"THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING"

Last week, I watched and enjoyed The Theory of Everything, which I thought was a biopic about Stephen Hawking. About halfway through the film, I thought to myself, "This is more the story of Jane Hawking than Stephen." Well, duh... You see, I did not know the movie was based on Jane's book, Travelling to Infinity: My Life With Stephen Hawking. Even as Stephen faced enormously difficult challenges that would have defeated all but the strongest and most determined among us, Jane's life was no bed of roses.

Eddie Redmayne was superb as Hawkings. The physical and psychological efforts required to do justice to the role must have been daunting, indeed. Felicity Jones as Jane holds up her end quite well, too. Elaine (Maxine Peake) is wonderful as Stephen's nurse, hired to help with his care and relieve some of the burden for Jane. She is an overbearing, take-no-prisoners type, and her relationship with Stephen eventually takes its toll on family relationships. Jane and Stephen subsequently divorce, and Elaine becomes his second wife.

The film includes quite a bit of wit and humor, and I highly recommend it. One of the funniest scenes in the movie takes place when Elaine arranges for a technological wiz to provide Stephen with a computerized voice after he undergoes surgery to insert a permanent tracheotomy tube and loses the ability to speak.

Technician: "There we go. Welcome to the future."
Stephen Hawking: [via computer] "My name is Stephen Hawking."
Jane: "It's American."
Technician: "Is that a problem?"

Enjoy.