User reviews

Initially thought it'll feel like a documentary. But was pleasantly surprised. Not many of us know of how Hawking came to be and how his formative days were. Hence from a biographical point it was very insightful, though it covers only the first few years of his professional life. And the various facets showed in the series is what keeps it from being a documentary and more of an entertainer. The direction is quite good and so is the editing , considering how much they could show and how much they actually had time for. One of the first times I saw Cumberbatch and he is really great,he has the ability to take on any role and make it his own, the energy and passion he shows in this one is no less,wonder if there's a lot of method acting training in his past or he is naturally gifted. Overall a great watch, so see it.

This drama concerns the early days in the life of Professor Stephen Hawkings. It tells the story of how he battles against MND and the mind set of famous Astronomer Fred Hoyles. It also tells of his relationship with soon to be first wife Jane and of the help given to him by Roger Penrose. Intersected within the story are snippets of Nobel prize winners Arno Penzias and Bob Wilson who's discovery of background radiation gave Stephen the "fossil" he would need to back up his theory.

Well written with good performances from the principle characters and set amongst the beautiful background of Cambridge Hawking is a surprisingly enjoyable hour and half.Although viewers not familiar with Hawkings or his work may find parts of the story a bit dull or confusing at times, ultimately it's an inspirational story (even with the artistic liberties) and a first class piece of drama.

'Hawking', which I saw recently on BBC2, is a fictionalised telefilm biography of physicist Stephen Hawking ... known to Homer Simpson as 'that wheelchair guy'. (Hawking is also the only person ever to make a guest appearance *as himself* in an episode of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'.) Some modern-day public figures are so well-known -- in vocal patterns and physical appearance -- that any actor's attempt to portray them on screen must be to some extent a physical impersonation. A depiction of Hawking presents unusual opportunities and challenges. Firstly, audiences have no idea what Hawking's speaking voice sounded like, as he did not become a public figure until the progressive degenerative disease which afflicts him (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS) had worsened to the point that he now 'speaks' with the aid of an electronically-generated voice that makes him sound like a Dalek. In the early scenes of 'Hawking', before Hawking acquires ALS, actor Benedict Cumberbatch (great name!) speaks in a cultured voice that is certainly appropriate to the character he plays on screen, if not the actual Hawking.

More problematic is the physical portrayal, as we're aware that an 'able' actor is portraying a disabled person: if Cumberbatch's rendition of Hawking's symptoms is accurate, inevitably some audience members will accuse him of overacting. This is a no-win situation, which would have daunted any non-disabled actor in such a role.

Cumberbatch is appealing and charismatic (more so than the real Hawking) in the early sequences, leading up to when Hawking first experiences tremors at age 21. There's an awkward scene in a jazz club, that could have degenerated into self-parody. We see Hawking, physically challenged but not yet incapacitated, watching enviously while others dance. Awkwardly, he rises and attempts to join in. (By all accounts, Hawking was socially uncoordinated long before he was physically so.) Cumberbatch gives as much dignity as possible to a portrayal which we recognise as that of a graceful actor depicting a man who has both social and neurological disabilities.

The portrayals of some of the other real-life figures are not very well-thought. I knew Sir Fred Hoyle, and the actor who portrays him here is neither especially accurate nor especially credible in his portrayal ... except for the scene re-enacting the famous incident when Hawking denounced Hoyle's latest theory in the auditorium of the Royal Society. Roger Penrose, the developer of tile theory, is played here as an absent-minded boffin who witters away at the public bar without remembering that he'd meant to order a pint.

The most ludicrous scene (a fictitious incident?) occurs when Hawking is in a railway compartment with a woman who can talk the hind leg off a donkey, prompting Hawking to suddenly imagine Time reversing itself. This scene appears to be inspired by a sequence in 'A Beautiful Mind', but that film depicted scientific inspiration much more cleverly than is done here.

Cumberbatch is quite good in the early scenes, yet he gets even better in the later scenes as Hawking's ALS takes its toll on his body. Inevitably, Cumberbatch's role gravitates into Lon Chaney territory, yet his portrayal is so deft that it never quite tips over into histrionics. The period detail and production design are impeccable throughout.

SLIGHT SPOILER NOW. There is an awkward framing device, reminiscent of several Tom Stoppard plays or Michael Frayn's 'Copenhagen', yet less effective than either. We see two Nobel laureates giving a TV interview, discussing a noise they've discovered, which turns out to be the background microwave radiation that fills the universe ... the leftover sound of the Big Bang. (Fred Hoyle invented that term, but intended it derisively: he rejected the Big Bang theory which is now widely accepted.)

I'll rate 'Hawking' 8 out of 10, as a flawed but excellent attempt to depict a difficult biographical subject who is involved in a field that audiences don't readily comprehend. ALS, the disease that crippled Stephen Hawking, is known in America as Lou Gehrig's disease, in honour(?) of the baseball player whose brilliant career and promising life were ended by it. Lou Gehrig's story was told brilliantly in 'Pride of the Yankees', but that great film remained very shadowy and nebulous about the terrible disease at the centre of its story. 'Hawking' does not pull such punches, and I recommend this excellent bio-pic.

The story of young Stephen Hawking's doctorate - starting with his 21st birthday in 1963, shortly after which he was diagnosed with motor neuron disease. The story continues with Hawking going to Cambridge to gain his doctorate, during which he fights to come to terms with his illness, grows ever-closer to young student Jane Wilde, and has to figure out something to write his thesis on... ...All this is told in flashback by Nobel Prize winners Bob Wilson and Arno Penzias (Tom Hodgkins and the marvellously irascible Michael Brandon, respectively), talking in 1978 about their discovery - the "3 degree hiss" of microwaves that is the echo of the Big Bang, which is the proof of Hawking's remarkable and evolutionary theory that he formulated for his doctorate thesis. Hawking didn't come up with the idea of the Big Bang, but he did show mathematically that the prevalent theory of the time - "Steady State", in which the universe was thought to be unchanging and to have existed forever - was wrong.

The performances are uniformly excellent, with Benedict Cumberbatch in the lead role making for a very convincing Hawking, capturing his brilliance and vulnerability well and portraying his physical deterioration sympathetically and convincingly. Other standout performances include Tom Ward as Roger Penrose, giving a superbly confident and energetic portrayal of the young professor who was Hawking's friend and mentor; John Sessions as Dennis Sciama, quiet and intense as Hawking's supervisor; Peter Firth as a triumphantly and permanently bad-tempered Fred Hoyle, with whom Hawking locked horns over their contradictory theories on the origin of the universe; and Lisa Dillon as Jane Wilde, who gave Hawking the strength to overcome his illness and realise his ideas.

Is this a sanitised or oversimplified story? Undoubtedly, but these things always are. That doesn't matter; the main characters are engaging, and the science is extremely well-handled. Hawking's "eureka" moment, when he literally falls off a train and desperately explains his idea to Penrose by drawing with chalk on the station platform, is powerful and moving and believable in equal measure. This drama shows that it's not just the great artists, the painters and composers and musicians, who have led remarkable and fascinating lives - science, in its own way, has just as much power to move and intrigue, and scientists have just as many great stories to tell.

For those perhaps shy of this film thinking it may be grim or depressing -- it's quite the opposite. It's about Hawking in his early years -- getting his doctorate at Cambridge in the early 1960s, long before incapacitation set in.

This is Hawking in his green and wide-eyed youth, when he was just starting to wrap his mind around the amazing theories that changed theoretical physics and astrophysics. The film is joyful and uplifting and engaging and intriguing. It's not esoteric, and can certainly be followed by non-physicists such as myself.

And in case you've been under a rock lately, Benedict Cumberbatch is the finest young actor in the UK, and gives an unmissable performance, as usual.

Highly recommended for everyone!

I saw the movie yesterday on French television and I was very impressed by the performance of the main actor: Benedict Cumberbatch. I did not know him but I think he made a great job playing Hawking.and his performance has been recognized since he got a price for this part. I am absolutely not fond of physics or such things but the story of this man mattered much to me than the subject of the film in itself (the proof of the existence of a big bang). I admired the courage of this man , brilliant mind, to fight against this disease and for his ideas.I really enjoyed this movie despite its very late at night diffusion and I hope all actors are still doing well in their jobs. I rated an 8, which is a very good mark to me.

This is an incredible dramatisation that really puts life into perspective. Starting the story of the years of the cosmologist's life with his 21st birthday and progressing through his illness for some time after. We are shown the outstanding intellect of Hawking and how it affected his personal life in a compelling and emotive drama that the BBC should be proud of.

As well as being auto-biographical the film explores scientific theories and religious arguments, which help include a viewer by the development of their own ideas.

Excellent performances all round especially from Benedict Cumerbatch (Hawking) and Lisa Dillon (Wilde). An interesting watch if nothing else!

I have just seen this excellent film.

It begins with a character resembling Stephen Hawking slouching in a deep armchair. But, then he gets up and walks!!! This is the basis of the film. We are all familiar with Stephen Hawkign as he is today, but this film will now tell us the story of the man and his ideas before he became the the icon he is today.

I really enjoyed this film - both as portrait of a brave man and a brief description of the development of the big bang theory and some of it's underlying concepts.

Among the cast I especially enjoyed Michael Brandon as one of the two Bell Labs scientists who first discovered the sound of the creation of the universe. However, I do agree with several other comments here that the section about his German origin was confusing and unnecessary.

The film is very much aware of the fact that it will be compared with "A beautiful mind" - it even refers to the "beautiful" concept among scientists. In many ways I much prefer this portrait of a much more sympathetic beautiful mind.

I didn't expect to enjoy this film. I did, and I'm still thinking about it. It was moving, emotional, sensitive and brilliantly crafted.

I know little about Stephen Hawking, and the subjects of physics and cosmology are completely over my head. I think it is a testament to the script and performances that this film made such subject matter appealing and engaging. Don't think the film is for science geeks - it is an uplifting story full of courage and hope and is thoroughly rewarding.

Benedict Cumberbatch is quite simply brilliant in this film. He is without doubt one of the finest actors in Britain.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Hawking is galvanised to take meaning of his life when he is diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease as a student at Cambridge University. He is 21 and in love with a girl called Jane.

The love story is the least interesting part of this film. It is the coming together of the disparate strands of this film which generates excitement in this drama.

Hawking studying for his doctorate rejects Sir Fred Hoyle's solid state theory that the universe has always existed and always will. Inspired by the work of Roger Penrose and the thought of Einstein he develops the big bang theory.

Intercut with Hawking's life is a television interview set in 1978 with Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson, just before they go to collect their Nobel prize for Physics. We later find out that their earlier discovery provides an important link to Hawking's theory.

This has just shown on BBC2 here in the U.K this very night, and i'am still thinking about it five hour's later. the performances of the cast especially Benedict Cumberbatch as the young Stephen Hawking were superb. The sreenplay while somewhat fictionalized was to the point and highly emotive. The scienific plight of Hawking was simply and well told and the scenes of his horribly degenerating disease( M.N) are highly moving. My uncle died of this disease a year after being diagnosed, that Hawking has continued living with this disease for forty years is not only a testament to his will but also the passion he holds in his life and groundbreaking work. Superb! This should win awards around the world seriously and far, far better than the over praised A Beautiful Mind.Hawking truly was a beautiful mind.

The Theory of Everything is a fine film, as Hollywood films go, but this BBC Production "Hawking," made several years earlier, has me wondering why Hollywood bothered, as none could match the performances in nor the spirit of this film. A lovely portrayal (as usual) by Cumberbatch as Hawking, and Firth makes the perfect (sympathetic and pitiable) antagonist. This film, in contrast to the recent Hollywood knock-off, focuses on the brilliance and courage of an amazing man with an amazing mind. The film begins in the 1960s, prior to the onset of Hawking's motor neuron disease, and focuses on his struggle to maintain his work while fighting the progression of motor dysfunction. As a (retired) member of the academy, I can attest to the realism of the struggles he faces in gaining support for his work, and the energy required to do so, brilliantly portrayed in this film. I was privileged to see Professor Hawking speak once in Seattle, and one knew that one was in the presence of a once-in-a-generation mind. This film, and Cumberbatch's performance, authentically conveys that sense. Highly recommended.

This is one of those movies that can wake you up and make you wonder what you've achieved with your life so far.

It's one of the best performances of the year, the sort of performance that is the actors were American and got the right publicity would have most likely landed them an Oscar.

Given the subject I was expecting cringe worthy moments in the film, or at least overly sentimental, but Cumberbatchs' performance as a young Hawking just finding out what his symptoms mean is really something else.

This isn't a movie for somebody that is looking for a comedy but I think that you should watch it if you are interested in either the life of Stephen Hawking or just to see a film that is different than the mainstream.

It's definitely worth watching!

I rated it quite high because of several factors. It's about a subject I am quite fond of (science), and Mr Cumberbatch is always a wonderful actor.

I won't go into too much, other than it is the original that the "The Theory of Everything" is patterned on. I was quite agitated with Hollywood (per usual) for remaking something that had no need to be remade. This original "Hawking" is so good, it deserves to be known as the only one. I've seen both, and in my opinion, "Hawking" is the one to choose over "The Theory of Everything". The Hollywood movie version spent too much time on his wife's wicked love interest as Hollywood does so often, where this version (Hawking) concentrated on the science, the discovery, and Mr Hawking himself. Great stuff!

Highly recommend!

Mostly a story about Hawking's earlier years as he started on his academic journey and dealing with the onset of ALS. Heartfelt performance by Cumberbatch, I did choke up a bit at the end so be warned. Underrated movie and worth a watch.

This movie has its own charm especially if you want to compare it with The Theory of Everything, the Hollywood knock-off. It is so much more about the love for the science, there is fear for death, but it is overshadowed by the desire to unveil the myth of the universe. I love how this is perfectly conveyed by the story and the performance. Also, Cumberbatch did phenomenal acting in this movie!

Excellently inspiring and faithful depiction of Stephen Hawking from Cumberbatch. The films itself isn't that brilliant but better than the Theory of Everything movie, though Redmayne did a good job too. The problem with both films, and any film about Stephen Hawking's life, is that magnitude of Stephen's academic achievements are far and beyond what the lay person can understand or appreciate with an explanation in a 2 hour movie. So when the film tries to show what it is he actually discovered and achieved it's difficult for us to really be impressed because we have no idea what is being talked about. Both films could have done better with communicating this to the audience. And therefore what any film on Stephen should focus on is his character and what he had to overcome to achieve what he did. Both films got lost in quasi scientific references which to the layman aren't interesting, and I imagine to the experts are cheesy and simplistic.

In the 1960's, Stephen Hawking celebrates his 21st birthday at his parent's house before going out to his garden with a girl. As he lies looking up at the stars he realises he cannot move. After many tests, Stephen is diagnosed with motor neurone disease. Regardless he continues onto Cambridge to study physics. As his body starts to breakdown his mind shows no sign of stopping.

With the basic premise of mind prevailing over the failings of the body it is a surprise that no studio has had a crack at making a movie of the story prior to this (if they have I have not heard of it). I imagined that it would be turned into a cheap TVM for US daytime TV but happily the BBC got to it first. This film focuses on the Cambridge years of Hawking's life where he is diagnosed but fights on to formulate his theory of the big bang. This strand is very cleverly cut together with an interview with an interview (set in 1978) with Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson about their Nobel prize. The connection between the two wasn't known to me at the start but it does a very good job of showing the importance of both theirs and Hawking's work.

The interview section was very enjoyable simply because I didn't know where it was going and only a bit where the interviewer makes a big deal out of Penzias' German background for no reason struggles. The main thrust is a mixed bag but generally succeeds as it is an engaging human story even if you can't understand the science. Although the science is very simplified for the audience, what the film does do is translate the energy and excitement behind discovery and the mind. Not all of it works of course and there are some scenes that are distinctly weak. At the start the film states that some scenes are fictional and it is some of the weaker ones that are - I found it hard to accept the geeky Hawking chatting up a girl by talking physics to her; likewise some other scenes lack credence due to their setting and dialogue.

Cumberbatch does very well with his portrayal of Hawking considering he had no footage to work with and only was able to meet the man himself once before shooting once during it. He manages to look a little like Hawking and has got his smile down well (the smile that Hawking still has). His weak moments come when the dialogue gets a bit silly but he manages to convey the excitement of the big bang revelation as well remaining a likeable guy who's mental ability never alienated me. The support cast is mostly quite good, there is a minor straight role for John Sessions who does well, as do the guys who play Wilson and Penzias. Dillon's Jane is a bit weak and her fake tan leaves a white mark at her hairline that I found rather distracting (how shallow am I?!).

Overall this is an enjoyable little film despite it's weaknesses in the script and in the delivery at times. The basic human story is rather inspiring (even if few of us can rely on my mind to quite Hawking's degree) and the film manages to make the science rather exciting even if it fails to really explain it on much more than a childishly simplified level.