Theory of Everything was a heartbreaking and vivid portrayal of a genius going through hell. This story of Stephen Hawking’s accomplishments, marriage, and disease was sad, yet beautifully done.

The portrayal of Hawking’s personality makes you root for him immediately. He is just the right amount of charming and awkward, and Eddie Redmayne captures that perfectly.

The movie shows scenes of him with his friends in the beginning, showing a snarky, devious side, but we also consistently see kindness and genius. In one of the first scenes, he solves “only nine” impossible math problems that no one in his class could figure out. He does not gloat, but is very matter-of-fact; that is just his personality.

Jane’s character, played by Felicity Jones, is just as easy to love. She is strong-willed and intelligent, and often challenges Hawking on his disregard for God. Her kindness is apparent and her love for Hawking is too, in her care for him.

This movie is also fairly accurate to Hawking’s life. Only a few of the details were changed for dramatic effect, such as his friend, Brian (a composite), his first diagnosis of ALS, and a few aspects of his relationship with Jane.

The movie has been criticized for its focus being more on their relationship than his scientific discoveries, and I agree.

It does make a big deal of his prowess and accomplishments, but not like it does with Jane and him. It also portrays Hawking as a bit less abrasive than he was, according to Jane Hawking’s memoir.

The choice of transitional time periods shot through the perspective of the Hawkings’ film camera is a refreshing, easy way to show the audience a long span of time without having to get into each little detail. This is charming, and shows the time period well. It has a personal and vintage feel.

While good, this movie is consistently heartbreaking. Hawking overcames many obstacles in his life, and it was hard to watch sometimes. However, that speaks to the quality of the movie — it made empathy easy. Despite this, it was a great movie overall.

The Theory of Everything is now available to watch on Netflix.