Cast and Producing Team from The King’s Speech at the New York City premiere
The King’s Speech, winner of the Toronto International Film Festival’s People’s Choice Award was directed by Tom Hooper and stars Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. About the relationship between the then Duke of York, known to his family as “Bertie” and his speech therapist, Lionel Logue, it tells the story of overcoming a challenge. As the “spare” Bertie (played by Firth) was never trained to be king, so growing up, his stammer was not corrected. There was no need, since he wouldn’t have to speak to millions of people at a time. However, that was all about to change. The dawn of the twentieth century brought in radio, meaning that many more people could hear him speak and stutter – not a good thing when you’re the Duke of York.
His wife, then known as Elizabeth, Duchess of York (Helena Bonham Carter), sought out a speech therapist. She found Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), an Australian and unorthodox teacher to help Bertie overcome his problem. The elecution lessons proved to benefit Bertie when his older brother, King Edward VIII (known to the family as David) abdicated the throne to marry for love. Bertie, being the next in line, became George VI and led Britain through the Second World War, with Logue helping him prior to every speech.
Firth and the rest of the cast and crew definitely deserve the kudos that this film has been getting. Firth, who has come a long way since playing Mr. Darcy in the 1995 production of Pride and Prejudice, was very much believable as George VI/Bertie, despite being at least 10 years too old for the role and looking nothing like him. Helen Bonham Carter, throughout the film truly captured the woman who was eventually known as the “Queen Mum.” Rush’s portrayal of Lionel Logue, the Australian immigrant and some time actor was a complete contrast to Firth’s Bertie in terms of his airs and graces (Logue refused to treat Bertie as a royal, opting to call him “Bertie” rather than Your Royal Highness and “Sir”).
Despite the acclaim this film has had, there have been some critics. Historians, for example, have said that the film is inaccurate, as it made it seem as though Logue wasn’t sought until the 1930s. In reality, Logue was working with the Duke of York since at least the 1920s. Others are complaining at the fact that the film is not going to be in wide release until Christmas Day (it is currently playing in two theatres in Toronto). Yet others think that this film is nothing but “Oscar bait,” capturing everything an award-winning film must have, including “real people”, challenges (stuttering as well as The Duke of York’s sudden accension to the throne) and controversy (Logue’s methods in addition to Edward VIII’s abdication) and that it really isn’t that great at all. However, without them, would there even be a story? I guess people had to come up with something to criticize, since the film is near perfection.
The King’s Speech opens in wide release in North America on December 25. It is also up for seven Golden Globe awards.
