Stephen Hawking is a pioneer of modern Physics. For those of you who understand physics, that’s a big deal. For those of us who are not that bright, we write about people who understand Physics. The Theory of Everything is the story of Stephen Hawking’s life and career…

Story: How does a writer review a physics genius? OK. I’m going to confine my critique to this film and this story. Its value as a biopic too. I just can’t mess with physics…

Well done. I started hearing Oscar talk about this film before I went to see it, so, I think I went in expecting the best… And I got the best. I knew very little about Stephen Hawking before this film and now, I feel like I have a complete picture. This story doesn’t seem to have missing information or gaps in time that leave you confused. It also doesn’t have so much technical information about physics that the average person can’t keep up.

But the thing I most appreciate is the importance of Hawking’s relationships and support group. It’s clear, without that, he wouldn’t have achieve the success he enjoys today.

Performances: Eddie Redmayne is an English actor with whom I’ve seen a few films. This is his introduction to A-list actor. It’s always a challenge for any actor to portray a person with a disability of some sort… Eddie Redmayne shows his ability to inhabit a character. His portrayal of a person with ALS is spot-on. He should absolutely be considered for a nominations across awards season…

Not to be left out, Felicity Jones as Jane Hawking is equally as compelling. Her performance hinges on her ability to emote. We feel every bit of her dedication and her perseverance and her frustration and her commitment. She hung in there. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Felicity Jones get a best supporting nomination during the season.

Charlie Cox as Jonathan, the choir director is also a reminder that sometimes, being selfless is its own reward…

Visual: The 60’s, where this story begins is a great set up. We do travel through the 70’s and 80’s with the Hawkings, but, the beginning of the movie is very vivid. The costumes and the energy show how significant a time it is for both Stephen and Jane and sets the stage for how she and his friends and family handle his transition from able bodied person through gradual, significant disability while never losing sight of his genius.

Rating: A. I’m a huge fan of biopics and I tend to wonder how writers/producers/directors can screw them up. But it happens. It’s nice to see the story of a man of such significance told so well. And Eddie Redmayne passed my litmus test; I didn’t see Eddie Redmayne in this character – I really only saw Stephen Hawking.

See this film as soon as you can and stay tuned during awards season as you will be hearing this title and these performances.