The King's Speech (DVD, 2011)

The Kings Speech is a wonderful gem that centers around the stuttering English Prince Albert and how he came to over come it with the aid of Australian Lionel Logue.

The cast is well chosen. Colin Firth (Nanny Mcvie) does a marvelous job playing the prince who would be king. Geoffrey Rush (Pirates of the Caribbean) cleans up well from his pirate days to become Prince Alberts speech therapist. From what I consider a welcome change of pace, Helena Boham Carter (almost any Tim Burton film and the Harry Potter series) proves she is just as good playing a heroine as a villain. In a similar vein, Timothy Spall (Harry Potter series, Enchanted) makes convincing cameo appearances as Winston Churchill.

The movie itself is a slightly rose colored version of historical events (notably, Churchill did not provide the moral support as portrayed in the movie), but this is a very welcome change in todays world where Realism has been sadly confused with Revisionist History. Yes, the people who led the Allied nations were human and yes, they did make mistakes and had flaws. This should not take away from the fact that they overcame personal handicaps, faced very real dangers, made hard choices at great personal sacrifice and inspired millions of others to do the same.

Prince Albert really did have a stuttering problem and he really did have a commoner help him with it. His wife really was devoted to him and really was beloved by her people. Adolph Hitler really did want to elevate his people at the expense of other nations and too many people really would have been happy to let him rather than inconvenience themselves.

Whatever minor historical liberties were taken, The Kings Speech is spot on with regards to showing all these dynamics. We see Hitler determined to go to war regardless of how many peace offerings he is given. We see Alberts older brother, King Edward, choose the love of a woman rather than be a king when his nation was on the brink of war. We see Prince Albert, who would have been happy to remain a Prince and hide his stuttering from the world, first overcome his personal handicap, then take a job he did not want and finally lead his nation in the most destructive war in history.

The Kings Speech is not only an inspirational and enjoyable movie, but it is a fitting tribute to one of the most important (and sadly one of the most overlooked) leaders of the 20th Century and shines just as well on those who were there for him when he needed them the most.

If you are a history buff like myself, and fascinated by the life of British Royalty, than this film is a must-own and must-see. I hadn't known that King George VI had a speech problem, but the dynamic between him and Aussie Lionel Logue.
The friendship is beautiful and touching, illustrating agape in its truest form. It's also very inspiring and each actor and actress truly shines in this gem.

This was one of the best films I have seen in years. Seeing someone overcoming such insurmountable obstacles is inspiring and uplifting, and more than what meets the eye is evident in this film. King George V not only stuttered, but he was abused as a child, particularly in toddlerhood, by being beaten, starved, and neglected-surprising disadvantages for a young prince! As a training psychologist, these abuses at this critical age all contribute to a speech impediment, and because not only these atrocities transpired, but the fact that the young prince was left-handed but “corrected” into being right-handed also confuses the brain synapses producing a stammer. This award-winning film is a must-see for anyone but is particularly recommended for those who are overcoming any of their own personal challenges.

This movie won the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director. The true story about King George the IV, who had the stuttering problem since childhood. If you like British Royalty, this movie is for you. Well written and Directed by Tom Hopper.

This is a wonderful DVD - great script, great acting, and very interesting extras.

I saw this movie when it was first released in the theaters and I have to say I will be watching it over and over again - each time I watch I see more of the details of the acting and the wonderful setting of the 1920s and 1930s in Britain.

I am from England and can say that Helena Bonham Carters portrayal of Queen Elizabeth (more recently know as the Queen Mother - she died recently at age 102) is absolutely superb - she depicted all of the Queen Mothers mannerisms of speech and especially movement - particularly the little head cock she would do to engage people. In an interview Helena quoted a biography saying that Elizabeth Bowes Lyon (as she was before marrying the future George VI) was a ...marshmallow created with welding equipment... and she captured that perfectly on screen.

Would recommend highly!*!