The Theory of Everything
Courtesy of Universal Pictures, Focus Features, Working Title Films
British productions always seem to gain favor when it comes to getting Oscar nominations. This may come from the residual guilt of the American film elite over the constant stream of stupid, lame brained films our country churns out every year. This year the token British film is “The Theory of Everything.” Like “The King’s Speech” before it, this film has been given unneeded, unwarranted nominations. It will probably be the single most contentious film to be nominated this year.
No one can refute the need for a bio-pic of the amazing life of Stephen Hawking. Between grappling with his debilitating disease, his radical and innovative theories (which shaped his research and famous book “A Brief History of Time”), and his relationship with his wife, Hawking’s life is rife with dramatic turmoil. The film itself is not inherently bad, or unworthy of praise. It’s simply unbelievable that this film received more than the one nomination that it deserved; for Best Actor. Eddie Redmayne is an amazing presence in this film, and as the film progresses he easily morphs into Stephen Hawking, both physically and emotionally. This wasn’t filmed chronologically, which means that Redmayne had to figure out how far along Hawking’s disease had spread, and how he looked and acted at that time. Redmayne even wrecked his spine in the process of keeping the physical details of Hawking’s condition correct during filming. Felicity Jones gives a great performance as Jane Hawking, but it isn’t on par with some of the snubbed actresses of this year.
Even with the interesting content of the film, the pacing is awful. The film drags along slowly, and very little happens throughout. Felicity Jones carries the entire middle section of the film as she lusts after a family friend (Charlie Cox), but much of what they feel for each other is only hinted at. Nothing happens. They are pathetically British, polite to the point of agony, and though I didn’t need to see any “action” between the two of them, it made little sense to cover their relationship in such depth. Too much time was spent covering a flirtation that goes nowhere, and isn’t even the main point of the film.
The film does a decent job of making its subject known. This isn’t simply a Hawking biopic, but also a film about him and his wife’s relationship throughout the years. When Hawking loses all agency, the film shifts to Jane’s perspective, and we lose all momentum. The ending is its only saving grace, as it wraps up its narrative nicely, and actually has emotionally impact.
Even with its attention to detail, emotional impact, and heartfelt portrayal of this strong couple, it still doesn’t have the same cred as other, slighted films. Its Best Picture nomination should have gone to “Selma”, as did its Best Director nomination. This isn’t a slight to the director or the integrity of the film, but in comparison to a civil rights biopic, “The Theory of Everything” doesn’t have the same relevance, or political clout, and it certainly isn’t as interesting. While this film may be beautiful and tragic in the best ways, its melodrama doesn’t warrant many its nominations.
