Among the many unknown but promising Oscar plays of the upcoming season is James Marsh’s The Theory of Everything, starring Eddie Redmayne as scientific genius Stephen Hawking. The film tells of his life and studies during his tumultuous college years, when, at age 21, he was diagnosed with a debilitating motor neurone disease. Hawking fell into a depression, but it was one that was alleviated by his relationship and eventual romance with fellow Cambridge student Jane Wilde. As we know now, the two helped revolutionize the fields of medicine and science, with Stephen Hawking’s prolific writings on time and space standing as some of the most quintessential scientific works ever produced.
Redmayne, with a plumb opportunity here, looks to give a knockout performance inhabiting the crippled body and magnificent mind of Hawking. Felicity Jones, as his confidant and soon-to-be wife, also seems to be doing strong work, while the period trappings look appropriately handsome. The film premieres at the Toronto Film Festival next month, before Focus Features releases it on the prime awards season turf of Nov. 7.
Check out the trailer above and tell us what you think!
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