Thelongestfilm.com – Facts Theory of Everything. The late Stephen Hawking known by the public as a physicist who revealed many cosmological theories. James Marsh immortalized his life story in the 2014 film The Theory of Everything.
Interestingly, this film does not carry the story of Hawking examining cosmology in depth, but this film examines the love story of the physicist. This film tells the love story of Stephen Hawking and Jane Hawking, Stephen Hawking’s first wife. Starting from his meeting with Jane and the intrigue in it to finally choosing to live their own lives.
Not only is this film interesting in terms of story, but it also has interesting facts in it. For that, here are some interesting facts from the movie The Theory of Everything!
1. Has received a blessing and full support from Stephen Hawking
Considering that this film released before the physicist’s departure, The Theory of Everything itself fully supported and approved by the late Stephen Hawking.
Even in one of his interviews, Hawking said that the plot of this film was “broadly true” or almost completely accurate. So for those who want to see the love story of a physicist, this film can fully describe it. Moreover, when this film worried that the sound of Hawking’s signature machine would affected by copyright problems, Stephen Hawking happy to lend his voice at the end of the film.
To support the visuals of this film, the physicist also lent his medals and thesis as film properties. Didn’t you expect that he would be very supportive of this film?
2. Stephen Hawking Feels Eddie Redmayne Is The Right Choice Actor
Previously, director James Marsh had asked Hawking about Eddie Redmayne who played him. When the question sent via email, Hawking’s answer was quite surprising.
It turns out that Hawking was happy with his choice of cast. He said Eddie Redmayne managed to play him because at certain points he often thought he was seeing himself. So it can said that Redmayne had great success playing this genius physicist!
3. Eddie Redmayne and Stephen Hawking Met Before Filming
For the sake of the totality of the role, Redmayne also took the time to meet Stephen Hawking. In an interview with Redmayne, he said he spoke with Hawking for three hours. Redmayne said, during the meeting, Hawking only said about 8 sentences. At the same time he said, during that time he couldn’t even ask about things that were more intimate.
This conversation held so that he could be more total and get to know what it’s like to be Stephen Hawking. Unfortunately, this meeting was less effective for Redmayne, but of course this was also a good moment before Hawking finally breathed his last on March 14 2018.
4. Eddie Redmayne Reduced His Body Weight To Studying ALS
Feeling that the meeting was not effective enough, Redmayne also looked for other methods to play this role by meeting patients with ALS. Redmayne studied the postures of ALS patients and then he practiced facial expressions, standing in front of a mirror for hours on end. Until trying to bend linger.
Until an osteopath said that Redmayne could have experienced changes in his spine. This was also accompanied by a reduction in body weight of up to 15 kg. So it’s only natural that as a result, Redmayne managed to perfectly visualize Stephen Hawking on the big screen.
5. It took 10 years to complete the story
This film written beautifully and perfectly by Anthony McCarten, he admitted that this film took quite a long time to finally wrap it up perfectly, namely 10 years.
If you look again, this film is based on the book Traveling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen by Jane Wilde Hawking, who is none other than Stephen Hawking’s ex-wife. Feeling that Jane Hawking’s book has good story potential to adapted to the big screen, McCarten also asked Jane Hawking’s blessing to use her book to rewritten as a screenplay.
Unfortunately, it took 3 years to convince and get Jane Hawking’s blessing so that McCarten could adapt his book to the big screen. The blessing that obtained was not immediately without restrictions, Jane Hawking asked the writer not to display or add sex scenes between herself and Stephen Hawking in the film. This is the reason why this film has a simple romantic story without any sensual flavor.
6. Felicity Jones was the First Choice to Play Jane
Usually to find actors or actresses in one role, there are at least several options to choose from. However, when selecting the cast to play Jane Hawking, the name Felicity Jones was the first candidate and was immediately chosen without any other actress options.
Both Redmayne and Jones turned out to be the right choices and were very suitable to play these two big figures, so that at the 2015 Academy Awards, both Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones were nominated for best main actor and actress. In fact, The Theory of Everything is the only film that included in the best main actor and actress category.
7. Eddie Redmayne and Stephen Hawking’s Alma Mater
Both Eddie Redmayne and Stephen Hawking are alumni of the University of Cambridge. Redmayne previously attended Eton College; in the same year, Redmayne was in the same grade as Prince William. Then, after graduating, Redmayne continued his studies at Cambridge by majoring in art.
Meanwhile, Stephen Hawking attended University College, Oxford. Then Hawking felt that the weight of education there felt easy. Because of that, all of his studies were fast-paced, which enabled him to pursue further education at the University of Cambridge and major in cosmology.
After graduating, he also pursued a career as a physicist, and he was also a professor of mathematics at Cambridge. During his lifetime, Hawking known as a physicist who was an expert in the theories of relativity and quantum gravity.
8. All clothing and other properties are designed according to the original
Believe it or not, all aspects of this film are designed exactly like the original. All according to every incident that Stephen and Jane Hawking experienced.
From every outfit Jane and Stephen wore to the props that were in the house, they were all the same. The design of the dress Felicity Jones wore during the party scene is one of the custom-designed pieces of the original Jane Hawking’s dress.
The bunk beds that appear in every scene in the house are designed exactly like Stephen Hawking’s bed. So it’s only natural that Hawking really flattered by this film, which done almost accurately. Even during the screening, Stephen Hawking’s assistant had to wipe Hawking’s face because he touched.
Those are some facts about the film “The Theory of Everything.” This film cannot only be called a good film because all the aspects that have been prepared, starting from the visuals and properties to the quality of the acting of each cast member, actually make The Theory of Everything not enough to just be called a good film.
This film is an example of a neat film and deserves more appreciation, especially for the problem of story accuracy. The Theory of Everything is able to present a love story with simple but touching spices.
