Prismark10 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.

Esther Xuedan QI This movie is about the early years of Hawking in Cambridge, where he pursued his doctoral degree in physics and found the big bang theory. He was diagnosed with motor neuron disease right after his 21st birthday. It was an unexpected misfortune for Hawking, an ambitious and promising young researcher, who regarded physics as everything, but fortunately, his brain was left untouched. One who has an incurable disease is probably desperate and stops making effort, but Hawking is quite the opposite. Due to his hunger for knowledge, he kept fighting his disease, kept exploring his research and never gave up. As his first wife Jane said in the movie, he has huge courage, brilliant mind and capacity to imagine fates like a piece of nothing. People are very small especially facing challenges of illness and death，but as Hawking said, we are profoundly capable of very big things. Hawking is not small even compared to the whole universe. I was so impressed by his eagerly searching for knowledge. His supervisor said he's made Einstein beautiful. I agree. He has a beautiful mind. When a friend told me the leading role is played by Benedict Cumberbatch yesterday, I said he is nothing like Hawking. Yet, I am totally attracted and convinced by his excellent performance after watching this movie. Benedict, a healthy person portraying a person with motor neuron disease showed a vivid and accurate character.I'm also impressed by the love from his parents and Jane. Even though the doctor said there was no hope, his parents still encouraged Hawking to carry on. Besides, Jane, who became his wife finally, was always there, supporting and accompanying him. Family is such a wonderful treasure.It's a great movie and I was definitely touched and inspired.

angelofvic 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!

NikkiClare 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!