The King's Speech

As an avid movie lover, I have a goal of watching every Best Picture Oscar winner ever made. I’ve seen quite a few, but it will take me a while to get to them all. This year’s winner, The King’s Speech, has been lauded as one of the best movies in recent history, so I was eager to check it out.

The movie revolves around the stutter of England’s Prince Albert (Colin Firth). The prince was required to make an address to the nation once a year and dreaded the notion due to his stutter. His wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) wants to help him control his stutter and finds a speech therapist, Lionel (Geoffrey Rush). Albert thinks Lionel is an impudent commoner and refuses the therapy.

Things begin to change for Albert when his father dies and his brother ascends to the throne as King Edward the VIII. Unfortunately, his brother is in love with a twice-divorced American and his refusal to break off the relationship is a concern for the royal family and the government of England. Albert realizes he will be pressed into the role of king when he brother is forced to abdicate the throne.

This knowledge forces Albert to re-evaluate the stutter that continues to plague him. Knowing a life of public speaking is in his future, Albert decides to give Lionel another chance. Even though the therapy is unconventional, Albert begins to see improvement and continues to work on his stutter. As the therapy progresses, the two men grow to become friends, mainly because Lionel treats the King as a man and not royalty. This causes Albert to trust Lionel more than his other advisors.

The King’s Speech earns five solid stars. Everything from the title (which can be taken two ways) to the scenery is perfect. I am a huge fan of Colin Firth and can’t imagine anyone portraying a more dashing or vulnerable king. Geoffrey Rush is a phenomenal actor and you really see a genuine affection between the two main characters. The writing is sharp, the pace is perfect and the movie is shot beautifully. The King’s Speech certainly deserved to win the Best Picture Oscar and is a movie not to be missed.

Michelle D. Kieffaber