The Theory of Flight is a 1998 British comedy drama directed by Paul Greengrass from a screenplay written by Richard Hawkins.

Bonham Carter plays a woman with motor neurone disease, and the film deals with the sexuality of people with disabilities.

As a result of his actions Richard is sentenced to community service, in the form of caring for Jane, an ill-tempered woman who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and has driven away her previous carers.

Reluctantly Richard helps her search for an appropriate partner, while spending his free time building yet another experimental flying machine.

Richard books a hotel suite for Jane and pays the gigolo five hundred pounds, promising the rest later.

As Richard leaves for the bank job, the gigolo lays a very nervous Jane on the bed, but she begins panicking and decides she no longer wants to go through with it.