2014: #18

It's at this point in the countdown where things sort to start of wash together. 18 are left, 7 of which are nominated for best picture, and it feels like one has to sort of nit-pick to make their points as to why they are further down the list than others. It's a bit of a challenge; in grading terms, everything from here forward would probably be a B+ or higher. By all means, argue away.

And speaking of best picture nominees...

#18 The Theory of Everything

The only acting race left that isn't a forgone conclusion is for the best actor statuette. It's a two-man round of the final curve for Birdman's Michael Keaton, the grizzled veteran, who shockingly has never to this point been nominated, and Eddie Redmayne, the bright-eyed youngster who devoted himself to learning and practicing each and every tic of famous, debilitated scientist Stephen Hawking. It's been a pretty even award-season split, even down to them both winning best acting Golden Globes, Keaton for best performance in a musical or comedy and Redmayne for best dramatic performance. If I were voting, I give the nod to Redmayne, who was absolutely remarkable. If the film itself were quite as staggering as his performance, you'd be reading about this bad boy in a few days.

Biopics are often tricky business. How do you do the real, true to life human being that your protagonist is based on justice in telling their story, and are you finding ways to keep the material accurate? What are your focal points? What's the thesis statement of your photo essay? The Theory of Everything is based on his ex-wife Jane Hawking's memoir Traveling to Infinity, which chronicles their life together over the course of their 30-year relationship. The film came under fire for Hollywooding the story more than it should have, especially when it came to the treatment of Jane (Felicity Jones) herself. Yes, it got the Hollywood treatment. It's a MOVIE.

Quick hits: Stephen meets Jane at Cambridge in 1963 and they fall quickly in love. He is a promising young physicist at this point who is wowing all of his professors and colleagues. A couple of years later, after a slow-motion fall, he is diagnosed with motor neuron disease and his body and vocals begin to rapidly deteriorate. Through all this, Jane sticks by him and they begin a family, all while Stephen develops his theory that black holes were present during the creation of the universe. As he gets worse, he manages to gain more fame, which furthers her from her own personal ambitions. She finds extracurricular solace in church choir conductor Jonathan (Charlie Cox), who eventually comes to live with them and help out as well. They admit feelings for each other, but manage to keep it above the waist. In 1985, Stephen gets pneumonia and nearly dies; the only thing that saves him is a tracheotomy that will knock out his voice and eventually lead to the advent of his now-famous computerized voice. Not too long after, Stephen bonds with his personal nurse Elaine (Maxine Leake) and decides to leave Jane for her.

The movie does get trapped in the biopic blueprint, and I found myself wishing there were more sequences with Hawking explaining what was churning around in that wonderful brain of his. But wow, is Eddie Redmayne terrific, especially from a physical standpoint. And as a wife who couldn't possibly be more put-upon, Jones is nearly his equal. They both deserve the accolades they are getting. I read somewhere that Hawking a) wrote to director James Marsh and said he thought was watching himself, and b) shed tears at the first screening. Doesn't get much better than that.