The Theory of Flight

A story of unlikely love and friendship, The Theory of Flight takes a warm and witty look at a man and a woman brought together by the sheer power of fate. Academy Award® nominated actors Helena Bonham Carter and Kenneth Branagh star in this journey of the heart, based on a true story, that pairs a frustrated artist and a fiercely driven young woman who, together, find the strength to challenge the boundaries that imprison them - body and mind. Richard (Branagh) is a troubled man whose dreams of taking flight have landed him on the wrong side of the law. In lieu of jail time, he is sentenced to community service. Thus it is that Richard meets Jane (Bonham Carter), a feisty woman with progressive Motor Neuron Disease, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease or ALS, as her caretaker. Far from what he expects, Jane is a constant revelation. Unbowed by the devastating nature of her disease, Jane is at once witty, petulant, acerbically honest and tenaciously passionate. Clearly a woman on a mission, Jane is determined to experience love and a mature sexual relationship before it is too late. When Jane enlists Richard's help in achieving this unusual goal, the result is a series of humorous and poignant escapades in which they each come to understand something about the pursuit of fulfillment on one's own terms. Equipped with a ferocious mental tenacity, Jane finds in Richard the strength to challenge the limits of her handicap and she, in turn, inspires Richard to find direction in his otherwise drifting existence.