A different take on Hawking's work and life

Rating: 8/10 (6 December 2014)

This movie is based on the book written by Hawking's first wife Jane Wilde. It covers the period from 1963 to 1997. If you are interested to hear about Stephen Hawking's theories in great detail you better watch The 2013 BBC documentary/movie "Hawking" currently on Netflix. This movie does take into account Hawking's theories but the focus is on his personal and family life.
And it does a very good job at portraying his first marriage and the love and devotion of his devout wife through the course of Hawking ALS disease. Some have slighted this movie for not covering Hawking's theories in too much detail, but there is already a good BBC film on the scientific discoveries of Hawking, so a rehash of the same territory would have been a waste of time and effort.
The movie focuses on Hawking's first marriage. It covers how he and Jane Wilde fell in love and married despite Hawking ALS diagnosis and a prognosis of death within 2 years. It is presented with humor and grace and tenderness. It traces Hawking's gradual deterioration from walking with difficulty with canes, to crawling up the stairs, to getting wheelchair bound, to losing his voice and yet surviving and not succumbing to the disease in 2 years as was the prognosis. The movie shows the toll the disease took on Hawking's wife that led finally to the separation and finally divorce.
The acting in this movie is very good, played with understatement and sincerity. The humor is endearing. It is not the definitive film on Hawking, but restores a balance that was missing in the BBC documentary/movie. So in that respect it is a different take on Hawking's life and work.