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from being young and vibrant to requiring a cane
with slurred speech, and
ultimately confined to a
motorized
wheelchair.
With what was cuttingedge technology for the
time, he uses a computerassisted speech device
to communicate again
not only to his family and
friends, but to the masses
as we all know him. Redmayne’s physical transformation along with his ability to express himself using
his eyes and facial expressions is what makes this
challenging role memorable and worthy as a top
contender this year.
Felicity Jones, who played
Jane Hawking, was also
nominated for an Oscar
in the Best Actress category. Compared to Redmayne, she did not have
the same “meat” to work
with; however, her portrayal was captivating as
a woman who sacrificed
and cared for her husband. Jones was strong at
depicting a woman struggling with feelings she
develops for Jonathan, a
man who ends up assist-
ing the family, tempered
by the desire to be faithful
to Stephen.
The viewers see that over
time their relationship was
weakened by the lack of
awareness and communication of the needs of
one another. It appeared
that Stephen was unaware of the burden Jane
was facing as his only caregiver for many years of
their marriage. Her role
as a wife and mother interfered with her ability to
focus on her PhD, and her
own personal needs were
overshadowed.
Over
time, it came across that
Jane was stifled in this relationship, and her once
optimistic and strong character was muted. Their
lack of communication
and insight into one another’s feeling and values
was apparent until their
decision to separate. It is
also questionable about
Stephen’s self-awareness,
more so because this film
does not explore this aspect of his character. As a
drawback in this film, we
are unaware of the personal impact of his major
By Parvati Magazine staff
life events or the driving
force behind his achievements. Only until we arrive
near the end of the movie
do we see a glimpse of
that. During a question
and answer interview he
tells his audience that humans are boundless with
their abilities and to never
to give up hope. There is
a sense of conviction and
gratitude in this scene,
which as a viewer was
humbling to see given his
talents and physical challenges.
Overall, we recommend
this film that shows the
extraordinary life of Jane
and Stephen Hawking.
Just keep in mind that if
you are expecting the
movie to dive deeper into
his scientific theories, his
atheistic standpoint, and
inner struggles, this movie
provides only a cursory
overview on these subjects.