Hawking

Hawking is the extraordinary story of the planet's most famous living scientist, told for the first time in his own words and by those closest to him. Made with unique access to Hawking's private life, this is an intimate and moving journey into Stephen's world, both past and present.

This ground was already covered to some degree by Errol Morris in his "Brief History of Time", but this is something of an update. For those who continue to find Hawking fascinating, there can never be too much of his story told. And this is a more personal, raw story, Stephen at his most vulnerable.

The friendship with Jim Carrey is odd, but who knows?

He narrated his own story in his own voice, the voice of the DECtalk speech synthesizer, was actually Dennis Klatt's voice.. although, it does not cover the facts that actually made him genius but a good watch ..

Interesting little sketch of Hawking. Very much a talking head documentary, but interesting story. And I love the way Jane Hawking speaks; she's full of beautiful phrases.

This is a BBC produced movie/documentary that is more detailed about the development of Hawking's scientific thinking than one would see in other science biography movies. It starts with Hawking at 21 and covers his ALS diagnosis and how he and his family reacted to the news. The movie captures the look and feel of the times very well. It captures the environment in Cambridge where Hawking worked on his PhD, the influences on him, and the world of theoretical physics. The movie mostly focuses on the period from 1963 to 1980, so it is rather sparse on Hawking's later life and his later theories. This is a well made movie well worth watching especially if you have an interest in science in general, but also worth watching as a inspirational story of Hawking's tenacity and perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds.

Filmed with the full cooperation of its subject, HAWKING tells the life- story of a great scientist, global celebrity and courageous fighter against debilitating disease. From an early stage Stephen Hawking was always destined to be different; he grew up in an unconventional household, and throughout his university career he found the workload almost too easy. It was only when he discovered he had motor neurone disease, while completing his doctoral thesis, that he discovered the urgency of his research; he never knew when he was going to die or not. The film charts Hawking's meteoric rise to fame, while at the same showing how he became less and less able to move any part of his body. He has always been a great fighter, even though living with him proved difficult for his his ex-wife Jane. The film has some interesting omissions; we do not hear anything from his children or his second ex- wife. Nonetheless it pays tribute to Hawking's unique ability to render difficult scientific concepts accessible to mass audiences. This is someone who thoroughly deserves the recognition he has achieved. HAWKING can prove difficult to watch at times; it does not shy away from discussing Hawking's medical disabilities in graphic detail. On the whole, however, it is an optimistic piece, celebrating the strength of the human spirit.