Director Jon Amiel's biopic explores the crisis of faith suffered by evolutionary scientist Charles Darwin (Paul Bettany). About to publish the book that would question God's role in creation, Darwin is forced to come to terms with how it will affect his deeply religious wife, Emma (Jennifer Connelly). In addition to his concerns about Emma, the worsening ill health of his beloved daughter Annie soon leads Darwin into a reassessment of his life's work, as he begins to fully realise the impact his theory will have on society.