Engrossing look into a park of Hawking's life

Rating: 9/10 (1 January 2015)

I was spellbound by this portrayal of Hawking and those close to him during a pivotal period of his life I knew nothing about before going to the theater today. I found myself in suspense, saddened, crying, and delighted at different points in the film and continue to think it all over afterward. I am sure someone will get an Academy Award for this movie. I didn't give it 10 stars because I wanted more than awkward stares in certain parts of the movie. But that may have been a good thing. I was also surprised to see the story was written by his wife, Jane, which made it all the more interesting for me. It felt like each part of the story was starkly honest and yet handled in a tasteful, more palatable way than it could have been. Now I am wondering how much was true and how much might have been fictionalized. It was a good movie nonetheless and helped me understand more about Stephen Hawking than I would have otherwise.