The King's Speech (2010)

The story of King George VI of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it.

Director:

Tom Hooper

Writer:

David Seidler (screenplay)

Stars:

Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter

Won 4 Oscars. Another 102 wins & 194 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Colin Firth	...	King George VI
Helena Bonham Carter	...	Queen Elizabeth
Derek Jacobi	...	Archbishop Cosmo Lang
Robert Portal	...	Equerry
Richard Dixon	...	Private Secretary
Paul Trussell	...	Chauffeur
Adrian Scarborough	...	BBC Radio Announcer
Andrew Havill	...	Robert Wood
Charles Armstrong	...	BBC Technician
Roger Hammond	...	Dr. Blandine Bentham
Geoffrey Rush	...	Lionel Logue
Calum Gittins	...	Laurie Logue
Jennifer Ehle	...	Myrtle Logue
Dominic Applewhite	...	Valentine Logue
Ben Wimsett	...	Anthony Logue

Storyline

Britain's Prince Albert must ascend the throne as King George VI, but he has a speech impediment. Knowing that the country needs her husband to be able to communicate effectively, Elizabeth hires Lionel Logue, an Australian actor and speech therapist, to help him overcome his stammer. An extraordinary friendship develops between the two men, as Logue uses unconventional means to teach the monarch how to speak with confidence.

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Plot Keywords:

speech | king | speech therapist | speech impediment | king george vi | 

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Taglines:

When his nation needed a leader, when the people needed a voice, an ordinary man would help him find the courage.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [France]

Country:

UK USA Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

El discurso del rey

Filming Locations:

Halton House, Halton, Wendover, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$355,450, 28 November 2010, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$138,797,449

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$373,700,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

See-Saw Films, The Weinstein Company, UK Film Council

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Helena Bonham Carter and Derek Jacobi would later go on to star in Disney's 2015 live-action of Cinderella (2015).

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Goofs

In the final speech, King George VI has one blue eye and one brown eye. Colin Firth had lost a contact lens.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Title Card: 1925 / King George V reigns over a quarter of the world's people. He asks his second son, the Duke of York, to give the closing speech at the Empire Exhibition in Wembley, London.

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Crazy Credits

In the end credit roll, Philip Clements is listed twice as Assistant Sound Editor.

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Connections

Referenced in Laserdisc Memories: If I Picked the Oscars (2011)

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Soundtracks

I Love You Truly
Written by Carrie Jacobs Bond and Irving King
Performed by Al Bowlly with Ray Noble (uncredited) and His Orchestra
Published by Campbell Connelly & Co Ltd.
Master courtesy of Decca Music Group Ltd.
Unde license from Universal Music Operations Ltd.

User Reviews

Brilliant movie!

This is a biopic about how King George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II, overcame his stuttering problem. Widely considered by all but his father unfit to be king, George is reluctantly thrust unto the throne and into the spotlight after his brother is forced to abdicate. Overshadowed on the global stage by powerful orators like Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini, the King relies on the help of a little-known Australian speech therapist named Lionel Logue to find his voice and courageously lead his people into the most devastating war humanity has ever faced.

This is a powerful, hilarious and deeply moving story, told against the backdrop of a critical juncture in modern history, of the emergence of a deep friendship out of a professional relationship between two men who would otherwise never have socially interacted. The screenplay, written by David Seidler (who also wrote Tucker: The Man and his Dream), is excellent. The dry British wit is hilarious. I was literally slapping my knee during some of the scenes. Tom Hooper (Elizabeth I) does a superb job directing this movie. The buildup to the climactic finale is skillfully executed and prompted the audience to erupt into spontaneous applause. (Apparently, this also happened at the Roy Thomson Hall premiere.) Geoffrey Rush (Elizabeth: The Golden Age) does a fantastic job as Lionel Logue and Colin Firth (A Single Man) is excellent as King George VI.

I saw the second public screening of this movie at the Ryerson Theater during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Tom Hooper was present to introduce the movie. He was joined by Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush after the movie ended for a brief Q&A.

It turns out that David Seidler also had a stuttering problem as a child and drew inspiration from the king's struggle. Early in his career he wanted to write a screenplay about it. He dutifully asked the Queen Mother for permission. She agreed but told him "not in my lifetime". Little did he know she would live to be 101 and he would have to wait another 30 years.

Another interesting tidbit we learned was that near the end of the shoot, the crew finally located one of Lionel Logue's grandsons, who just so happened to live about 10 minutes away from the director. They got access to Lionel's diaries and correspondence and managed to incorporate some of it into the script.

This movie is an unqualified must see.