Review of The Theory of Everything, directed by James Marsh

For the longest time, I watched so many movies and books and just forgot about them. Because I was not critically reflecting on them, nor did I have this blog, they kind of just disappeared into the void of memory, becoming something that was marked as read on my Goodreads and then promptly forgotten about.

This blog truly has been life changing for me as a writer and artist because it’s forced me to sit down and think about these movies.

I never started this blog just to become famous and make an income off of blogging. I did it out of the love for the books and movies I was reading, and to hopefully build an online community out there in the world.

I’m doing this little rambling rant because The Theory of Everything is one of those movies that I lost into the void of life. I watched it many years ago, but as I thought about it one day, I had no memory of actually watching this movie.

So when I saw that that this movie was available on Netflix, I decided to revisit it. I had nothing else to do for most of May 2024 once I finished my master’s degree, as I was waiting to move to Korea, so it was a why not moment.

Here’s my review! I’m rambling already.

The story of Stephen Hawking’s romance and brilliance, despite suffering from ALS.

In this movie, we meet Stephen Hawking when he’s a young student. He’s just joined University of Cambridge and is studying in their physics department as an astrophysicist, but a young woman has caught his eye. Literature student Jane Wilde is the object of his affections, and, while he courts her, his classmates and professors worry he has no thesis topic.

In his free time though, Stephen is plotting that black holes were a part of the universe’s creation. He decides to write his thesis on that, but one day, he is walking across the campus when he collapses on the ground, his body failing him.

After being taken to the doctor, he learns he has motor neuron disease, and he will one day be unable to use any of his muscles. He is expected to live only two years, as he will be unable to breathe or swallow eventually. He asks the doctor is his brain will be impacted, and he’s told it won’t be.

Stephen decides to focus on his work before it’s too late, and Jane tells him finally that she loves him. The two get married, and she tells him she will stay with him even through the worse. His condition worsens, and they have a son together.

Soon it becomes time to present his thesis, and Stephen argues that a black hole created the universe in a Big Bang, and that one day everything will end in a Big Crunch. It is well received, and he passes. Not long after, he has to use a wheelchair to get around.

With Jane, he has a daughter, Lucy, and Stephen develops a new theory on how black holes are visible. He becomes famous internationally and is invited to give talks and lectures, and Jane becomes frustrated with how she has to raise the kids and cannot even write her own thesis.

Jane joins a church choir and falls in love with Jonathan, a widower. He helps out with the family, and soon Jane gives birth to another son—which is speculated to be Jonathan’s. Stephen tells Jane he cannot live without her, and despite their strong feelings, Jonathan starts distancing himself.

Stephen goes to the opera when Jane and Jonathan are on a camping trip, and he falls ill. Jane rushes to the hospital, and is told he needs a tracheotomy. Despite this leaving Stephen mute, she agrees to it, and he has to learn to use a spelling board to communicate with his new nurse.

Eventually, he gets a computer with a voice synthesizer, which he uses to write his book A Brief History of Time. When invited to an award in the States, Stephen tells Jane he is taking Elaine, and they agree to finally get a divorce. Stephen also begins reflecting on how his disease took so much from him, but tells his audience to continue persevering in the worst conditions.

Jane and Stephen still get along, and he even invites her to meet the Queen with their kids. We then see their entire romance in reverse, and Jane and Jonathan marry. Stephen continues his research, still living on.

Overall Thoughts

I think this is a good movie as both a romance and a biopic. I think it’s refreshing to see a relationship that ends, but the two come to the revelation that it just wasn’t working and they’re interested in other people.

Obviously, we’re probably seeing all of this from a biased perspective, but as a movie it works. We need to critically engage with movies and not take them for the truth, especially considering most films and documentaries are carefully edited and constructed in so many different ways.

Eddie Redmayne though—such a talented actor. I’m sad I missed the chance to see him live in Cabaret on Broadway, but hopefully he comes back to the States soon with another production.

Go watch this if you have not already and are interested in it.

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