The Theory of Everything (2014): The best biographical film ever

 The Theory of Everything (2014)

Title: The Theory of Everything (2014)

Director: James Marsh

Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Charlie Cox

Genre: Biographical romantic drama film

Rated: PG 13

Language: English

Running time: 123 minutes

My Rating: 8/10

Hello readers! Did you have a wonderful Christmas? I had an okay Christmas with my family. We usually go out at Christmas, but this time we stayed at home because it is freezing outside (it is -10 degrees Celsius in Korea!). After cooking, baking, decorating, etc. doing all those Christmassy things, I watched movies for hours. With the thick curtains closed, I had THE BEST  movie time ever with some tangerines (in Korea, we eat a lot of tangerines in winter) and blankets on the sofa. 

I watched a new Korean drama <Gyeonseong Creature> (2023)  which is a horror and historical drama series based on the Japanese colonial period in Korea. Here is a brief story about the series...



Gyeonseong Creature (2023). You can find it on Netflix! 

"In the city of Gyeonseong in 1945, a group of young people thinking only of their own survival encounter a monster born of human greed and ask themselves what humanity is."
It is extremely fascinating and I couldn't get out of the sofa until I finished all the episodes. If you want, I will post on this movie next month! (I need some time to prepare for it ..haha) 

Anyway, today's post is about the movie <The Theory of Everything> (2014) which is known as the movie of Stephen Hawking - one of the greatest scientists in the world. 

The Theory of Everything (2014) 

Brief Summary

Stephen, a physicist who attended the prestigious University of Cambridge in England, was a healthy student as he raced on bicycles with his friends and also played as a canoeist. One day, Stephen's body balance collapses. At the university, Stephen was not a very hard-working student. He did not do tasks well, so he was not a very noticeable student as he always showed a lack of work somewhere.

Stephen and his friend in Cambridge.

One day, he falls in love with Jane at first sight, who studies humanities at the University of Cambridge. Jane also likes Stephen, and they soon fall in love. Stephen, who does not believe in God, and Jane, who desperately believes in God, began to love.

Stephen, who was feeling increasingly abnormal, collapses at the university and is taken to the hospital. Then he finds out that he has Lou Gehrig's disease, so he can only live for 2 years. 

Stephen heard the doctor say that his whole body would harden and die, and he asks, "What about the brain?" 

How many people would think of their research in a situation where they talk about life and death?

It was a heartbreaking question, but I respected it. It was like a foreshadowing question, indicating that he would continue his research through his brain in the future.

Stephen stays in the dorm, discouraged, and avoids his friends and Jane. He shouts at Jane, who has been persistent in coming, and shows that his illness is progressing rapidly. However, Jane, who loved Stephen so much, says that she wants to spend the rest of her time with him despite everyone's opposition.

After marriage, a child is born, and Stephen's illness gradually deepens as Jane's help is desperately needed. To soothe the crying children, she places clothes on Stephen's head, and while Jane is away for a while, he finds a black hole in the stove through the clothes on his head. And he gets his Ph.D. for his theory of time in the beginning.

 (I wonder if this is actually a real story. What do you think?)

Jonathan, whom Jane met in the choir, volunteers to help Jane, who was struggling to take care of the whole big family. Stephen also agrees.

(In reality, Jane fell in love with Jonathan and ended her marriage with Stephen. The movie does not portray an affair clearly. However, the three of them made the audience, including myself, nervous throughout the movie.)

Jane gets pregnant with her third child while living with Jonathan's help. At the celebration, Stephen's mother shouts that she needs to know who the father of her third child is. Everyone at the celebration party, even myself who was watching the movie, suspected that it was Jonathan's child.
At this time, Stephen, Jane, and Jonathan's feelings are revealed. It signalled that one love had collapsed and another began in earnest.

Jonathan leaves the Hawking couple, saying he doesn't want to be misunderstood, but Stephen, who is going on a business trip to the U.S, asks Jonathan to take care of Jane and the children. When he went to the church where Jonathan was in his wheelchair, my heart broke so badly and I cried a lot.

Stephen leaves for the U.S., and Jane, the children, and Jonathan go to the campsite. They set up their own tents, but Jane visits Jonathan's tent and calls him in a low but firm voice. In the movie, it was a scene that showed that Jane's heart was shaking. Does Jane's love turn in the end? Does Jane start to fall apart?
At that time, Stephen falls down from pneumonia while watching the performance. Jane, who runs after hearing the news, tells the surgeon to save Stephen unconditionally. Jane chooses to love Stephen.

After Stphen faints due to pneumonia. Jane at the hospital. 

Stephen, who went on a business trip to the U.S. after publishing the book, tells Jane.
"I asked Elaine to come with me this time."
Jane is shocked, and Stephen looks at the synthesizer, speaking in a mechanical voice
"How long have we lived together?
Stephen and Jane get divorced.

Did I tell you that the one that I respect the most (my role model) is Stephen Hawking? Actually, it used to be Christopher Nolan, but after I watched this movie a few years ago, he became my one-and-only role model! (Still, I respect Christopher Nolan so much)

Jonathan, played by Charlie Cox

After returning home, Stephen could no longer speak, so he installs a voice synthesizer in his wheelchair. Elaine, a professional nurse, begins nursing. Unlike herself, who has been nursing for a long time, Jane feels alienated when she sees Elaine make Stephen comfortable easily. However, she gives up her side to Elaine, who nurses Stephen more professionally than herself.

As always, Stephen tells Jane his decision first - that he will write a book. His first book, <A Brief History of Time> was written in 1988, which talked about the beginning of time and the universe.

<A Brief History of Time (1988)> written by Stephen Hawking. 

Their divorce scene (this was the saddest part for me)

Jane, who left Stephen, visits Jonathan. They get married. After a few years, she was again next to Stephen Hawking, who was invited to the palace by the Queen of England.

And the movie ends

The ending scene of the movie 

The movie <The Theory of Everything> depicts the life and love of Stephen Hawking, a genius physicist who passed away a few years ago, and his wife, Jane Wilde. 

Stephen and Jane's marriage in the movie.

Eventually, they get married. Jane's complicated feelings and the time leading up to marriage were briefly described in the movie, but Jane's words that "love shines even more when the person you love is struggling" enabled her to feel solid about Stephen.

After the movie ended, I didn't move, staring at the screen for a few minutes. 

Even though I already knew the story, I wanted Jane to be with Stephen until the end. But this would just be a beautiful love story that is very very rare. I wondered what I would have done if I were Jane. I thought about whether I would have stayed with Stephen for as long as she did or if I would have been shaken by another man like her. Jane made me think that humans are very weak, but Stephen made me realize the limitations of humans that do not exist if there is hope.

The movie's biggest attraction is Eddie Redmayne, who played Stephen. Eddie lost 10 kg and tried to become Stephen Hawking perfectly with his nails, steps, facial expressions, and tone.

Stephen Hawking said that he tearfully praised Eddie Redmayne, who played a perfect role in the movie. His hard work was brightly shone in every scene. Eddie received the Academy Award for Best Actor for his perfect performance in the movie, which made me confused whether it was a movie or a documentary.

It is unfortunate that Jane left Stephen, but it is undeniable that it was impossible for him to become a world-class physicist without Jane's long sacrifice and love.

My Favourite Quotes

"And there should be no boundary to human endeavour. 

We are all different.

However, bad life may seem.

There is always something you can do and succeed at.

Where there is hope."

When I first watched this scene, I shed a lot of tears. I was overwhelmed with emotions like sadness and other unknown emotions - I couldn't control them and cried a lot.

Even an unwell person believed in his healthy brain, so studied, and worked hard, but I looked back on what I was doing. It reminded me of the past when I judged myself weak. Hawking's words motivated me a lot. It felt like I had been hit in the back of the head. I was very impressed, and it became something to reflect on often in the future.

To end the post, I want to tell you an interesting thing. In Korea, the title of this movie was translated as "Everything about love" which is not translated exactly the same as the original title, Why would this be? 

I personally think it is because the movie not only contains the love story of Jane Wilde and Stephen Hawking but also tells everything about love -from the start of love until the end of it- from the perspective of physics. Also, it shows how much Hawking loved physics. The movie was literally everything about what Hawking loved. 

If you haven't watched this movie, I recommend you to watch it. You won't regret your time spent watching this movie. I guarantee that it will melt you in this cold, freezing winter with the warmest story of the greatest scientist ever. 

Oh, and another thing I really love about this movie is the soundtrack. My favourite movie soundtrack is the one from Interstellar, composed by Hans Zimmer. This one is as good as it is. It is so inspiring, so I listen to this when I study physics (it reminds me how hardworking and effortless Hawking was). 

I hope you enjoyed my today's post! I am thinking of explaining Stephen Hawking's discoveries in depth in the next post or of introducing a new sci-fi movie. I will have a think about it during the holidays. Until then, I hope you have the happiest and warmest winter and the start of the 2024 new year!