This is the incredible story of Stephen Hawking, who dedicated his entire life to science despite
his extreme difficulties. The movie starts off with a man rolling around in a wheelchair. The
scene changes to two young men cycling and racing through the streets. While competing and biking
around competitively, these two men race through a bridge while mocking each other. They enter
a party. The place is bustling with people and both the young lads are on the lookout for women.
That's when the Cambridge student Stephen Hawking’s eyes meet Jane, and they connect
instantly as Jane asks about Stephen. They talk about their fields of interest and are
intrigued by each other. They chat for a while at the party and Jane eventually leaves, giving
Stephen her number in a small handkerchief. Stephen and his friend, Brian, are given a task
to complete their doctoral work. Their professor tells them about their thesis. Stephen and Brian
keep it in mind and have fun together at a lake. They eventually go to a bar where Stephen intends
to call Jane but meets her right there at the bar. She's with her friends who look at him
incredulously. He asks her out for a game of croquet but she’s hesitant. He leaves and the
next morning, Brian reminds Stephen of their task which he completely seems to have forgotten about.
He hurriedly turns on some music and starts to work on the problems their professor gave.
While about to work on the task at hand, Stephen faces some physical difficulties. In the class,
Stephen baffles everyone by working on most of the problems in such a short amount of time while
the others’ works couldn’t even be deciphered. The professor is shocked and applauds him.
In the class, the professor talks to Stephen about his work and we can see Stephen then struggle to
pick up a pen in a swift slight moment. The two then go to a room of great inventions where the
professor proposes Stephen to go to a seminar with him along with other brilliant students. Stephen
agrees to the offer. Afterward, Stephen meets Jane outside her church even though he is an atheist.
He asks her out for lunch with his family where Jane is vigorously interrogated by his father. She
has a good time with them when Stephen tells Jane how he doesn’t let god influence his physics ideas
and they have a playful banter. Right then, Stephen asks Jane to be his partner at the
May ball. Jane agrees gleefully. Although shy at first, eventually they both get close.
They get to the ball where Stephen is adamant about not dancing. They chat for a while as
Stephen explains to Jane about the birth and death of stars. That's when the fireworks start. The sky
brightens up with spectacular colors. They laugh around and get significantly closer than before.
Observing the night sky and the beautiful stars, Stephen and Jane dance at the ball. A couple of
days later, Stephen goes to the seminar. He has difficulties even getting on a train.
Stephen faces even more difficulties at the seminar and suspects something is wrong.
After his return, Stephen comes up with a brilliant idea about space-time singularity
and the birth of the universe. His professor seems to love the idea. But as he goes along the way,
he has more difficulties trying to even do the most routine of chores. Finally, one
day as Stephen is walking out of the university after working on some mathematics, he falls to
the ground and almost blacks out. His friends help him and try to get him to wake up.
He is instantly rushed to the hospital by his friends and colleagues. His fingers almost stop
working and his stature becomes awkward. He struggles even putting pins on a string
and bathing. The doctor tries his best to help him but to no avail. This makes him incredibly
frustrated. The doctor tells him about his disease which is a progressive motor neuron disease,
where the muscles do not receive signals to do voluntary actions. It is degenerative that
eventually causes muscle decay and he would no longer be able to speak swallow chew walk or
write. The doctor tells him he might not live longer than two years which devastates Stephen.
The doctor assures Stephen that his brain will not be affected, so his thoughts and
intelligence will remain intact, but eventually, he will be unable to communicate them. He decides
to shut Jane off from his life. Jane tries to meet with him but
Stephen ignores her. Finally, Jane forces Stephen to play a game of croquet with her,
which gets him incredibly stressed due to his disability. But Jane insists they stay together,
knowing the illness will progress and slowly take Stephen away from her. She wants to spend as long
as they have together. Stephen tells his professor he's going to work on time. On the other hand,
Stephen’s father tries to convince Jane that Stephen won't live long but she insists
that she loves him and will fight his illness with him. Stephen and Jane get married soon after.
Jane stands by Stephen as the illness progresses, impairing his locomotion, balance, speech,
and even swallowing. They have two children and Stephen's work starts to gain the spotlight.
Stephen soon graduates his doctoral study, having more interest in cosmological physics. At dinner
with his friends to celebrate his doctoral degree, Stephen even struggles with picking up cutlery and
even swallowing. This causes intense stress and walks out. Jane sees his struggle and helps him
with a wheelchair supporting him every step of the way. Eventually, one night when Stephen gets stuck
in his jumper, he discovers an incredible idea. He is commemorated by most scientists and later,
his friends and him celebrate it through the night. His dear friend Brian asks if his
disability affects his intimate life but Stephen cordially denies and they laugh at this system
since pleasure tendencies are all automatic and his disease only affects voluntary movement.
Soon, Stephen Hawking’s theory gains light and his articles are sold in stores. It is a
big breakthrough. Between all of this, Stephen upgrades to an electric wheelchair and spends
a lot of time with his children. But little by little, Jane starts to lose her spirit,
though she doesn't reveal it. Stephen refuses to see doctors even after much difficulty.
Jane's mother advises her to join the church choir to help fill her spare time so she goes.
There she meets the choir's tutor Jonathan. Jonathan explains how his own wife died
of leukemia just about a year ago. Jane employs him as a piano teacher for Robert,
and Jonathan befriends the entire family, helping Stephen with his illness, supporting Jane, and
playing with the children. He goes as far as being a helping hand for Stephen when the family goes on
an outdoors trip. They go on trips and vacations where Jonathan always lends a helping hand.
Jane and Stephen’s relationship is at a strain now since Stephen cannot physically do anything
on his own. When Jane gives birth to another son, Timothy, Stephen's mother asks Jane if the
baby is Jonathan's, which she denies. Jonathan is appalled, but when he and Jane are alone,
they admit their feelings for one another. Jonathan backs away saying he needs to go
for everyone’s sake since all he was trying to do was help the family but things got complicated,
but Stephen tells him Jane needs him. Jonathan agrees after Stephen’s plea.
Stephen is invited to an opera but Jane hates flying so Jane and Jonathan travel by road with
their children to meet Stephen. But Stephen has an episode and goes into a coma, and the doctors
say he would not survive the resuscitation. He hesitates in doing a tracheotomy on him
due to his muscles already having atrophied which means Stephen's ability to speak will be impaired
and he would become mute forever. Jane insists on a tracheotomy, but the family
then struggles to communicate with Stephen. Jane hires a help, Elaine, who quickly suits
Stephen's needs. Stephen learns to use a spelling board and uses it to communicate with Elaine,
his new nurse. Elaine caters to all his needs which Jane seems jealous of sometimes.
He receives a computer with a built-in voice synthesizer. He uses it again and again and
gets perfect at it. Elaine and his bond get deeper but Jane seems to slip away. He tells her he will
write a book about time and starts working on it. Stephen finds solace in Elaine. He finally tells
Jane he’s invited Elaine to go with him to America as she’d take care of him but Jane is deeply hurt
by this as their relationship is in shambles. Jane and Stephen mourn as they part ways but
continue to be friends. After all, Jane still cares for him and does everything for him. She
expresses her love for him. But then Jane reaches her limit and she and Stephen get a divorce.
Soon she reconnects with Jonathan at a church. They both still have feelings for each other
and reminisce in each other’s arms at the church. Their pain has come to an end.
On the other hand, Stephen finally completes his book called,” A Brief History of
Time” (1988), which becomes an international best-seller. His book is read by many and
wins many accolades. Stephen goes to the lecture with Elaine, the two have fallen in love. At the
lecture, Stephen is presented on stage where he is asked several questions by the students. He is
quite comedic and manages to make people laugh despite his condition. At the lecture, Stephen
sees a student drop a pen; he imagines getting up to return it, almost crying at the reminder
of how his disease has affected him. He is brought back to reality by another attendee’s question. HE
answers the questions elegantly telling them that everyone is good at something and should
never give up. His childhood friend Brian looks at him with pride and joy in his eyes. He goes
on to give a speech telling audiences to pursue their ambitions despite the harsh reality of life:
as the saying goes "While there's life, there is hope". He receives a standing
ovation bringing a smile to his face. Jane goes on to marry Jonathan. One day, they
receive a letter from Stephen and both of them are ecstatic at the news. Right then, we see the
scene played at the very beginning of the movie. Stephen calls for Jane, as the first spouse, to
accompany him in receiving a title from the Queen. Despite their divorce, they are always there for
each other as friends and companions. Stephen and Jane meet Queen Elizabeth II
together where he is made a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour.
They spend a moment together where Jane thanks him and also assures him that he can decline
the knighthood if he chose to do so. They share a happy day together with their
children and look back on their life as a very happy family. An extended closing series comprises
select moments from the film; shown in reverse, back to the moment Stephen first saw Jane;
the reversal is reminiscent of Stephen's research methodology of reversing time to understand
the beginning of the universe. It shows all the moments Jane and Stephen have had together. From
the moment their eyes meet to the fireworks from the day they danced. Jonathan helps Jane complete
her Doctor of Philosophy. She and Stephen remain close friends. Stephen declined a knighthood from
the Queen and continues his research, with no plans to retire in the near future.
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