The Theory of Everything Movie Review

" There should be no boundaries to human endeavor. We are all different. However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at. While there's life, there is hope."

-Stephen Hawking

The Theory of Everything is a beautiful and inspirational story of the life of one the most intelligent people alive today; Stephen Hawking. The film begins with Stephen Hawking towards the beginning of his educational career and takes us along as he develops his crippling disease and blows away everybody's expectations. Eddie Redmayne takes on the role of playing Stephen Hawking and Felicity Jones plays Jane Hawking the early love of his life and eventual wife. The Theory of Everything is directed by James Marsh and the film was also nominated for Best Picture.

First and foremost this movie is a romance. That being said there are many elements that make this movie great. We kick off in 1963 where a young Stephen Hawking is at a party and meets a fellow Cambridge student Jane Wilde. He's a bit socially awkward but is used to it since he's typically been much smarter than most of his peers and often times felt like an outsider. But he wasn't as much of a loner at Cambridge, surrounded by some of the greatest minds of the time. They hit it off at the party but only after a couple of times they did start dating. Amidst this love story there is also the conception of his life's work. He and one of his professors attend a lecture on black holes and Stephen decides that he will focus his thesis on time. 

Soon Stephen begins to feel week and one day he faints in the middle of campus and is rushed to the hospital. This is where he is told that he has motor neuron disease and only has a few years to live. His muscles will begin to deteriorate but his mind will remain unaltered. This was one of the most emotional scenes of the film and Redmayne was fantastic. It was heartbreaking seeing him cope with the reality of his disease, especially when the disease began to progress. After his diagnosis Jane meets his family and they try to explain to her the extent of his disease. She refuses to turn away from Stephen and tells him the she loves him. Soon after they marry and have their first child. I loved how real this movie was and how raw the performances were. Redmayne and Jones had amazing chemistry on set!

The Theory of Everything is based on Stephen Hawking's life and as we know life isn't perfect and relationships aren't forever. Hawking survived a disease that should have killed him in his youth and became one of the most influential people in the science community and the world of the 20th century. But he also lived a life full of love, happiness and family. Despite his crippling disease he managed to pursue his life dreams and make a huge difference in the world. It was beautiful to see their journey through life and fight for their love despite the odds stacked against them. It was both moving and inspirational and an all around great film. I give The Theory of Everything an 8 out of 10.