The Theory of Everything (2014)
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The film depicts the life and scientific achievements of theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking as he faces a debilitating motor neurone disease.
The story
In 1963, Stephen Hawking, a postgraduate astrophysics student at the University of Cambridge, begins a relationship with literature student Jane Wilde. Although Stephen is intelligent, both his friends and fellow academics are worried about his lack of a thesis topic. After attending a lecture by Roger Penrose on black holes with his advisor, Prof. Dennis Sciama, Stephen speculates that these might have been part of the universe's creation and decides on his thesis. However, soon Stephen's muscles begin to fail, causing him to lose coordination. After a bad fall, he is diagnosed with early-onset progressive degenerative motor neurone disease (MND) that will eventually leave him unable to move, swallow, or even breathe.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film follows Stephen Hawking's life from 1963 through the 1980s. After his diagnosis, he is told he has only two years to live but that his intellect will remain intact. He and Jane marry and have children. As his physical condition worsens, he becomes a world-renowned physicist, eventually publishing 'A Brief History of Time' using a computer with a voice synthesizer. The narrative explores their relationship, including Jane's growing distance from his academic life and her eventual affair with a friend, Jonathan, while Stephen's fame grows. The film concludes with a series of moments in reverse, showing their early days, and an epilogue revealing their continued friendship and separate lives after their divorce.
- First release year
- 2014
- Runtime (minutes)
- 123
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- James Marsh
- Writers
- Anthony McCarten · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Eddie Redmayne · Stephen Hawking; Felicity Jones · Jane Wilde; Charlie Cox · not specified; Emily Watson · not specified; Simon McBurney · not specified; David Thewlis · not specified
- Genres
- biographical drama; romance
- Themes
- resilience; scientific discovery; love; disability
- Tone and mood
- poignant; inspiring
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; drama; romance; historical
- Source material / true-story basis
- Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen by Jane Hawking (2007)
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews, praising the performances of the leads, the musical score, and the cinematography. It was also a global box office success.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 81% · scale: percentage · review count: 273; Metacritic · score: 71 · scale: 100 · review count: 47
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Actor · won; Academy Award · Best Picture · nominated; Academy Award · Best Actress · nominated; Academy Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · nominated; Academy Award · Best Original Score · nominated; British Academy Film Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · won; British Academy Film Award · Best Leading Actor · won; Golden Globe Award · Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama · won; Golden Globe Award · Best Original Score · won; Screen Actors Guild Award · Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role · won
- Production trivia
- The film's score was recorded at Abbey Road Studios.; The film used Stephen Hawking's actual electronic voice in the latter part of the story.; The film's production was based in Cambridge and other locations in the United Kingdom.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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