True Stories 28: 10s—The Theory of Everything

By the time this film was made, I’d say 40-50% of people knew who Stephen Hawking was. And they knew him as much for his disability as for his scientific prowess.

The Theory of Everything [2014], by Anthony McCarten, tells the story of physicist/cosmologist Hawking and his wife Jane. It looks at Hawking as a child, an older teenager, and the adult who would become famous for his work.

It’s hard to capture someone’s entire life in two hours—a film can be a bit disjointed or choppy when trying to cover so much ground in a person’s life. But The Theory of Everything is a fantastic example of how to do it.

Take a look at the trailer for the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KSYMNxZtB4

And how accurate was it? Well, Hawking—who was still alive when the film came out—said that as he watched the film he often thought he was watching himself, that’s how accurate he thought his portrayal was in the film. And that’s a huge compliment.

Hawking’s story was, indeed, remarkable. At 21 he was diagnosed with ALS and eventually was confined to a wheelchair and couldn’t speak at all. He had the use of one hand and a computer program was developed that allowed him to speak and write by pointing a finger at each letter of the alphabet…

Of course, Hawking didn’t die within two years of his diagnosis—he lived a long life, dying at the age of 76 and despite his condition was father to three children.

By the time the film was made, people who knew Hawking were familiar with his ‘computer’ voice. But not many were familiar with the ins and outs of his life. And that’s what this film is all about.

Hawking had fallen in love with a classmate at university and, despite his diagnosis, they married. So we have this love story set against the backdrop of the ticking clock of his death. How long will they have together? And make no mistake, this film is much more about their love story than it is about Hawking’s accomplishments in his field. Both are covered, of course, but I’d bet if you asked people what they remembered about the film it would be the love story even more than Hawking dealing with his disability.

When you’re telling a life story you have so many ways you can go. You could write a screenplay about Hawking that ended with his marriage. You could write a story about his contributions to physics and put the love story on the back burner. Or you could write a story about Hawking in his later years—his divorce, etc.

What, you say? Because if you watch the film that later portion of his life gets short shrift.

In real life, Hawking fell in love with his nurse and divorced his wife.

Huh? Hmmm… makes him a less sympathetic character, doesn’t it. This is probably why the film focused on the love story with his first wife.

But in this season, as the holidays approach, Hawking’s words can be a reminder that no matter where are lives are at the moment or what’s thrown at us, it might just all be OK:

"There should be no boundaries to human endeavor. We are all different. However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at. While there's life, there is hope."

And as next week is Christmas, let’s look at a true story set on Christmas Eve—Joyeux Noël.

Copyright © Diane Lake

18Dec22

Email Diane a question to Diane@DianeLake.com