The Kings Speech

Tonight, for our weekly date night, my wife and I went to the movies and saw The Kings Speech. Speaking as one who has struggled with speech difficulties in my youth, and who still wrestles with a tongue and brain that often operate at different speeds, this one really hit home.

For those not familiar, the movie is about King George VI of England. He ascended to the throne in the late 1930's shortly before the advent of World War II. The thrust of the story revolved around the king working with an expert to overcome a pronounced and debilitating stutter. Colin Firth delivered an outstanding performance as King George VI. Geoffrey Rush was excellent as well, playing Lionel Logue, the therapist who worked with the king.

Beyond the technical performance of portraying a man who had stuttered his entire life, Mr Firth really gave life to the anguish and rage of a man whose thoughts were so often trapped within his own mouth. I highly encourage those of you who still appreciate quality acting, character development and story over the fx and glitter of the latest Bay/Spielberg/Lucas OCD popcorn flick, I highly recommend the film.