Review of The Theory of Everything (2014) by Softwaredoug — 03 Jan 2016

This film stinks of bad nostalgia. Conflict between Jane and Stephen should be deep in this film. Yet it's dealt with so glibly to be laughably unbelievable. Seriously, I think my wife taking care of two kids at home by herself without a disabled husband demonstrates and communicates more stress than the Jane character does.

Seriously a woman gives up her hopes and dreams to care for a disabled person and his kids Instead, her resentment is rather sugar coated. She rarely speaks up for herself. And she doesn't experience any other kind of mental breakdown. The one time she tries to bring it up to her husband he laughs about it. She doesn't pull over the car and give him a piece of her mind? Or let in bottle up until she snaps?

The most hilarious part of this is when something is "too much" cause it involves 3 kids potentially going camping with their mom in France while dad is at an opera. Seriously? That's what crosses the line? Not, you know EVERYDAY fact of taking care of an extremely disabled man and three kids. WTF.

A more realistic version of this film makes Jane's life appear far more horrifying and isolating. It should have made Stephen's celebrity a source of deep, deep resentment. His inability to agree to simple ways to help her deeply insulting. It should show the despair of the female caregiver, stuck. The unquenchable anger at a man that has all the fun. It should be far more critical of Stephen Hawking and somewhat critical of Jane if she seriously can't seem to communicate her feelings.

On the plus side this film has a tremendous performance by Redmayne. He thoroughly inhabits the image of Stephen Hawking we all are familiar with. I enjoyed the early romance and the chemistry between the leads was great. Having visited Cambridge, the setting was filmed beautifully.