Thursday, June 16, 2011

"The King's Speech"

Just realized I haven't posted anything here for several days. No excuse really, except that yesterday I was out mowing for about three hours. I think I'd better do the same today.

Last night we watched the movie "The King's Speech." I can relate because I stuttered when I was a child and had speech therapy for that and my lisp. In fact I still occasionally stutter a little when I'm very nervous or angry. I certainly didn't have it as bad as King George VI but then I didn't have his position in life (thank heaven), his belittling and exacting father (thank heaven), or family members making fun of me (thank heaven). The poor man; I felt so sad for him.

The speech therapy and the therapist in the movie are hilarious. I couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry at times, but it's all so well done that I found myself totally wrapped up in the movie.

Well, I was engrossed until I felt someone staring at me and discovered Scaredy Cat with her nose pressed up against the glass in the bottom of our combination back door gazing at me. She had brought two of her kittens over and they each had their front paws on the rim of the dry food bowl as they put their heads in to get pieces of it.

But back to the movie, the story ends as Great Britain declares war on Germany in World War II. The king, with his therapist standing in front of him like he's directing an orchestra, makes the radio speech to tell the British people it is war. All in all the movie is very moving, particularly when you keep in mind that it's a true story. The little girls who play the young princesses, Elizabeth and Margaret, are precious and their relationship with their father is a feel-good relief from the drama of the stuttering disability. I also admired his wife for her unflagging support and love.

I can certainly see why this movie won Academy Awards. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

8 comments:

  1. We watched it the other night too. I loved it, and was sobbing at the end (but that happens with me with animated movies too, so you can't tell by that!) :--)

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  2. I thoroughly enjoyed it too. In fact, now that it's on dvd, I want to see it again. I loved the actors and the plot, etc. but weren't the clothes and settings great to see? Took me back to the 1940s.

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  3. I loved The King's Speech as well. My brother stuttered as well as a child, but overcame it as an adult, except if he was nervous.

    Sounds like the cat is starting to trust you. I wish you could trap her and babies and take them to a shelter:(

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  4. Jill, You cry in animated movies? I think you must be related to my husband. :D

    Margot, The clothes were a blast from the past. The women looked so glamorous and the men very dignified. I had forgotten how women always wore dresses, even at home.

    Diane, I'm glad your brother conquered his stuttering too. My mother thought that and my lisp were "cute" but thankfully the school talked her into allowing me into speech therapy.

    Scaredy Cat was actually in the house this morning for a while. Her black and white baby, who I have named Cookie, is eating us out of house and home, but the others are still afraid so as yet they are unnamed. We plan to keep Scaredy Cat and one kitten who will be spayed or neutered, and take the others to a shelter, although the local shelter is overwhelmed with unwanted pets at the moment.

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  5. This one sounds really great, and I loved the story about the cats interrupting you in the middle of it :)

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  6. Barbara,
    Yes, I not only cry in animated movies, but you should have seen me TOTALLY SOBBING last night when we watched a movie I got from seeing the previews when we rented The King's Speech, which was "Mao's Last Dance." Jim was crying too, but I was in the sob zone. And it was NOT a SAD movie! :--)

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  7. I have yet to watch this one - didn't have time to go and see it at the cinema. But it's one I really want to see - must get hold of the DVD.

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  8. Tracy, Hope you do get the DVD. It's such a good movie, I'd hate for you to miss it.

    Dorte, Now the cats are interrupting everything. I'm contacting friends looking for a cat carrier before I go bankrupt feeding and "fixing" them. But they're so cute (Cookie, Molly, Buster, and Miss Emily plus Mom), how can I chose which to keep? :-(

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