The Theory of Everything is a romance/science film about Stephen Hawking and his first wife, Jane Wilde. The story begins with their meeting and tells of their struggle with Hawking’s disability through their relationship as it is now. It offers a heart wrenching account of what it means to love someone and how Hawking was able to overcome seemingly impossible circumstances.
Eddie Redmayne, Marius in the 2013 film, Les Miserables, plays Stephen Hawking with a precision that startled Hawking himself. Hawking stated “I thought Eddie Redmayne portrayed me very well. At times, I thought he was me. … Felicity made a very charming Jane. The film was surprisingly honest about our marriage and reflects our struggle to bring up three children, despite my disability (The Theory of Everything Featurette).” Eddie Redmayne recently won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture for his performance.
Felicity Jones portrayed Jane Wilde in the film bringing an honest and real element to their lives on the screen. The real Jane Wilde stated, “When I saw Felicity on the screen, I thought, oh my goodness, that’s me because she had captured my mannerisms” (The Theory of Everything Featurette). Felicity Jones was also nominated for Best Actress in a Motion Picture at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards.
The film has continued to receive numerous nomination and awards from its acting performances to its original score. For this year’s Academy Awards, The Theory of Everything has been nominated for Best Picture as well as Best Actor for Eddie Redmayne, Best Actress for Felicity Jones and Best Original Score for Johann Johannsson. Along with Eddie Redmayne’s win at the Golden Globes, the film won for Best Original Score and was nominated for Best Film. Another nominations include ten British Academy Film Awards, five Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.
The Theory of Everything offers many elements to its audience making it a film worth watching more than once. With eye-catching cinematography and truly remarkable acting performances, this film brings the viewer a realistic glimpse at the life of a genius whose disability never defined his character.