The Theory of Everything

You can’t go too far into film discussion about 2014 without hearing a lot about actor Eddie Redmayne. The slight British actor plays the lead in the Stephen Hawking biopic The Theory of Everything. Like in those discussions, I’ll tell you that he gives an incredible performance. But there is more than just the actor. Look no further than Felicity Jones who plays Jane Hawking. We’ll break down these performances more in a moment. The film follows Hawking and his wife as they develop a relationship while Stephen’s health deteriorates and his scientific résumé gains prominence.

The first act shines as we see quite a bit of character development in the form of a budding romance. We know from real life this honeymoon phase won’t last the whole movie, but this pain free aspect is exciting nonetheless. It builds up the viewer before the fall. Biopics are an odd animal since the person being portrayed tends to look like an unrealistic saint or a total jerk. Theory gives you a bit of both. Many of Stephen’s negative traits are presented as a result of losing control of his body as his brain gains more acclaim. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the negative elements of the story are tamped down so as to not ruin the admiration for the real life people that the script emphasizes.

Redmayne’s physical transformation is worth recognition in and of itself. To present such a performance when you are limited to almost no movement is quite a feat. But he is also able to keep some of the charm the actor has maintained throughout his career. Alongside Redmayne, Jones takes on a very different, but no less impressive task as the wife forced to devote her life to a severely handicapped husband. It’s heartbreaking to watch because it is so incredibly real. The movie is accessible while still being very complex, which is a perfect way to describe the relationship between the Hawkings.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.