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A Brief History of Time (film)

TLDR: "A Brief History of Time" is a documentary film from 1991 about the physicist Stephen Hawking. It explores his life and work, as well as the concepts of cosmology and theoretical physics. The film features interviews with Hawking, his family, and colleagues, and is scored by Philip Glass.

"A Brief History of Time" is a documentary film directed by Errol Morris and based on the bestselling book of the same name by Stephen Hawking. While the book focuses solely on cosmology, the film also delves into Hawking's personal life, featuring interviews with his family members and colleagues. The film uses stylized interview sequences, graphic illustrations, and music by Philip Glass to explore the complex ideas of theoretical physics and cosmology.

The film was produced by David Hickman and distributed by Triton Pictures. It was released in 1991 and has a running time of 80 minutes. The film received positive reviews and has a rating of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.

In terms of production, the project originated with executive producer Gordon Freedman, who brought it to Anglia Television. Director Steven Spielberg suggested Errol Morris as the director, and Morris had a few days to film and interview Hawking due to his condition of ALS. Morris filmed various shots of Hawking, his wheelchair, and his communication tools to later edit together for the film.

The film features interviews with various people who have been a part of Hawking's life and work, including his mother, sister, and colleagues such as Roger Penrose and Kip Thorne. The interviews were shot on specially built sets in England.

The film's soundtrack was composed by Philip Glass, who created the score before seeing the movie. The soundtrack was released in 2015.

"A Brief History of Time" has been well-received, with positive reviews praising its exploration of complex scientific concepts and its portrayal of Hawking's life and work. The film was released on VHS in the early 1990s and was later released on DVD and Blu-ray by The Criterion Collection in 2014.

In summary, "A Brief History of Time" is a documentary film that explores the life and work of physicist Stephen Hawking, as well as the concepts of cosmology and theoretical physics. The film features interviews with Hawking, his family, and colleagues, and is scored by Philip Glass. It provides an accessible and engaging look into the world of science and the remarkable achievements of one of its greatest minds.