HAWKING (Stephen Finnigan). 94 minutes. Opens Friday (November 29) at TIFF Bell Lightbox. For times, see listings. Rating: NN
Struggling with motor neuron disease most of his life, scientist Stephen Hawking has unravelled mysteries of the universe from the confines of a wheelchair, able to speak only with the aid of a computerized voice simulator.
Stephen Finnigan’s timid doc humbly bows to Hawking’s genius without inquiring in any depth into his character. It’s satisfied to recount Hawking’s extraordinary life through standard-issue re-enactments and talking heads. Checking off his accomplishments and the hurdles he’s surmounted while avoiding less flattering episodes makes for a serviceable tribute but not much of a movie.
Hawking himself is an appealing, inspiring presence. He narrates the film using technology that interprets the twitches of his face. He doesn’t let his physical constraints keep him from galas and cocktail parties where he’s spoon-fed champagne. The way he soaks up his celebrity seems to deserve its own story there’s a suggestion that it ended his marriage. Finnigan only touches on that, the same way that he does the man’s actual science.
If you’re unfamiliar with Hawking’s theories on black holes and the Big Bang, this doc won’t enlighten you. There’s only a basic summary of his work before it’s deemed too complex for anyone but cosmologists to grasp.
If you care to know more, pick up Hawking’s bestselling A Brief History Of Time, which gets its own publicity segment in a film that seems built by a PR department.
