The Theory of Everything Review

The Theory of Everything covers familiar territory                                         -By Matthew Cooper

With award season right around the corner, the inevitable slew of Hollywood biopics has arrived. It was only a matter of time before the life story of world renowned cosmologist, Dr. Stephen Hawking found its way to the big screen.

The Theory of Everything attempts to cover all aspects of Hawking’s life, from his disability, his relationship with his first wife, Jane Wilde, and his many scientific discoveries. Unfortunately, the film stumbles when trying to handle so many plot points. Those hoping to see a lot of science will be disappointed, as the romance does take center stage.

The relationship between Hawking and his wife is the heart and soul of the film, so it’s good that it’s the movie’s strongest aspect. Watching Hawking and Wilde (played by Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones, respectively) struggle to function like a normal family whilst dealing with motor neuron disease can be captivating.

That said, The Theory of Everything does little to change the stereotypical movie romance. Other than a bittersweet ending, it is pretty much what you would expect. There are also times where character motivations are rather vague, making it difficult to know if you should be sympathizing with or hating someone.

The Theory of Everything also tries to cover Hawking’s scientific theories and religious beliefs, but it never really succeeds. While the movie obviously needed to feature science in some form, it never takes center stage and occasionally disappears for large portions of the film. For the most part, these scenes feel tacked on and do not mesh well with the narrative. The movie lacks focus, which prevents it from ever achieving greatness.

If one part of The Theory of Everything is to be remembered, it is Eddie Redmayne’s phenomenal portrayal of Stephen Hawking. Redmayne makes every step of Hawking’s physical deterioration feel real. It is obvious that Redmayne gave this role everything he had, and the result will likely result in numerous, well deserved awards.

James Marsh does a fine job in the director’s chair. Many moments in The Theory of Everything are quite touching, and look beautiful on screen. However, Marsh’s decision to include visuals explaining some of Hawking’s scientific theory fall flat. They do not happen frequently enough to feel important or necessary.

By no means is The Theory of Everything a bad movie. It just doesn't do anything to be above ordinary. Redmayne’s incredible portrayal of Hawking aside, this is a rather unmemorable film that lacks the focus and originality to compete with some of the great movies this year.