Directed by James Marsh, best known for his daring documentaries such as Man on a Wire and Project NIM, The Theory of Everything is a bit of a departure. The film tells the life story of Stephen Hawking, but unlike the Errol Morris 1991 documentary A Brief History of Time, it doesn’t delve deeply into Hawking’s work and ideas. Working from a screenplay by Anthony McCarten adapted from the memoir Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen by Hawking’s first wife, Jane, The Theory of Everything is a love story above all else.

Eddie Redmayne stars as Hawking, one of the brightest students Cambridge has ever seen. Though he can’t decide on a topic for his doctoral thesis, the world would appear to be his oyster. Around the same time, Stephen spies the beautiful Jane Wilde (Felicity Jones) across the room at a crowded party. They couldn’t have been more different, but those differences seem to draw them together. He’s an atheist, she isn’t; she’s a Medieval Spanish poetry major; he chosen to do his thesis on time travel.

In the love, the couple are adorable to watch. At a college dance, Stephen tells Jane he doesn’t dance, but by the end of the night, the two are dancing under the stars in each other’s arms. It’s a moment of happiness we know won’t last. Shortly thereafter, Stephen collapses in the middle of the Cambridge campus, hitting his head. He is diagnosed with motor neuron disease and given two years to live. At first, the effects are subtle, and builds to the point where he can barely walk, eventually using a wheelchair, and forced to undergo a tracheotomy. Initially, Stephen pulls away from Jane, but she refuses to give up on him; determined to stand by him. With just two years to live, Stephen decides to get serious about his work. Along the way, he and Jane even start a family. While the film makes clear that Jane is an extremely bright woman, she puts her career aspirations on hold to care for Stephen and make it possible for him to do the work that made him world famous.

The central point of The Theory of Everything is that life doesn’t have to end in the face of tragedy. Though Hawking must gradually accept that he can’t care for himself and will have to rely on others for the rest of his life, his intellect and sense of humor help him rise above the obvious despair of the situation, and realize he had something important to offer the world.

The films greatest asset is the performance of Eddie Redmayne. The actors look is spot on, completely capturing the wheelchair-bound Hawking that’s so much a part of today’s popular culture. Beyond the look, Redmayne succeeds at playing a man with limited-to-no mobility and slurred-to-no speech as the film progresses. When necessary, he is able to express his emotions through his eyes and the smallest of facial expressions. Felicity Jones also does a fine job as the wife, who though she loved Stephen, struggled to care for him, their family, and balance her own needs. Praise should also go to cinematographer Benoît Delhomme who uses light to help convey emotion and often frames shots in a way that indicate the enormity of situation. While The Theory of Everything doesn’t cover every aspect of Stephen Hawking’s life, it’s a wonderful look at the importance of his first wife Jane on his life and work.

Presented in the 2.40:1 aspect ratio, The Theory of Everything appears a bit soft in spots but conveys the time period well. Generally, the image is precise, accurate and provides a strong level of detail throughout. The film features a unique color palette, one with lots of light and a rather warm glow. When blues, browns and other colors appear, they are quite vibrant. Black levels have nice depth and accuracy. Flesh tones react to the lighting. The image is free of any debris or issues. On the whole, this is a fine presentation from Universal.

The Theory of Everything‘s DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is a satisfying one. Dialogue is clean and clear and atmospheric sounds such as birds, parties, and such, sound splendid.

English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles are included.

The following extras are available:

  • Deleted Scenes (HD) Church (0:39), Riverbank (0:30), Jane Types for Stephen (2:15), God’s Work (0:38), Stephen Drops Robert (1:25), Helping Stephen Into the Car (0:49), Jonathan Lends a Hand (0:47), and Stephen Meets the Queen (3:42). With optional commentary by Director James Marsh.
  • Becoming the Hawkings (HD, 7:03) A behind-the-scenes piece that looks at Eddie Redmayne’s performance as Stephen Hawking and Felicity Jones’ performance of Jane Hawking.
  • Audio Commentary: Director James Marsh delivers a straightforward, and technically informative track that covers performances, story details, historical accuracy, the shoot, locations, and more.
  • DVD Copy of the film.
  • UV/iTunes Digital Copy