The King s Speech

Stammering can be problematic for carrying on normal conversations. Imagine a head of state battling to overcome the propensity to cut words short and utter incompressible sentence. This is the main theme of the Academy Award nominated film, The King’s Speech. Written by David Seidler, The King’s Speech follows King George VI’s life as he attempts to overcome acute stuttering. Played by Lionel Logue, King George VI sees an Australian speech therapist played by Geoffrey Rush. The two men become friends, as the new king asks the speech therapist to help him deliver his first wartime radio broadcast. Historical accounts depicted in the film have received veracity from noted British historians, especially those who specialise in British government topics of the 20th century. Nine weeks before filming The King’s Speech, Seidler found Logue’s notebooks that included quotations that the writer placed into the final script. Most of the movie’s scenes were shot in London during the coldest and bleakest time of year. The dreary backdrop enhanced the aura of wartime London. Indoor scenes were shot at the Lancaster House, as a substitution for Buckingham Palace. The King’s Speech opened to sold out theatres and considerable critical success. The only issue the movie faced was the fluctuation between rating levels due to profanity in the film. Eventually, censors revised the ratings down to account for muting of most of the profanity. Critics and audiences alike praised the film for its visual appeal, art direction, and tremendous acting. The film grossed more than any other film on its opening weekend, taking in more than £3.51 million from 395 cinemas. After a few weeks drawing rave reviews in the United Kingdom, the producers of The King’s Speech brought the movie into American theatres.