A Brief History of Time (film)

A Brief History of Time is a 1991 biographical documentary film about the physicist Stephen Hawking, directed by Errol Morris.[2] The title derives from Hawking's bestselling 1988 book A Brief History of Time, but whereas the book is an explanation of cosmology, the film is a biography of Hawking's life, featuring interviews with family members, colleagues, and even his childhood nanny. The music is by frequent Morris collaborator, Philip Glass.

A Brief History of Time
VHS cover
Directed byErrol Morris
Produced by
Written byStephen Hawking
Based onA Brief History of Time
by Stephen Hawking
StarringStephen Hawking
Music byPhilip Glass
Cinematography
Edited byBrad Fuller
Production
company
Distributed byTriton Pictures
Release date
  • October 1991 (1991-10) (Los Angeles)
  • January 1992 (1992-01) (Sundance)
  • August 21, 1992 (1992-08-21)
Running time
80 minutes
Country
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
  • Japan
LanguageEnglish
Box office$2.3 million[1]

The film project originated with executive producer Gordon Freedman who brought the project to Anglia Television as a co-producer. After acquiring the property, Freedman met with director Steven Spielberg for advice on how to make the project into an important documentary film. Spielberg suggested Errol Morris as director. Freedman's production company partnered with Anglia Television and Tokyo Broadcasting. David Hickman, of Anglia, became the film's producer.

Production

Due to the fact that Errol Morris adapts the documentary A Brief History of Time from Stephen Hawking's book A Brief History of Time: From The Big Bang to Blackholes, much of Morris's directing and editing work was dedicated to formating the fixed theoretical science about the origins of the universe alongside that of his subject, Hawking, who had quite the aversion to featuring his personal life in the film.[3] In addition, Morris only had a few days of access to film and interview Stephen Hawking. Because of Hawking's ALS, a disease that progressively affects nerve cells within the spine and brain,[4] Morris had to navigate around and with the tools, Hawking used to communicate, such as his computer-based communication system, which included a voicebox. Hawking's battery-powered system, sponsored and provided by Intel Corporation[5] is seen and heard in various shots throughout the film A Brief History of Time. Morris, with his production crew that consisted of John Bailey, cinematographer, and Phillip Glass, music composer, address the many challenges and restraints that come from Hawking as a passive observer, therefore, the many stylized interview sequences, humorous graphic illustrations, as well as the hypnotic function of music is critical to the wonder and fascination that stems from this documentary.[6] As time was of the essence during the production of this film, the interviews were shot on set stages as opposed to being shot in actual homes.[7]

Sound/Music/Score

In regards to the sound, music, and score featured in the film A Brief History of Time, Morris employed Phillip Glass to create the soundtrack.[8]

Soundtrack
A Brief History of Time
Soundtrack album by
Phillip Glass
Released2015
LabelOrange Mountain Music
ProducerKurt Munkacsi
No.TitleLength
1."Brief History of Time Title"1:29
2."Mysterious No. 4"3:36
3."Bombs with Fidelity"2:22
4."Slow, Simple, Sad No. 3"3:50
5."Mysterious No. 1" 
6."Slow, Simple, Sad No. 4"3:57
7."Mysterious No. 2"2:42
8."Hawking Radiation"1:42
9."Bombs"2:47
10."Dice"2:11
11."Hawking-Radiation with Brass"1:43
12."Climbing the Stairs"1:23
13."End with Strings and Trumpets"2:17
14."Melody in Major"3:10
15."Signature"2:54
16."Utility No. 1"3:32
17."House"2:06
18."Closing No. 1"3:28
19."End Credits Arpeggio and Brass"2:11
20."End Credits Major and Minor"4:48

Reception

A Brief History of Time received largely positive reviews. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently holds a 93% rating based on 15 reviews.[9] On Metacritic, the film has a 78/100 rating based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[10]

Availability

The film was released on VHS in the early 1990s, but remained unreleased via DVD and Blu-ray until 2014, when The Criterion Collection issued a release on April 15, 2014.

References
  1. "A Brief History of Time (1992)". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  2. "A Brief History of Time Transcript". ErrolMorris.com. 2009. Retrieved March 11, 2008.
  3. Tobias, Scott. "A Brief History Of Time". The Dissolve. Pitchfork Media Inc. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  4. Association, ALS. "About ALS". ALSA. The ALS Association. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  5. Hawking, Stephen. "The Computer". Hawking.
  6. Tobias, Scott. "A Brief History of Time". The Dissolve. Pitchfork Media Inc. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  7. Resha, David (2010). The Cinema of Errol Morris. Wesleyan University Press. p. 88. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  8. Glass, Phillip. "A Brief History of Time". PhillipGlass. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  9. "A Brief History of Time". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  10. "A Brief History of Time". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
Awards
Preceded by
American Dream		 Sundance Grand Jury Prize: Documentary
1992		 Succeeded by
Children of Fate
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