As we entered the theater to screen this unusually thoughtful film, a line for a more standard cinema experience wound around the building outside (likely lots of explosions). The Story of Everything has only one "explosion" (though, rather large), a singularity, more of a big bang really. My friend observed, “Interesting, that a film like this, where one has to engage one’s mind, doesn’t have an equally long line out the door.”

We enjoyed The Story of Everything with caveats (I'll get to those). But, I think that the bigger point is that films like these are important, though ironically most impactful to exactly the kind of people in the other line. Mind-engaging (and hopefully mind-expanding) films really ought be watched by exactly the kind of people who wouldn’t watch them. How to remedy that?

The Story of Everything sports excellent and elegant graphics to help explain either conceptually difficult topics or natural objects that are either too far or too tiny to actually see with your own eyes. The segment on DNA stands out as especially enlightening and visually demonstrated. In fact, I think that this is the goal of the film, to show you the absolute beauty of our natural world heightened by scientific revelations in a way that inspires you to believe in not just an intelligent designer, but to label that designer as God. That said, stating its agenda too loudly, subtracts a bit from the goal. The whole film presents its arguments with a bias toward a conclusion, and we know that bias from the beginning (given the context of the Christian-related previews that preceded). Btw, this has been the trend of documentaries, in general, for quite a while. After 90 minutes of amazing visuals and intimate interviews with experts meant to persuade us, why synthesize for us? Such resolutions/conclusions only plant the seed that we were presented slanted information from the outset. Why not present the fascinating evidence and leave us marveling, inspired to find a conclusion on our own, and starting meaningful discussions with our friends?

One last small bone, before I again praise/celebrate this film.... While I appreciate and even enjoyed the discourse that arose from couching the origin argument as essentially Divinely-Created or Mindlessly Here, I would have preferred consideration of other options. Why can't the answer be on a spectrum (instead of a polarizing choice of only two possible solutions)?

For example, when trying to solve the problem of Specified Design, we’re only presented with two possible answers: Intelligent Design or a wanky Multiverse Theory. Why not other options? Perhaps the universe has expanded, collapsed, expanded and collapsed, essentially rebirthing itself in randomly different arrangements a near infinite number of times until, by chance, a goldilocks galaxy eventually forms simply by random mathematical chance. I’m sure with enough imagination, curious folks could conjure scores of other interesting possible explanations to explore.

That said, I absolutely love thoughtful, philosophic discourse on cosmology. I could listen to Carl Sagan speak for hours. Considering the origins or even just the physics (as we best understand it) of the universe gives eye-opening, mind-opening and, yes, spirit-opening perspectives on our lives and how we fit in as individuals and as a species, and as a community of life on the third rock. And yes, I feel it does prompt questions of meaning and purpose as well.

I absolutely love the section on Beauty. A hummingbird hovers as it feeds from a flower, this is the first spectacular image. Conjecturing that evolution is not a good enough reason to explain all the beauty that surrounds us, the film presents a "beautiful" philosophic problem. I have often wondered why humans are given the "gift" (or is it simply an evolved trait?) of enjoying a sunset. Why does a sunset need to be beautiful to us? There are many many interesting answers, but this film is rather focused on one. I don’t mean to discount that one - not at all. In fact, the other other possible answers could easily have been put in place by that one. LOL.

So… though this is a bit of a mixed review, I think you can see by the thoughtfulness that both I (and now you by reading thus far) have given this film, that The Story of Everything is a resounding success. However created, the big and tiny of the universe is an absolute fantastical reality - a literal miracle. DNA instruct tiny organic mechanisms to build us. Each of us have a mind, and an individual way to perceive the world and ourselves. We live and die. All of this is absolutely miraculous. So I applaud movies like this that take us out of our small superficial personal life minutia, and remind us of the bigger magically amazing ocean in which we swim. Such a perspective serves to inspire and awe no matter the actual origin of the thing.

I'll end with a word that perhaps produced the other film (the one for which people lined up). What I appreciate about The Story of Everything is that it entertains, cajoles deep thinking, offers strong visuals and impassioned discussions, and most importantly encourages us to marvel.