The Theory of Everything tells the incredible true story of Stephen Hawking, one of the most brilliant minds the world has ever seen, and his battle with motor neuron disease.  A disease that slowly takes away Hawking's ability to walk, talk and eventually eat and breath on his own, but doesn't affect his brain.

Hawking was diagnosed in his 20s but defied experts who gave him just 2 years to live.  Miraculously, Hawking is still alive today and he's still writing books and making speeches.  Hawking is played by rising star Eddie Redmayne, who stole scenes from Hollywood royalty in Les Miserables.  It's the kind of performance that will define his career.  He literally transforms himself into Hawking, contorting his face until he's almost unrecognizable.  Redmayne also nails the struggle of a person losing his speech.  As Redmayne slurs and labors through even the most basic of sentences, you can't help but feel sorry for the man.  It's truly gut-wrenching.

The Theory of Everything is clearly Hawking's story.  How a man who is so brilliant and full of life can literally be trapped in his own body.  Make no mistake about it though, The Theory of Everything is just as much about Hawking's wife Jane, played by Felicity Jones.  Even knowing Hawking's prognosis, she stands by him.  Jane marries him, they start a family and she becomes his primary caretaker, all while putting her own promising career on hold.  

 

Redmayne and Jones give two of the better performances of the year for a male and female lead.  She's easily deserving of an Oscar nomination.  Jones gives a strong, steely performance.  The audience can easily feel her determination to give her husband the best possible life.  I think it's safe to say that without Jane, Hawking wouldn't be alive today.

My biggest problem with the film is the third act of the film.  Most of the film deals with Jane and Stephen's marriage and I don't think the film does a great job of depicting why their marriage fell apart.  It just kind of happens.  I would have also liked a little more insight on Hawking and some of his brilliant work and how he was able to get his message across even after he lost the ability to speak.  I understand the film didn't want to bog the audience down with technical science jargon, but I would have welcomed to learn a little bit more about some of his ingenious theories that changed the world. 

The Theory of Everything is an uplifting film about never giving up and proof how powerful love can be.