Mark's Blog

George VI, King of England

For those of you who never watch R-rated movies as a matter of principle, this film is an example of why I differ with you.  No sex, no violence, no battle scenes, no mafia—in spite of all of these deficits, The King’s Speech (2010) is a movie you need to see!

It is not for children, but only because the film addresses adult issues in a thoughtful way. And I am not using the word adult as a code word for anything immoral. You may be offended by some of the language, but if you can get past that, you have the opportunity to be inspired.

The King’s Speech is based upon the true story of Albert Frederick Arthur George, Duke of York, who became King George VI of England quite unexpectedly! He was the second son of King George V and second in the line of succession after his older brother Edward.  Upon their father’s death in 1936, Edward ascended the throne as Edward VIII, but in less than a year, he abdicated the throne in order to marry the twice-divorced American Wallace Simpson.  That is about as racy as this story gets.

Colin Firth does an outstanding job of playing the stammering duke and reluctant king. He brings to the role both the inherent haughtiness of royalty as well as the naiveté of royals about the common life and life of commoners.

Helena Bonham Carter plays a winsome Elizabeth, Albert’s beloved wife. She is extraordinary in those scenes where she is mistaken for Mrs. Johnson and then in that moment where she is revealed as the queen to the wife of Lionel Logue, the king’s speech therapist.

Lionel Logue, played magnificently by Geoffrey Rush, would steal the show in any other film without Colin Firth. While the king’s stammer is the problem, Lionel Logue is the character that moves the entire film along, ultimately, bringing all things to resolution.  His grandson Mark would describe him as the man who saved the British monarchy.

Director Tom Hopper once again, as he did in the fantastic John Adams mini-series, brings the humanity of his characters to the forefront without diminishing the historical context within which they lived. Ultimately we realize that the king’s impediment has much more to do with his self-image than anything mechanical. All who know him see his strength of character. I especially love the scene when his wife returns in their conversation to their days of courtship and talks about the wonderful, stammering man she fell in love with!

It is just these touching moments—completely British, i.e., understated and devoid of anything maudlin—that makes this such a classy film.  Another such moment is the first meeting of the new king with his daughters Elizabeth and Margaret.

But the unexpected friendship of the king of England with a most common, untrained but highly inventive and extraordinarily intuitive speech therapist is the crux of the story. The unlikely relationship is as it should be: unlikely, unpredictable, embarrassing sometimes, painful, and often rocky as these two men look for what they need.

How they help each other is a matter of history, so there are no surprises, but it makes the film all the more pleasurable that it is based on fact, not fiction.

The reason it is rated R is for some use of dirty words, which is part of the duke’s speech therapy and one of the most comical scenes in the film.  Even the children in the story who overhear the patient swearing are offended, so it is not meant to be titillating.

With just enough humor and with great wit, and perhaps even better pathos, a wonderful story is told of a historical time and place, of class struggle, but primarily of the human need for love and friendship. This film deserves all of the honors and awards it will certainly receive.