Articles

The life of Professor Stephen Hawkings, the world-renowned physicist and cosmologist who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 1963, is considered in 'The Theory of Everything'. The film is billed as ‘a love story set in Cambridge’ but focuses instead on his struggle to cope with everyday life, as the disease takes hold and his health deteriorates. Hawkings survives thanks to his wife and full-time carer Jane, and the NHS. It questions society’s narrow perception of disability, and challenges existing social conventions. Hawkings is played by Eddie Redmayne, who captures his vital and pioneering spirit, trapped inside a twisted body. Felicity Jones portrays his wife Jane as the picture of beleaguered fortitude. A compelling film, simply told but universal in its reach, and quite gritty.