A Brief History of Time

1991 1h 20m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

🔥

95%

CERTIFIED FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.3

IMDB

★7.2TMDB · 133🍅95%Rotten Tomatoes●78Metacritic★7.3IMDB · 5,992

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Partly adapted from cosmologist Stephen Hawking's popular book about his theories of the universe, this in-depth documentary also presents Hawking's daily life as he deals with the ALS that renders him virtually immobile and unable to speak without the use of a computer. Hawking's friends, family, former classmates and peers are interviewed about not only his theories but the man himself.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Stephen Hawking
Self
Isobel Hawking
Self - Stephen Hawking's Mother
Janet Humphrey
Self - Stephen Hawking's Aunt
Mary Hawking
Self - Stephen Hawking's Sister
Basil King
Self - Childhood Friend
Derek Powney
Self - Oxford Classmate
Norman Dix
Robert Berman
Self - Stephen Hawking's Tutor

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Errol Morris
Languages: English
Countries: Japan, United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

80 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

35 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: Japan, United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Errol Morris, shot by John Bailey. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Philip Glass. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Brad Fuller shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Stephen Hawking and Isobel Hawking and Janet Humphrey carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0103882 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Errol Morris directs. John Bailey behind the camera. Philip Glass scores. Brad Fuller cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan, United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

180 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
235 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3International production across 3 countries: Japan, United Kingdom, United States of America.
4Directed by Errol Morris, shot by John Bailey. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Philip Glass. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Brad Fuller shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Stephen Hawking and Isobel Hawking and Janet Humphrey carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0103882 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 11 themes, including "based on novel or book", "physics", "biography", "time".
10Released under 11 different titles around the world.