The King's Speech

On the eve of the Oscars, we ventured out to see the film that everyone commends. We were not disappointed.

The basic plot suggests a sleepy flick: The king to be, the Duke of Windsor, has a serious speech impediment. With the spurring of his dear wife, he seeks a tutor for help. Then he gets lessons. His speech improves. Zzzzzz.....

Wait! Don't doze off just yet! This tightly wound, brilliant story is a tour de force that will grab you out of your seat and launch you into a story that intrigues with its wit, style, grace, language, and elegance. With Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth at the helm, what else would you expect?

For folks like Valerie and me, who have devoted the better part of our lives to teaching, the film pays homage to the wonder of instruction. The tutor who guides the king toward overcoming his speech impediment is a glorious example of a teacher at his finest: caretaker of the soul, shaper of the mind, guardian of dreams....at once friend, helper, scolder, complimenter, and most of all, sharer of knowledge.

We viewers witness the power of psychology, something new to the folks of the 1930's, even with the advent of Freud. Watch the teacher help the learner build self-esteem on the road to recovery. The fun here? The Duke is such an uptight, stodgy Brit that the the good teacher must get him to sing, swear, indeed be one of the people, in order to gain ease of speech.

PS: Prediction (made the eve of the Oscars): The King's Speech will capture Best Film. Colin Firth will win Best Actor, Geoffrey Rush Best Supporting Actor, and Helene Bonham Carter Best Supporting Actress. Best actress: Natalie Portman (see our discussion below).

Need I say more? Bottom line: Run out and see this film masterpiece!