The most memorable part of this movie is the incredible performances from the two leads, Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones. Everyone will refer to this as the Stephen Hawking biopic, but do not forget that the screenplay is adapted from Jane Wilde Hawking's autobiography. Stephen Hawking's ex-wife is just as important and Felicity Jones holds her own. She plays a strong woman under a lot of pressure tasked with caring for not only her children but her husband requiring all of her attention. Redmayne transforms into Stephen Hawking, and as his health deteriorates, his speech becomes more difficult to understand. Eventually, he becomes mute but still communicates his feelings to the audience. He walks crookedly (which is not easy for a mobile person) up till the point that he requires the aid of a wheelchair. And in the wheelchair, he convincingly plays a man who has lived with ALS for decades.
The adaptation does a good job of explaining the scientific theories to a general audience. These are not easy concepts, and Stephen Hawking understood that. His magnum opus "A Brief History of Time" made his ideas accessible for an audience without a scientific background. The movie has some really beautiful scenes thanks to superb cinematography. Footage from the early years appears as authentic as possible. Complementing the cinematography is a lovely score. Altogether, a tremendous movie.
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