The King's Speech Movie Info After the death of his father King George V (2010) (Michael Gambon) and the scandalous abdication of King Edward VIII (Guy Pearce), Bertie (Colin Firth) who has suffered from a debilitating speech impediment all his life, is suddenly crowned King George VI of England. With his country on the brink of war and in desperate need of a leader, his wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), the future Queen Mother, arranges for her husband to see an eccentric speech therapist, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). After a rough start, the two delve into an unorthodox course of treatment Cinematic release poster (Wikipedia) and eventually form an unbreakable bond. With the support of Logue, his family, his government and Winston Churchill (Timothy Spall), the King will overcome his stammer TOMATOMETER and deliver a radio-address that inspires his people and unites them in battle. Based on All Critics the true story of King George VI, THE KING'S SPEECH follows the Royal Monarch's quest 94 to find his voice. -- (C) Weinstein Average Rating: 8.6/10 Reviews Counted: 235 Fresh: 221 | Rotten: 14 PG-13, 1 hr. 58 min. Drama Top Critics Directed By: Tom Hooper Written By: David Seidler In Theaters: Nov 26, 2010 Limited 96 On DVD: Apr 19, 2011 Average Rating: 8.9/10 Critic Reviews: 45 Fresh: 43 | US Box Office:$138.8M Rotten: 2 The Weinstein Company Colin Firth gives a masterful performance in The King's Speech, a predictable but stylishly [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_kings_speech/] produced and rousing period drama. AUDIENCE 92 liked it Average Rating: 4.3/5 User Ratings: 134,610 and distributors in the UK and some instances of swearing were muted in the US. On a budget of £8 million, it earned over $400 million internationally The King's (£250 million). It was widely praised by film critics for its visual style, art direction, and acting. Other Speech commentators discussed the film's representation of historical detail, especially the reversal of Winston Churchill's opposition to abdication. The film received From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia many awards and nominations, particularly for Colin Firth's performance; his Golden Globe Award for Best The King's Speech is a 2010 British historical Actor was the sole win at that ceremony from seven drama film directed by Tom Hooper and written by nominations. The King's Speech won seven British David Seidler. Colin Firth plays King George VI Academy Film Awards, including Best Picture, and Best who, to cope with a stammer, sees Lionel Logue, Actor (Firth), Best Supporting Actor (Rush), and Best an Australian speech therapist played by Geoffrey Supporting Actress (Helena Bonham Carter). The film Rush. The men become friends as they work also won four Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best together, and after his brother abdicates the throne, Director (Hooper), Best Actor (Firth), and Best Original the new King relies on Logue to help him make his Screenplay (Seidler). first wartime radio broadcast on Britain's declaration of war on Germany in 1939. Plot Seidler read about George VI's life after Prince Albert, Duke of York, the second son of King overcoming a stuttering condition he endured George V, stammers through his speech closing the during his youth. He started writing about the 1925 British Empire Exhibition at Wembley Stadium, relationship between the monarch and his therapist while the resulting ordeal is being broadcast by radio as early as the 1980s, but at the request of the worldwide. The Duke has given up hope of a cure, but his King's widow, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, wife Elizabeth persuades him to see Lionel Logue, an postponed work until her death in 2002. He later Australian speech therapist in London. During their first rewrote his screenplay for the stage to focus on the session, Logue breaches royal etiquette by referring to essential relationship between the two protagonists. the Prince as "Bertie," a name used by his family. When Nine weeks before filming began, Logue's the Duke decides Logue's methods and manner are notebooks were discovered and quotations from unsuitable, Logue wagers a shilling that the Duke can them were incorporated into the script. recite Hamlet's "To be, or not to be" soliloquy without trouble while listening to "The Marriage of Figaro" on Principal photography took place in London and headphones. Logue records his performance on a around Britain from November 2009 to January acetate record. Convinced he has stammered 2010. The opening scenes were filmed at Elland throughout, Prince Albert leaves in anger, declaring his Road, Leeds and Odsal Stadium, Bradford, both condition "hopeless" and dismissing Logue. Logue offers locations standing in for the old Wembley Stadium. him the recording as a keepsake. For indoor scenes, Lancaster House substituted for Buckingham Palace, and Ely Cathedral stood in for Westminster Abbey. The weaving mill scene was filmed at the Queens street weaving mill in Harle Syke, Burnley, Lancs, believed to be the only working weaving mill left in the country. The cinematography differs from that of other historical dramas: hard light was used to give the story a greater resonance and wider than normal lenses were employed to recreate the King's feelings of constriction. A third technique Hooper employed was the off-centre framing of characters: in his first consultation with Logue, George VI is captured 1934 photograph of George V delivering the Royal Christmas Message; hunched on the side of a couch at the edge of the an image recreated in the film frame. After King George V makes his 1934 Christmas radio Released in the United Kingdom on 7 January address, he explains to his son the importance of 2011, The King's Speech was a major box office broadcasting to a modern monarchy. He declares that and critical success. Censors initially gave it adult "David" (Edward, Prince of Wales), Albert's older brother ratings due to profanity, though these were later and the heir to the throne, will bring ruin to himself, the revised downwards after criticism by the makers family, and the country when he accedes to the throne. King George demands that Albert train himself, has no formal qualifications, as initially assumed by him. starting with a reading of his father's speech. He When confronted, Logue explains how he was asked to makes an agonising attempt to do so. help shell-shocked Australian soldiers returning from the First World War. When George VI remains unconvinced Later, the Duke plays Logue's recording and hears of his fitness for the throne, Logue sits in King Edward's himself unhesitatingly reciting Shakespeare. He Chair and dismisses the underlying Stone of Scone as a decides to return to Logue, where he and his wife trifle. Goaded by Logue's seeming disrespect, the King both insist that Logue focus only on physical surprises himself with his own sudden burst of outraged exercises. Logue teaches his patient muscle eloquence. relaxation and breath control techniques but continues to probe gently and persistently at the Upon the declaration of war with Nazi Germany in psychological roots of the stutter. The Duke September 1939, George VI summons Logue to eventually reveals some of the pressures of his Buckingham Palace to prepare for his upcoming radio childhood, and the two men start to become address to millions of listeners in Britain and the Empire. friends. The King and Logue are left in the room. He delivers his speech competently, while Logue guides him. By the end In January 1936, George V dies, and David of his speech, George VI is speaking freely with little to ascends the throne as King Edward VIII, but no guidance from Logue. Afterwards, the King and his causes a constitutional crisis with his determination family step onto the balcony of the palace, and are to marry Mrs. Wallis Simpson, an American applauded by the thousands who have gathered. socialite divorcée who is still legally married to her second husband. At a party in Balmoral Castle, A title card explains that Logue was always present at Albert points out that Edward, as head of the King George VI's speeches during the war, and that they Church of England, cannot marry Mrs. Simpson, remained friends for the rest of their lives. even if she receives her second divorce; Edward accuses his brother of wanting to usurp his place. Cast • Colin Firth as King George VI • Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue • Helena Bonham Carter as Queen Elizabeth • Guy Pearce as King Edward VIII • Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill • Derek Jacobi as Archbishop Cosmo Lang • Jennifer Ehle as Myrtle Logue • Anthony Andrews as Stanley Baldwin • Claire Bloom as Queen Mary • Eve Best as Wallis Simpson • Freya Wilson as Princess Elizabeth • Tim Downie as the Duke of Gloucester • Roger Hammond as Dr. Blandine Bentham • Ramona Marquez as Princess Margaret Firth and Bonham Carter as the Duke and Duchess of York • Michael Gambon as King George V At his next session, Albert expresses his frustration that his speech has improved while talking to most people—except his own brother. Albert reveals the Production extent of Edward VIII's folly with Mrs. Simpson. When Logue insists that Albert could be a good king instead of his brother, the latter labels such a Development suggestion as treason, and in his anger, mocks and dismisses Logue. When King Edward VIII abdicates “Not a great deal was written about His Majesty's speech to marry Mrs. Simpson, Albert accedes as King therapist, Lionel Logue, certainly not in the official George VI. The new King and Queen visit Logue at biographies.