A Brief History of Time

Stars: Stephen Hawking (author A Brief History of Time). While "quantum mechanics" is not the most likely pitch to set a Hollywood exec to drooling and dreaming of boxoffice riches, the subject is made as visually palatable as it could be in Erol Morris's (The Thin Blue Line, Gates of Heaven) documentary inspired by noted physicist Stephen Hawking's surprise 1988 bestseller. Hawking, who at the age of 21 was a mediocre college student bored with life, was diagnosed with ALS, and given 30 months to live. That was 30 years ago. Because of the debilitating effects of ALS, Hawking is confined to a wheelchair and has severely impaired motor and verbal capabilities. Fortunately, he is able to speak through a computer voice synthesizer program which he is able to operate by clicking a hand-held mouse. Hawking's mechanical "voice" serves as the narrator to Morris's tale which interweaves the story of Hawking's life with speculations about the nature of the universe: how it began, whether it will ever end, etc. What makes the film less than optimum is the fact that--unlike the book upon which it is based--the film never attempts to give a coherent picture of modern cosmology. Instead it offers tantalizing tidbits, mostly on black holes (a subject that takes up two meaty chapters in the book) that will more likely confuse rather than enlighten the audience. Still, due to the unusual mix of hard science, clever cinematography, and engaging biography, A Brief History of Time is a fascinating film with literally universal subject matter (which is enhanced by composer Philip Glass' ethereal score). The film made Time magazine, the Los Angeles Times, and the San Francisco Examiner's "10 best" lists. [Note: Paramount is including a free featurette, The Making of A Brief History of Time, an interesting film in its own right, with each copy of A Brief History of Time purchased.] Audience: 6.5 million people bought the book; a fair number are going to want to see the movie. (R. Pitman)[Blu-ray/DVD Combo Review—Mar. 25, 2014—Criterion, 84 min., G, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1991's A Brief History of Time features a gorgeous transfer and a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition. Extras include 2013 interviews with director Errol Morris (35 min.) and cinematographer John Bailey (12 min.), and a booklet featuring an essay by critic David Sterritt, as well as excerpts from 1988's A Brief History of Time and Hawking's 2013 memoir My Brief History. Bottom line: Morris's flawed but ambitious documentary makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.]