating: [3.5/5]
Not all biopic subjects come equal in the intrigue of their stories to a general populace depending on the impact the individual has through their work. Lack of intrigue certainly cannot be ascribed to Stephen Hawking and what gets captured in The Theory of Everything as it displays the tragic and inspirational life of a man who suffered aplenty but still found a way to make the best of it and even excel.
Struggling to formulate a thesis at Cambridge University, Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne) meets and gains an affection for fellow student Jane (Felicity Jones). After discovering what he wants to write about, he begins to suffer the effects of a disease only giving him a 2-year prognosis. Even with this circumstance, he continues to pursue his thesis and life with Jane for as long as he can.
For those who have no clue about the work of Hawking and mostly recognize him as the individual who speaks through a robotic voice in a wheelchair, this feature seeks to enlighten on his arduous but memorable path. Someone who despite the major physical and emotional obstacles in his way, could make something meaningful in life and even craft some scientific breakthroughs in furthering the idea of the Big Bang Theory. Something that rightfully made him a household name along with the manner in which he far exceeded the prognosis given to him along with his will to live even through the most difficult circumstances.
As with any biopic, this feature follows a fairly formulaic pattern displaying the moments of Hawking’s life from a young man going all the way to where the film concludes showing the ups and downs of his famous life. This feature attempts to charm its way through the naturally dry parts of the film through the power of the overall story of Hawking and displaying how his ups go very high and the lows get quite sad seeing as he has a unique life. Not many individuals have this man’s story therefore making the events of his life very much worth cataloging in this handsomely made movie. When the film wants to spring up the emotion of the story it effectively does so in a measured manner because we effectively care for Stephen and the relationships we have with the other characters, including his family. A success through its storytelling and much of the thanks goes to the cast.
Buoying this feature are two tremendous lead performances by Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones. Redmayne takes the audacious challenge of portraying the famous scientist because of the condition Hawking deals with in his life and the appropriate manner to portray it respectfully on screen. With that said, Redmayne does a tremendous job in harnessing Hawking in the kindness he imbued and the internal struggles he needed to contend with to continue with his groundbreaking work.
While Redmayne carries this feature for the most part in the portrayal of the man at the center of this movie, Felicity Jones through her work as Jane completely steals the show right from under him. Saddled with the dreaded role of “wife of the great man” in the biopic, Jones makes the most of what she gets and really shepherds the internal struggle she needs to harness for this character. Jane must contend with caring for her husband who continues to deteriorate right before her physically as she keeps it together for all of their sakes, which Jones displays in such an emphatic manner. Each scene in which she appears commands the attention of audience members as we navigate this life of ups and downs in trying to manage everything.
Pieced together through a well-told story and two wonderful lead performances, The Theory of Everything does not necessarily break the wheel when it comes to the conventions of the biopic but does well in telling its story. It gets us emotionally engaged with the journey these characters go through and the different pains they endure because of the cards dealt to them by life. Through it all, Stephen and Jane managed to make the best of it leading to a beautiful friendship between them and a level of professional success for each of them making themselves proud.
Films with Josh 
