Movie Review: Hawking, 2004

I just have to say one thing, first off.

BENEDICT BENEDICT BENEDICT Y U MELT MY SOUL EVEN (ESPECIALLY) AS A CRIPPLED SOCIALLY INEPT BRANIAC.

I mean, really:

The man could play a dead fish and I would want it as my laptop background. (Why yes, BC as Sherlock is in fact my current background, thanks for asking.)

So, what do I like about Hawking besides Benedict, who, incidentally, plays Steven Hawking to absolutely indescribable perfection? I really enjoyed getting more back story on Steven Hawking himself. Its hard to say what Hawking actually is, sort of biography/documentary but also just a short film. But it was cool to know more about Hawking's earlier years, when he got his disease, what the disease actually is, who was with him, what his science was, how miraculous his life has been given the disease. Lots of cool stuff like that.

The script was very well written. I sometimes feel like it's hard to take a historical event and portray it in film without making it feel forced or just very boring, and this one toed that line extremely well. They got a good combination of the actual story going on with the disease and scientific discovery, along with Hawking's inner emotional life, which of course Benedict pulls off in a way that makes me think we need stronger, more appropriate and descriptive adjectives in the English language. Godlike, maybe? Okay, okay, so I'm a fan girl.

Anyway, another great thing is that its all on YouTube, so you don't even have to change out of your pajamas.

Wait till the sidewalk chalk scene. How do you not fall in love with that smile?

Sarah Allen