The Theory of Everything (2014 film)

The Theory of Everything is a 2014 biographical drama film produced by Working Title Films and directed by James Marsh. The movie shows three decades in the life of famous theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking. It focuses on his time at the University of Cambridge, his diagnosis of a serious illness called motor neurone disease, and his achievements in physics. The story is based on a book written by Jane Hawking, Stephen’s wife, about their life together.

The film stars Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking and Felicity Jones as Jane. Other actors like Charlie Cox, Emily Watson, and David Thewlis also appear in important roles. The movie was first shown at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2014, and later had its official UK release on January 1, 2015.

People liked the film very much. Critics praised the music by Jóhann Jóhannsson, the beautiful camera work by Benoît Delhomme, and the acting, especially by Redmayne. The film was also very popular, earning more than $123 million worldwide, which is much more than its $15 million budget. It received many awards and nominations, including an Academy Award for Best Actor for Redmayne.

Plot

In 1963, Stephen Hawking, a student studying stars and space at the University of Cambridge, met and fell in love with Jane Wilde, a literature student. Stephen was very smart but struggled to pick a topic for his important school project. After listening to a talk about black holes, he decided to study them.

Soon after, Stephen's body started to weaken, and doctors told him he had a sickness that would slowly stop his muscles from working. They said he likely only had a couple of years left, but his mind would stay sharp. Stephen felt very sad and kept to himself, focusing on his work. Jane told him she would stay with him no matter what, and they got married and had a son named Robert. As Stephen's body got weaker, he began using a wheelchair.

Stephen kept working hard and came up with new ideas about black holes. Later, the family had another child, Lucy. Jane felt busy taking care of the children and Stephen, especially as he became more famous. In the 1970s, Jane joined a church choir and met a friend named Jonathan, who helped the family. Eventually, Jane and Stephen decided to separate, though they remained friends.

Stephen learned to talk using a special computer and wrote a very popular book called A Brief History of Time. Even with his illness, Stephen continued to inspire others, telling people to follow their dreams no matter what challenges they face. He remained active in science and made many friends throughout his life.

Cast

The film features many talented actors who bring the story to life. Eddie Redmayne plays the role of Stephen Hawking, a famous scientist. Felicity Jones acts as Jane Wilde Hawking, Stephen’s wife. Other actors include Charlie Cox as Jonathan Jones, David Thewlis as Dennis Sciama, and Simon McBurney as Frank Hawking, Stephen's father. The cast also includes Emily Watson, Maxine Peake, and many more wonderful performers.

Production

"That's really the essence of the story, it's a very unusual love story in a very strange environment, a very strange sort of landscape, and that is I think the abiding theme of the film. It is how these two characters, these two real people transcend all the complications and curveballs that life throws at them."

— James Marsh

Screenwriter Anthony McCarten became interested in Stephen Hawking after reading his famous 1988 book A Brief History of Time. In 2004, McCarten read Jane Hawking’s memoir and began writing a screenplay. He met with Jane many times to discuss the project. After working on it for years, he met producer Lisa Bruce, and in 2013, James Marsh was chosen to direct the film. Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones were confirmed to play the main roles.

Redmayne spent six months studying Hawking’s life and manner of speaking to prepare for his role. He even met with Hawking, who gave his blessing for the film. The film was shot in Cambridge and other places in the United Kingdom. Special effects experts created firework displays for one of the scenes.

Music

Main article: The Theory of Everything (soundtrack)

Composer Jóhann Jóhannsson created the music for the film. His work was highly praised and received several award nominations. The music for the final scene was taken from a nature documentary.

Post-production

The filmmakers asked Hawking for permission to use his real electronic voice in the film, and he agreed. This voice is heard in the movie’s ending.

Historical accuracy

The film takes some creative changes to the real story it tells. Writers changed facts to fit the story better, which some say makes the film feel unfair. For example, the Stephen Hawking shown in the film is kinder and more sensitive than he was described to be in Jane Hawking's book.

The film also changes how Stephen and Jane first met and leaves out that Jane already knew about Stephen's illness before they started dating. Some parts of their relationship and breakup are shown differently in the film compared to what really happened.

Release

On 8 October 2013, Universal Pictures International got the rights to show the film around the world.

On 10 April 2014, Focus Features got the rights to show the film in the United States. The first trailer came out on 7 August 2014. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 7 September 2014. It had a small showing in the United States on 7 November 2014 and later came to other places before its big release in the United Kingdom on 1 January 2015.

Reception

Box office

The Theory of Everything made US$122,873,310 around the world. It earned the most in North America with US$35.9 million and in the United Kingdom with US$31.9 million. The film first showed in five theatres on November 7, 2014, making $207,000. It then opened widely on November 26 in 802 cinemas, earning US$5 million and ranking seventh at the box office. During the US Thanksgiving week, it made $6.4 million.

Critical response

Critics liked The Theory of Everything. The website Rotten Tomatoes gave it an 80% rating from 273 reviews, with an average of 7.3 out of 10. Metacritic scored it 71 out of 100, meaning generally good reviews.

The acting by Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones got a lot of praise, and they were both nominated for Academy Awards. Redmayne even won for Best Actor.

Some people thought the film spent too much time on Stephen Hawking's personal life and not enough on his science work. But many enjoyed the story and the acting.

Accolades

Main article: List of accolades received by The Theory of Everything

The Theory of Everything won and was nominated for many awards. At the 87th Academy Awards, Eddie Redmayne won Best Actor. The film also got nominations for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Score. It won several British Academy Film Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best British Film. Redmayne also won at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor in a Drama Film.