Top Movie Pick for the Third Day of Christmas - The King's Speech

Had your complete fill of Christmas specials, one more sugary take on the holiday family flick? Refreshing, top pick for serious movie-goers this end of the holiday season is the newly released The King's Speech.

An absolutely gorgeous rendition of a remarkable, true story behind the making of a king. Chronic stutterer, George VI, father of England's present long-reigning Queen Elizabeth II was stuck between a rock and a hard place to say the least after his errant brother Edward (David - to the Royal Family) fell hook, line and sinker for one Mrs. Wallis Simpson of Baltimore, two-time divorcee.

George (Bertie) reluctantly assumed the throne following his brother's infamous abdication (long before the scandals of grandson Charles and his Camilla). In order to get the better of his crippling speech impediment, the skills of an unorthodox self-trained Aussie speech therapist, Lionel Logue were a last, desperate resort for a monarch facing the onset of war.

Colin Firth is sublime as 'Bertie' and on-screen wife Helena Bonham Carter's reprieve from the sorts of  blood-curdling roles she's favored of late (Harry Potter, Sweeney Todd) was pure casting brilliance.

Geoffrey Rush as Logue gives Firth a run for his money in Golden Globe and no doubt Oscar nominations. The King's Speech is a delicious treat for English language lovers and period drama addicts.

 

Comments

[Jennifer Robin]

My father is a severe stutterer, and like Queen Elizabeth I grew up with a Daddy that had difficulty speaking. I saw this movie with my family and we agreed that the portrayal of stuttering and the successful use of therapy was very accurate. My dad, like Bertie, is also extremely courageous.

[Frances]

Thanks Jennifer for your comment. I was incredibly moved by Firth's performance and the the courage he portrayed in Bertie's determination to speak with clarity and confidence before the world. I have a brother-in-law who grew up with a stutter, and was also left handed, as was King George. It's a fascinating field and one that lent itself powerfully to the subject of such a significant movie.