If You Love All Things English, You'll Love 'The King's Speech' [Movie]

Fox News ^ | 12/12/10 | James P. Pinkerton

[Dr. Scarpetta]

You will love “The King’s Speech,” a new movie about Great Britain in the '30s, a time of hesitation and then greatness, when the country reluctantly faced up to the challenge of Hitler and Nazism, two years before the United States similarly faced up.

As with many great films, “Speech” is a personal movie inside a historical movie.

The “personal” movie is the story of a character struggling to overcome a disability.

In “Speech,” the drama is the true story of the future King George VI, who had suffered from a severe stammer all his life.

The story begins in 1925, when Prince Albert (he didn’t take on the name “George” until he assumed the throne in 1936), attempts to give a brief speech at Wembley Stadium outside of London.

It’s a painful scene to watch, as the prince struggles to get his words out, as tens of thousands look on--and then look away from the pitiful spectacle.

After that embarrassment, he resolves never again to make a fool of himself in public.

Yet by the mid-30s, George V is dying, and it becomes obvious that the older brother is unqualified to be king.

Indeed, the stakes are now high: George V observes that Adolf Hitler seeks to control one half of Europe, and Josef Stalin seeks to control the other half. So what will England do?

The new medium of radio made it possible for a single leader to communicate across the planet. Hitler was doing it, with his message of hateful propaganda, and so his opponents had to master the radio waves.

Realizing that history would summon him to duty, like it or not, our prince--played with Oscar-grabbing understatement and poignancy by Colin Firth--resolves to improve his speech, seeking out the best speech therapists in London.

[JoeProBono]

Lehigh

[Dr. Scarpetta]

We saw The King’s Speech at the 19th St. Theater on Sat, and it was packed.

[rabidralph]

I loooove Stoudt's!!!

[Dr. Scarpetta]

Stoudt’s looks nice....I never heard of it.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

[rabidralph]

I sometimes go to PA on business and I looked up the Berks Co. tourist site and found Stoudt's. It's a brewery with a restaurant attached. And the street that it's on is filled with antiques stores, so I was pretty happy. It's worth the trip. The walls are decorated with political memorabilia from the early 20th century. Very nice pub atmosphere, heavy, dark wood, classic pub railing, etc. And the food is great. The beer is even better.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

Thanks for the info about Stoudt’s. I’ll have to check it out when I get down that way.

[Lacey]

Looking forward to seeing this. We’re also enjoying Masterpiece Theater’s Downton Abbey currently running on PBS.

[Borges]

Did you see it? It’s outstanding.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

We’re also enjoying Masterpiece Theater’s Downton Abbey currently running on PBS.

I haven't been watching that. What's it about?

[Lacey]

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/

[nutmeg]

‘The Social Network’ is about smart young privileged people betraying each other and fighting over money. There are no heroes. You come away hating everyone. No love, no friendships, nothing said sincerely. It’s overwritten and glib and cynical, just like Sorkin’s old show ‘The West Wing.’ In short, easy to snicker at and digest — like the Twizzlers you just bought at the concession counter.

“The King’s Speech” makes grown men tear up and want to have a friend like Lionel Logue and marry a woman like Elizabeth. It never had a chance with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Thanks so much for your info about "The Social Network", Blue Ink. You're right about Aaron Sorkin being a liberal darling of Hollywood. Then again, all the "darlings" of modern-day Hollywood are liberals.

The way you describe Social Network is pretty much the way I envisioned it, based on the clips I've seen of the movie.

P.S. I loathe Twizzlers.

LOL... I'm kind of 50-50 on them, but I avoid them as they're loaded with sugar and carbs.

[pbear8]

We are watching that one too.

[Hildy]

Sometimes I believe our culture has reached a point so low, so crass, it cannot be redeemed.

Then I see a movie like this, and my fears for the future are arrested, for a bit at least. Wonderful movie, BRILLIANT performances and a great message. I don’t feel that way very often after leaving a movie theater these days.

[afraidfortherepublic]

We stole away this afternoon (my daughter and recuperating husband) to catch the matinee. What a delightful movie! Thank you so much for alerting me to it. I’d see it again in a heartbeat.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

We stole away this afternoon (my daughter and recuperating husband) to catch the matinee. What a delightful movie! Thank you so much for alerting me to it. I’d see it again in a heartbeat.

So glad you liked it!! I would love to see it again too.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

Wonderful movie, BRILLIANT performances and a great message. I don’t feel that way very often after leaving a movie theater these days.

I had the exact reaction you did. I grew up going to the movies, and I often want to go, but there's usually nothing that interests me...

[Dr. Scarpetta]

Thanks for the link. You can actually watch full episodes there.

[K-Stater]

A fantastic film. I’m not a big Geoffry Rush fan, but I thought he was unbelievable in this film. The way that he and Firth played off each other was spectatcular.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

A fantastic film. I’m not a big Geoffry Rush fan, but I thought he was unbelievable in this film. The way that he and Firth played off each other was spectatcular.

I totally agree! It was spectacular. I hope it wins the Academy Award, instead of Social Network.