The Theory of Everything

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING (2014)

directed by James Marsh

[director filmography: Man on Wire (2008)]

written by Anthony McCarten [first big film]

starring Eddie Redmayne [Les Miserables (2012), My Week with Marilyn (2011)], Felicity Jones [Amazing Spider-Man movies, Like Crazy (2011)]

ENJOYMENT: ***1/2 (out of 5)

"Average, but heart in the right place" 

A film about one of the world's leading astrophysicists who was diagnosed with terminal ALS back in the 1960s and is still alive, a prolific author and leading scientist? How could you go wrong? Well, for one, you could make it a romance film and neglect the confusing science stuff. Also, you could focus on the overcoming ALS part and make it just like any other cliched "inspirational" film made about anybody else. Unfortunately, The Theory of Everything seemed to follow this recipe in order to be one of the more average and therefore disappointing films this year. At the beginning of the film, the audience is launched into the 1960s at Cambridge, and the actors seem very comfortable in their challenging roles. There were few hints at this point that I wouldn't love this movie, but when the focus on science and Hawking's work shifted to focus on home life, I knew something was off. Was this a story about the relationship between Mr. & Mrs. Hawking, or was this a movie about Stephen Hawking, one of the most brilliant men of his generation? I understand that "behind every man is a great woman," but that is not my point. Showing homelife is important, knowing what makes someone tick is crucial, getting a glimpse of the folks that play a part in this story is welcomed. But, in my opinion, it would have been much more interesting to focus on Hawking the Scientist not Hawking the Husband and Father. 

We see romance films all the time and this was a chance to make a film that celebrates science, shares the majesty of the universe and inspire others to think more about the field. Instead, there were few times Hawking's science was even discussed let alone explained. This resulted in a timid film that felt as if producers didn't trust their audience to be interested or capable of understanding and it definitely didn't deserve its title "The Theory of Everything". What the filmmakers didn't realize is that the huge appeal of Hawking in the first place is his ability to reach wide audiences and sell best selling books on seemingly arcane topics such as black holes and spacetime. This was a huge miscalculation in my mind, and though I may be biased as a scientist, and I do realize the film was based on the memoir of Mrs. Hawking, I think the more important story would have focused on Hawking the Scientist. Still, I realize that I may be in the minority here since many reviewers and friends did like this film. In addition, Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones both have magnificent performances, the cinematography is beautiful and the world that was portrayed was compelling. I never want to discourage anyone from seeing a movie they think they'll like (this has happened to me too often), but my opinion of this movie is very lackluster and thus I would be interested in hearing some diverse perspectives. Still, I believe that Hollywood has made more than enough romance movies and though this one was unconventional in many ways The Theory of Everything owed it to all of us, including Hawking, to be different.

OSCAR PREDICTIONS: Eddie Redmayne will be nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role and Felicity Jones will be nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role. It will not win.

Other ratings: IMDB (7.7/10), Rotten Tomatoes (81%)