Director: Stephen Finnigan
Running Time: 94 minutes
Certificate: PG
Extras: Director’s commentary, Introduction by Stephen Hawing
To many, Stephen Hawking is the father of physics, the uncle of the universe and the botherer of black holes; to most however he is merely a man in a wheelchair who can’t talk or move. With HAWKING, director Stephen Finnigan tells the story of the titular scientists life through friends, reconstruction, and our narrator Hawking himself.
Debilitated by motor-neurone disease and in his 70’s, Dr. Stephen Hawking is a jovial and honest guide through his own life. There is no shirking of his relationship and troubles with his two wives and no hiding behind his voracious appetite for study and discovery which led to their demise – in a time of deceitful and one-sided documentaries this is a pleasing change. There is a certain amount of ego-massaging which takes place during the film, but this is understandable given the grandiose scientific achievements Hawking has attained.
Director Finnigan weaves us through the film well with plenty of contributions from those close to Hawking, including his first wife, secretary, sister, and his current nurse – the latter of which is shown in her daily duties at Hawking’s home. Sadly there is little look at the actual man with only talking heads guiding us through the major points of his life, and confusingly little look at the science that has made him famous. It’s all enjoyable though and for an introduction to the life of one of the greatest minds of our time HAWKING works; as an exploration of what makes this great man tick, it is less successful. One thing you will get from this documentary however is a hell of a lot of inspiration – and that can’t be a bad thing.
Extras: An excellent commentary and a very amiable introduction by Dr. Hawking.
HAWKING is released on DVD 23rd September
