Sometimes a mainstream movie rises above the level of entertainment. The King’s Speech is one of those films.
Plot Summary
King George V of England dies. His son Edward VIII rules for a short time and abdicates in scandal. The younger brother George VI, aka Bertie, who has suffered from a debilitating speech impediment all his life, is suddenly crowned King of England. With his country on the brink of World War II and in desperate need of a leader, his wife, Queen Elizabeth, arranges for her husband to see an eccentric speech therapist, Lionel Logue.
After a rough start, the two delve into an unorthodox course of treatment and eventually form an unbreakable bond. With the support of his family, his therapist, his government and Winston Churchill, the King overcomes his stammer and delivers a radio address that inspires his people and unites them for the difficult challenges ahead.
Life Lessons
This is not a movie blog. One does not have to be a film critic, however, to see that in this movie the writing is brilliant and the actors spot perfect in their roles and performances. What I can blog about, though, are the important life lessons in the story:
- No One’s Life is Perfect – There is a naïve belief that other people’s lives are perfect. Seen from afar they are richer, smarter, better looking, wittier, or more talented. In reality, every person has a burden in life to overcome. King George VI had a terrible stammer. Wealth or privilege could not cure the stammer.
- Wealth and Status Are Not Everything – An equally naïve belief is that if one has great wealth all problems will solve themselves. The film revealed a dysfunctional royal family with distant parents, a domineering, insensitive father who derided his son’s speech problems, and an irresponsible brother who ultimately was forced to abdicate the throne. Biblically, wealth is given for three reasons: as a test, as reward for meritorious behavior or as a punishment. Wealth and privilege in the context of this movie appears to be at best a test and at worst a punishment.
- It Takes Courage to Recognize a Problem – With the help of his wife, the future queen, Bertie recognized he had a speech problem and needed professional help.
- Sometimes We Need to Look for Help in Unconventional Venues - Help in overcoming Bertie’s speech problem came from an unconventional source. The professional who ultimately helped King George was not a doctor, had little accreditation and was a British medical establishment outsider.
- There is No Substitute for Perseverance and Hard Work – Being a member of the royal family will not cure a stammer. The commitment of both therapist and Bertie to grueling practice sessions and boring repetition ultimately ameliorated the problem.
- Sometimes Pretty Good is Good Enough – King George VI/Bertie never became a brilliant orator. With constant coaching he was able to deliver a “good enough” speech to rally his country at the inception of World War II. In this instance, a perfect speech was not required, but rather just one with appropriate emotion, courage and resolve.
The Ultimate Life Lesson
What can we learn from this movie? No one makes it through life without encountering problems. It may be illness, divorce, financial setbacks or a stammer. It is not the fact that we have a challenge. It is how we overcome the challenge. It was not birth that made King George VI What can we learn from this movie? No one makes it through life without encountering problems. It may be illness, divorce, financial setbacks or a stammer. It is not the fact that we have a challenge. It is how we overcome the challenge. It was not birth that made King George VI noble; it was the nobility of swallowing misplaced pride, facing up to his speech problem and hard work to solve it. To achieve nobility of spirit and outlook, perhaps it is a blueprint for all of us.
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