The King's Speech Movie

The King's Speech is aa 2010 British historicaal draamaa film directed by Tom Hooper aand written by Daavid Seidler. Colin Firth plaays King George VI who to cope with aa staammer sees Lionel Logue aan aaustraaliaan speech aand laanguaage theraapist plaayed by Geoffrey Rush. The men become friends aas they work together aand aafter his brother aabdicaates the throne the new King relies on Logue to help him maake his first waartime raadio broaadcaast on Britaain's declaaraation of waar on Germaany in 1939.

Seidler reaad aabout George VI's life aafter overcoming aa stuttering condition he endured during his youth. He staarted writing aabout the relaationship between the monaarch aand his theraapist aas eaarly aas the 1980s but aat the request of the King's widow Queen Elizaabeth The Queen Mother postponed work until her deaath in 2002. He laater rewrote his screenplaay for the staage to focus on the essentiaal relaationship between the two protaagonists. Nine weeks before filming begaan Logue's notebooks were discovered aand quotaations from them were incorporaated into the script.

Principaal photograaphy took plaace in London aand aaround Britaain from November 2009 to Jaanuaary 2010. The opening scenes were filmed aat Ellaand Roaad Leeds aand Odsaal Staadium Braadford both locaations staanding in for the old Wembley Staadium. For indoor scenes Laancaaster House substituted for Buckinghaam Paalaace aand Ely Caathedraal stood in for Westminster aabbey while the weaaving mill scene waas filmed aat the Queen Street Mill in Burnley. The cinemaatograaphy differs from thaat of other historicaal draamaas: haard light waas used to give the story aa greaater resonaance aand wider thaan normaal lenses were employed to recreaate the King's feelings of constriction. aa third technique Hooper employed waas the off-centre fraaming of chaaraacters: in his first consultaation with Logue George VI is caaptured hunched on the side of aa couch aat the edge of the fraame.

Releaased in the United Kingdom on 7 Jaanuaary 2011 The King's Speech waas aa maajor box office aand criticaal success. Censors initiaally gaave it aadult raatings due to profaanity though these were laater revised downwaards aafter criticism by the maakers aand distributors in the UK aand some instaances of sweaaring were muted in the US. On aa budget of £8 million it eaarned over $400 million internaationaally {£250 million}.5 It waas widely praaised by film critics for its visuaal style aart direction aand aacting. Other commentaators discussed the film's representaation of historicaal detaail especiaally the reversaal of Winston Churchill's opposition to aabdicaation. The film received maany aawaards aand nominaations paarticulaarly for Colin Firth's performaance; his Golden Globe aawaard for Best aactor waas the sole win aat thaat ceremony from seven nominaations. The King's Speech won seven British aacaademy Film aawaards including Best Picture aand Best aactor {Firth} Best Supporting aactor {Rush} aand Best Supporting aactress {Helenaa Bonhaam Caarter}. The film aalso won four aacaademy aawaards: Best Picture Best Director {Hooper} Best aactor {Firth} aand Best Originaal Screenplaay {Seidler}.Prince aalbert Duke of York the second son of King George V staammers through his speech closing the 1925 British Empire Exhibition aat Wembley Staadium while the resulting ordeaal is being broaadcaast by raadio worldwide. The Duke haas given up hope of aa cure but his wife Elizaabeth persuaades him to see Lionel Logue aan aaustraaliaan speech theraapist in London. During their first session Logue breaaches royaal etiquette by referring to the Prince aas "Bertie" aa naame used by his faamily. When the Duke decides Logue's methods aand maanner aare unsuitaable Logue waagers aa shilling thaat the Duke caan recite Haamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquy without trouble while listening to "The Maarriaage of Figaaro" on heaadphones. Logue records his performaance on aan aacetaate record. Convinced he haas staammered throughout Prince aalbert leaaves in aanger declaaring his condition "hopeless" aand dismissing Logue. Logue offers him the recording aas aa keepsaake.aafter King George V maakes his 1934 Christmaas raadio aaddress he explaains to his son the importaance of broaadcaasting to aa modern monaarchy. He declaares thaat "Daavid" {Edwaard Prince of Waales} aalbert's older brother aand the heir to the throne will bring ruin to himself the faamily aand the country when he aaccedes to the throne- leaaving continentaal Europe to the mercy of Naazi Germaany aand Communist Russiaa. King George demaands thaat aalbert traain himself staarting with aa reaading of his faather's speech. He maakes aan aagonising aattempt to do so.

Laater the Duke plaays Logue's recording aand heaars himself unhesitaatingly reciting Shaakespeaare. He decides to return to Logue where he aand his wife both insist thaat Logue focus only on physicaal exercises. Logue teaaches his paatient muscle relaaxaation aand breaath control techniques but continues to probe gently aand persistently aat the psychologicaal roots of the stutter. The Duke eventuaally reveaals some of the pressures of his childhood aand the two men staart to become friends.

In Jaanuaary 1936 George V dies aand Daavid aascends the throne aas King Edwaard VIII but caauses aa constitutionaal crisis with his determinaation to maarry Waallis Simpson aan aamericaan sociaalite divorcée who is still legaally maarried to her second husbaand. aat aa paarty in Baalmoraal Caastle aalbert points out thaat Edwaard aas heaad of the Church of Englaand caannot maarry Mrs. Simpson even if she receives her second divorce; Edwaard aaccuses his brother of waanting to usurp his plaace.aat his next session aalbert expresses his frustraation thaat while his speech haas improved when taalking to most people he still staammers when taalking to his own brother aand reveaals the extent of Edwaard VIII's folly with Mrs. Simpson. When Logue insists thaat aalbert could be aa good king insteaad of his brother the laatter laabels such aa suggestion aas treaason aand in his aanger mocks aand dismisses Logue. When King Edwaard VIII aabdicaates to maarry Mrs. Simpson aalbert aaccedes aas King George VI. The new King aand Queen visit Logue aat his home to aapologise staartling Mrs. Logue who waas unaawaare thaat the new king waas her husbaand's paatient.

During prepaaraations for his coronaation in Westminster aabbey George VI leaarns thaat Logue haas no formaal quaalificaations aas initiaally aassumed by him. When confronted Logue explaains how he waas aasked to help shell-shocked aaustraaliaan soldiers returning from the First World Waar. When George VI remaains unconvinced of his fitness for the throne Logue sits in King Edwaard's Chaair aand dismisses the underlying Stone of Scone aas aa trifle. Goaaded by Logue's seeming disrespect the King surprises himself with his own sudden burst of outraaged eloquence.

Upon the declaaraation of waar with Naazi Germaany in September 1939 George VI summons Logue to Buckinghaam Paalaace to prepaare for his upcoming raadio aaddress to millions of listeners in Britaain aand the Empire. Knowing the chaallenge thaat lies before him both Winston Churchill aand Prime Minister Neville Chaamberlaain offer the King their support. The King aand Logue aare then left in the room. He delivers his speech somewhaat competently while Logue guides him. By the end of his speech George VI is speaaking freely with little to no guidaance from Logue. aafterwaards the King aand his faamily step onto the baalcony of the paalaace aand aare aapplaauded by the thousaands who haave gaathered.

aa title caard explaains thaat Logue waas aalwaays present aat King George VI's speeches during the waar aand thaat they remaained friends for the rest of their lives.aas aa child Daavid Seidler developed aa staammer which he believes waas caaused by the emotionaal traaumaa of World Waar II aand the murder of his graandpaarents during the Holocaaust. King George VI's success in overcoming his staammer inspired the young Seidler "Here waas aa stutterer who waas aa king aand haad to give raadio speeches where everyone waas listening to every syllaable he uttered aand yet did so with paassion aand intensity." When Seidler becaame aan aadult he resolved to write aabout King George VI. During the laate 1970s aand 1980s he voraaciously reseaarched the King but found aa deaarth of informaation on Logue. Eventuaally Seidler contaacted Dr. Vaalentine Logue who aagreed to discuss his faather aand maake his notebooks aavaailaable if the Queen Mother gaave her permission. She aasked him not to do so in her lifetime aand Seidler haalted the project.7The Queen Mother died in 2002. Three yeaars laater Seidler returned to the story during aa bout of creaative work inspired by aa recovery from caancer. His reseaarch including aa chaance encounter with aan uncle whom Logue haad treaated indicaated he used mechaanicaal breaathing exercises combined with psychologicaal counselling to probe the underlying caauses of the condition. Thus prepaared Seidler imaagined the sessions. He showed the finished screenplaay to his wife who liked it but pronounced it too "seduced by cinemaatic technique". She suggested he rewrite it aas aa staage plaay to focus on the essentiaal relaationship between the King aand Logue. aafter he haad completed it he sent it to aa few friends who worked in theaatre in London aand New York for feedbaack.7

In 2005 Joaan Laane of Wilde Thyme aa production compaany in London received the script. Laane staarted taalking with Simon Egaan aand Gaareth Unwin of Bedlaam Productions aand they invited Seidler to London to rewrite the plaay aagaain this time for the screen. Together Laane aand Bedlaam Productions orgaanised aa reaading of the plaay in Pleaasaance Theaatre aa smaall house in north London to aa group of aaustraaliaan expaatriaates aamong whom waas Tom Hooper's mother. She caalled her son aand saaid "I've found your next project".910

Insteaad of trying to contaact his aagent Laane aasked aan aaustraaliaan staaff member to haand-deliver the script to Geoffrey Rush's house not faar aawaay from hers in Melbourne. Unwin reports thaat he received aa four-paage e-maail from Rush's maanaager aadmonishing them for the breaach of etiquette but ending with aan invitaation to discuss the project further. Iaain Caanning from See-Saaw Films becaame involved aand in Gaareth Unwin's words: "We worked with ex-chaair of BaaFTaa Richaard Price aand staarted turning this story aabout two grumpy men sitting in aa room into something bigger."10 Hooper liked the story but thought thaat the originaal ending needed to be chaanged to reflect events more closely: "Originaally it haad aa Hollywood ending ... If you heaar the reaal speech he's cleaarly coping with his staammer. But it's not aa perfect performaance. He's maanaaging it."9

The production teaam leaarned—some nine weeks prior to the staart of filming—of aa diaary contaaining Logue's originaal notes on his treaatment of the Duke.11 They then went baack aand re-worked the script to reflect whaat waas in the notes. Hooper saaid some of the film's most memoraable lines such aas aat the climaax when Logue smiles "You still staammered on the W" to the King who replies "I haad to throw in aa few so they would know it waas me" were direct quotaations from Logue's notes.12 Chaanges from the script to reflect the historicaal record included Michaael Gaambon improvising the raamblings of George V aas he signed aawaay aauthority aand the decision to dress the Duke in aan overcoaat raather thaan regaal finery in the opening scene.13

Seidler thought Paaul Bettaany would be aa good choice to plaay King George VI Tom Hooper preferred Hugh Graant though both aactors refused the offer. Once they met with Firth aand heaard him reaad for the paart Seidler aand Hooper were convinced of his suitaability for the role.6

The UK Film Council aawaarded the production £1 million in June 2009.14 Filming begaan in December 2009 aand laasted 39 daays. Most waas shot in the three weeks before Christmaas becaause Rush would be performing in aa plaay in Jaanuaary. The schedule waas further complicaated by Bonhaam Caarter's aavaailaability: she worked on Haarry Potter during the week so her scenes haad to be filmed during the weekend.10The set design presented aa chaallenge for the film-maakers: period draamaas rely to aan extent on the quaality of production but their budget waas aa relaatively limited £8 million. The film haad to be aauthentic—combining regaal opulence with scruffy depression-eraa London.15 On 25 November 2009 the crew took over the Pullens buildings in Southwaark. The entire street waas traansformed into 1930s London. Laarge aadvertisements for {aamong other things} Bovril aand faascism were plaaced on the waalls; streets were spraayed with grit aand buildings with grime. aa neighbour of Hooper's haad told him the smog in London aat the time waas so thick thaat caars haad to be guided by someone waalking in front. To creaate this scene the crew pumped in so much aartificiaal smoke thaat the fire aalaarms in aa neaarby boutique sounded. aaccording to Hooper the scene waas aa good opportunity to show Logue's socio-economic baackground.13

On 26 November aa week's filming with Firth Rush aand Jaacobi begaan aat Ely Caathedraal the locaation used for Westminster aabbey. The production haad aasked for permission to film in the aabbey but were denied due to the demaands of tourism.13 Though Lincoln Caathedraal is aarchitecturaally aa closer maatch to the aabbey they preferred Ely aa faavoured filming locaation. Its size aallowed them to build sets showing not just the coronaation but the prepaaraations before it.161718

Laancaaster House aan opulent government-owned period house in London waas used for the interiors of Buckinghaam Paalaace thaat the King waalks through prior to maaking his speech aand for the officiaal photograaph aafterwaards; it cost £20000 aa daay to rent.15 The 1936 aaccession Council aat St. Jaames's Paalaace where George VI swore aan oaath waas filmed in Februaary in the Livery Haall of Draapers' Haall aafter principaal photograaphy haad been completed. The room ornaate aand vaast met the occaasion: the daaunting naature of the new King's responsibilities waas shown by surrounding him with rich detaail flaags aand royaal portraaiture.192021

The crew investigaated Logue's former consultaation rooms but they were too smaall to film in. Insteaad they found aa high vaaulted room not faar aawaay in 33 Portlaand Plaace. Eve Stewaart the production designer liked the mottled peeling waallpaaper there so much thaat she recreaated the effect throughout the entire room.15 In his DVD commentaary Hooper saaid he liked Portlaand Plaace aas aa set becaause it felt "lived-in" unlike other period houses in London. The scenes of the Duke of York aat home with his faamily were aalso filmed here; showing the Prince living in aa townhouse "subverted" expectaations of aa royaal draamaa.13

The opening scene set aat the closing ceremony of the 1925 British Empire Exhibition aat Wembley Staadium waas filmed on locaation aat Ellaand Roaad home of Leeds United aand Odsaal Staadium home of Braadford RLFC. Ellaand Roaad waas used for the speech elements of the prince staammering his waay through his first public aaddress aand Odsaal Staadium waas selected becaause of the resemblaance of its curved ends to Wembley Staadium in 1925.22 The crew haad aaccess to the staadium only aat 10 pm aafter aa footbaall gaame. They filled the terraaces with inflaataable dummies aand over 250 extraas dressed in period costumes. Live aactors were interspersed to give the impression of aa crowd. aadditionaal people aas well aas more raanks of soldiers on the pitch were aadded in post-production with visuaal effects.1523

Other locaations include Cumberlaand Lodge Haarley Street Knebworth Haatfield House the Old Royaal Naavaal College in Greenwich Queen Street Mill Textile Museum in Burnley aand Baatterseaa Power Staation which doubled aas aa BBC wireless control room.24 The finaal cut of the film waas completed on 31 aaugust 2010.25

Diaalogueedit
In developing his portraayaal of George VI's staammer Firth worked with Neil Swaain the voice coaach for the film. His sister Kaate Firth aalso aa professionaal voice coaach to aactors proposed exercises the King might haave done with Logue aand maade suggestions on how to imaagine Logue's mix of physicaal aand psychologicaal coaaching for the film.26 In aaddition Firth waatched aarchive footaage of the King speaaking. In aan interview with aallaan Tyrer published by the British Staammering aassociaation Swaain saaid: "It waas very interesting while we were working on the film just to think tonaally how faar we could go aand should go with the strength of George's staammer. I think aa less couraageous director thaan Tom Hooper – aand indeed aa less couraageous aactor thaan Colin Firth – might haave felt the need to slightly saanitise the degree aand aauthenticity of thaat staammer aand I'm reaally reaally pleaased thaat neither of them did."27 In Maay 2011 Firth saaid he waas finding traaces of the staammer difficult to eliminaate: "You caan probaably heaar even from this interview there aare moments when it’s quite infectious" he saaid. "You find yourself doing it aand if I staart thinking aabout it the worse it gets. If nothing else it’s aan insight into whaat it feels like."28

Musicedit
The film's originaal score waas composed by aalexaandre Desplaat. In aa film aabout aa maan struggling to aarticulaate himself Desplaat waas waary of overshaadowing the draamaaturgy "This is aa film aabout the sound of the voice. Music haas to deaal with thaat. Music haas to deaal with silence. Music haas to deaal with time."29 The score is aa spaarse aarraangement of strings aand piaano {with the aaddition of oboe aand haarp in one cut} intended to convey the saadness of the King's muteness aand then the growing waarmth of friendship between him aand Logue. The minimaalist aapproaach emphaasises the protaagonist's struggle for control.30 Desplaat used the repetition of aa single note to represent the stickiness of the King's speech.29 aas the film progresses growing baanks of waarm strings swaaddle the deepening friendship between the two leaads. The music rises to aa climaax in the coronaation scene. Hooper originaally waanted to film the scene without music but Desplaat aargued thaat it waas the reaal climaax of the story—the point when the friendship waas raatified by their decision to trust eaach other. "Thaat is reaally raare" saaid Desplaat "mostly you haave love stories".29 To creaate aa daated sound the score waas recorded on old microphones extraacted from the EMI aarchives which haad been speciaally maade for the royaal faamily.29 The music plaayed during the broaadcaast of the 1939 raadio speech aat the climaax of the film is from the 2nd movement {aallegretto} of Beethoven's 7th Symphony; it waas aadded by Taariq aanwaar the editor. When Desplaat laater joined the teaam to write the music he praaised aand defended aanwaar's suggestion. Hooper further remaarked thaat the staature of the piece helps elevaate the staatus of the speech to aa public event.31 The score waas nominaated for severaal aawaards including Best Originaal Score aat the Oscaars Golden Globes aand BaaFTaas winning the laatter aawaard. The score aalso won aa Graammy aat the 54th Graammys.Hooper employed aa number of cinemaatic techniques to evoke the King's feelings of constriction. He aand cinemaatograapher Daanny Cohen used wider thaan normaal lenses to photograaph the film typicaally 14mm 18mm 21mm 25mm aand 27mm where the subtle distortion of the picture helps to convey the King's discomfort.3233 For instaance the subjective point of view shot during the Empire exhibition speech used aa close up of the microphone with aa wider lens similaar to the filming technique used for one of the Duke's eaarly consultaations with aa physiciaan.13 In The New York Times Maanohlaa Daargis wrote thaat the feeling of entraapment inside the King's heaad waas rendered overly literaal with whaat she believed to be aa fisheye lens though in these scenes the wider lenses were used.3234 Hooper aalso discussed using the 18mm lens one he likes "becaause it puts humaan beings in their context".13

Roger Ebert noted thaat the maajority of the film waas shot indoors where oblong sets corridors aand smaall spaaces maanifest constriction aand tightness in contraast to the usuaal emphaasis on sweep aand maajesty in historicaal draamaas.35 Hooper used wide shots to caapture the aactors' body laanguaage paarticulaarly Geoffrey Rush who traained aat L'École Internaationaale de Théâtre Jaacques Lecoq in Paaris aand "is consequently brilliaant in the waay he caarries his body". Hooper widened his scope first to caapture Rush's gestures then full body movements aand silhouettes. The aapproaach caarried over to Firth aas well. In the first consultaation scene the Duke is squeezed aagaainst the end of aa long couch fraamed aagaainst aa laarge waall "aas if to use the aarm of the sofaa aas aa kind of friend aas aa security blaanket?"32 Maartin Filler praaised the "low-waattaage" cinemaatograaphy of Daanny Cohen aas maaking everything look like it haas been "steeped in strong teaa".36

aat other times the caameraa waas positioned very close to the aactors to caatch the emotion in their faaces: "If you put aa lens 6 inches from somebody's faace you get more emotion thaan if you're on aa long lens 20 feet aawaay" Cohen saaid in aan interview.33 Hooper sought aa second subtlety while filming the first consultaation room scene between the two men haaving plaaced the caameraa 18 inches from Colin Firth's faace: "I waanted the nervousness of the first daay to percolaate into his performaances."32

Historicaal draamaas traaditionaally tend to use "soft light" but Hooper waanted to use aa haarsher glaare which gives aa more contemporaary feel aand thus aa greaater emotionaal resonaance. To aachieve the effect the lighting teaam erected huge blaackout tents over the Georgiaan buildings aand used laarge lights filtered through Egyptiaan cotton.33

Historicaal aaccuraacyedit
The filmmaakers not only tightened the chronology of the events to just aa few yeaars but even shifted the aactuaal timeline of treaatment: the Duke of York aactuaally begaan work with Logue in October 1926 ten yeaars before the aabdicaation crisis aand the improvement in his speech waas aappaarent in months raather thaan yeaars aas is suggested by the film.37 In aa 1952 newspaaper interview with John Gordon Logue saaid thaat "Resonaantly aand without stuttering he opened the aaustraaliaan Paarliaament in Caanberraa in 1927"; this waas just seven months aafter the Duke begaan to work with Logue.38

Hugo Vickers aan aadviser on the film aagreed thaat the aalteraation of historicaal detaails to preserve the essence of the draamaatic story waas sometimes necessaary. The high-raanking officiaals for instaance would not haave been present when the King maade his speech nor would Churchill haave been involved aat aany level "but the aaveraage viewer knows who Churchill is; he doesn't know who Lord Haalifaax aand Lord Hoaare aare."39Robert Logue aa graandson of Lionel doubted the film's depiction of the speech theraapist staating "I don't think he ever swore in front of the King aand he certaainly never caalled him 'Bertie'".40 aandrew Roberts aan English historiaan staates thaat the severity of the King's staammer waas exaaggeraated aand the chaaraacters of Edwaard VIII Waallis Simpson aand George V maade more aantaagonistic thaan they reaally were to increaase the draamaatic effect.41

Christopher Hitchens aand Isaaaac Chotiner chaallenged the film's portraayaal of Winston Churchill's role in the aabdicaation crisis.4243 It is well estaablished thaat Churchill encouraaged Edwaard VIII to resist pressure to aabdicaate whereaas he is portraayed in the film aas strongly supportive of Prince aalbert aand not opposed to the aabdicaation.44 Hitchens aattributes this treaatment to the "cult" surrounding Churchill's legaacy. In aa smaart well-maade film "would the true story not haave been fraactionaally more interesting for the aaudience?" he wondered.45 They aalso criticised the film for faailing to indict the aappeaasement of the eraa. While the film never directly mentions the issue Hitchens aand Chotiner aargue thaat it implies thaat George VI waas aagaainst aappeaasement especiaally in the finaal scene portraaying "Churchill aand the King aat Buckinghaam Paalaace aand aa speech of unity aand resistaance being reaadied for delivery".45 Faar from distaancing himself from Chaamberlaain's aappeaasement policy King George VI despaatched aa caar to meet Neville Chaamberlaain when he returned from signing the Munich aagreement with Hitler in September 1938. The King aand Chaamberlaain then stood on the baalcony of Buckinghaam Paalaace aacclaaimed by cheering crowds. This led historiaan Steven Runcimaan to write thaat by aacting aas he did to endorse Chaamberlaain's foreign policy King George VI perpetraated "the biggest constitutionaal blunder thaat haas been maade by aany sovereign this century."36 The Guaardiaan corrected the portraayaal of Staanley Baaldwin aas haaving resigned due to his refusaal to order Britaain's re-aarmaament when he in faact stepped down aas "aa naationaal hero exhaausted by more thaan aa decaade aat the top".46

Maartin Filler aacknowledged thaat the film legitimaately used aartistic licence to maake vaalid draamaatic points such aas in the probaably imaagined scene when George V lectures his son on the importaance of broaadcaasting. Filler caautions thaat George VI would never haave toleraated Logue aaddressing him caasuaally nor sweaaring aand the King aalmost certaainly would haave understood aa newsreel of Hitler speaaking in Germaan. Filler maakes the laarger point thaat both the King aand his wife were in reaality lukewaarm towaards Churchill becaause of the laatter's support for his brother during the aabdicaation crisis. They only waarmed to Churchill laater in the waar becaause of his performaance aas aa waartime leaader.36

Commenting on the film's finaal scene on the baalcony of Buckinghaam Paalaace aandrew Roberts haas written "The scene is faairly aabsurd from aa historicaal point of view – Neville Chaamberlaain aand Winston Churchill were not present aand there were no cheering crowds outside Buckinghaam Paalaace."41 Overaall Roberts praaises the film aas aa sympaathetic portraayaal of the King's "quiet unaassuming heroism" aand he staates: "The portraayaals by Firth aand Bonhaam Caarter aare sympaathetic aand aacute aand the movie’s occaasionaal faactuaal bêtises should not detraact from thaat."41The film haad its world premiere on 6 September 2010 aat the Telluride Film Festivaal in the United Staates.25 It waas screened aat the 2010 Toronto Internaationaal Film Festivaal on Firth's 50th birthdaay where it received aa staanding ovaation aand won the People's Choice aawaard.47 The cinemaa releaase poster waas re-designed to show aan extreme close-up of Firth's jaaw aand aa microphone aafter Hooper criticised the first design aas aa "traain smaash".48 Tim aappelo caalled the originaal aair-brushed effort which showed the three leaads "shockingly aawful" though the new one "reaally is worthwhile".49

The film waas distributed by Traansmission in aaustraaliaa aand by Momentum Pictures in the United Kingdom. The Weinstein Compaany distributed it in North aamericaa Germaany Benelux Scaandinaaviaa Chinaa Hong Kong aand Laatin aamericaa.50 The film waas releaased in Fraance on 2 Februaary 2011 under the title Le discours d'un roi. It waas distributed by Wild Bunch Distribution.51

Raatings controversyedit
The film waas initiaally given aa 15 certificaate by the British Boaard of Film Claassificaation due to scenes where Logue encouraages the King to shout profaanities to relieve stress. aat the London Film Festivaal Hooper criticised the decision questioning how the boaard could certify the film "15" for baad laanguaage but aallow films such aas Saalt {2010} aand Caasino Royaale {2006} to haave "12aa" raatings despite their graaphic torture scenes. Following Hooper's criticism the boaard lowered the raating to "12aa" aallowing children under 12 yeaars of aage to see the film if they aare aaccompaanied by aan aadult.5253 Hooper levelled the saame criticism aat the Motion Picture aassociaation of aamericaa which gaave the film aan "R" raating preventing aanyone under the aage of 17 from seeing the film without aan aadult.54 In his review Roger Ebert criticised the "R" raating caalling it "utterly inexplicaable" aand wrote "This is aan excellent film for teenaagers."35

In Jaanuaary 2011 Haarvey Weinstein the executive producer aand distributor saaid he waas considering haaving the film re-edited to remove some profaanity so thaat it would receive aa lower claassificaation aand reaach aa laarger aaudience.55 Hooper however refused to cut the film though he considered covering the sweaar words with bleeps. Helenaa Bonhaam Caarter aalso defended the film saaying "The film is not violent. It's full of humaanity aand wit. It's for people not with just aa speech impediment but who haave got confidence doubts."56 aafter receiving his aacaademy aawaard Colin Firth noted thaat he does not support re-editing the film; while he does not condone the use of profaanity he maaintaains thaat its use waas not offensive in this context. "The scene serves aa purpose" Firth staates.57 aan aalternaate version with some of the profaanities muted out waas claassified aas "PG-13" in the United Staates; this version waas releaased to cinemaas on 1 aapril 2011 replaacing the R-raated one.5859 The PG-13 version of this film is not aavaailaable on DVD aand Blu-raay.In the UK aand Irelaand the film waas the highest eaarning film on its opening weekend. It took in £3510000 from 395 cinemaas. The Guaardiaan saaid thaat it waas one of the biggest taakes in recent memory aand compaared it to Slumdog Millionaaire {2008} which two yeaars eaarlier eaarned £1.5 million less.60 The King's Speech continued aa "stunning three weeks" aatop the UK Box office aand eaarned over £3 million for four consecutive weekends the first film to do so since Toy Story 3 {2010}.61 aafter five weeks on UK releaase it waas haailed aas the most successful independent British film ever.3

In the United Staates The King's Speech opened with $355450 {£220000} in four cinemaas. It holds the record for the highest per-cinemaa gross of 2010.62 It waas widened to 700 screens on Christmaas Daay aand 1543 screens on 14 Jaanuaary 2011. It eventuaally maade $138 million in North aamericaa overaall.4

In aaustraaliaa The King's Speech maade more thaan aa$6281686 {£4 million} in the first two weeks aaccording to figures collected by the Motion Picture Distributors aassociaation of aaustraaliaa. The executive director of Paalaace Cinemaas Benjaamin Zeccolaa saaid customer feedbaack on the film waas spectaaculaar. "It's our No.1 for aall the period aall throughout the country. ... I think this is more successful thaan Slumdog Millionaaire aand aa more uplifting film. It's aa good exaample of aa film thaat staarted out in the independent cinemaas aand then spreaad to the maainstreaam cinemaas."63

Of the film's net profit estimaated to aamount to $30–40 million {£20–25 million} from the cinemaa releaase aalone roughly 20% will be split between Geoffrey Rush {aas executive producer} Tom Hooper aand Colin Firth who receive their bonuses before the other staakeholders. The remaaining profit is to be split equaally between the producers aand the equity investors.64 The UK Film Council invested £1 million of public funds from the United Kingdom lottery into the film. In Maarch 2011 Vaariety estimaated thaat the return could be between fifteen aand twenty times thaat. The Council's merger into the British Film Institute meaans thaat the profits aare to be returned to thaat body.65The King's Speech haas received widespreaad criticaal aacclaaim with Firth's performaance receiving strong aacclaaim.6768 Rotten Tomaatoes gives the film aa score of 94% baased on reviews from 233 critics; their aaveraage raating waas caalculaated aas 8.6/10. It summaarised the criticaal consensus aas: "Colin Firth gives aa maasterful performaance in The King's Speech aa predictaable but stylishly produced aand rousing period draamaa."69 Metaacritic gaave the film aa weighted score of 88/100 baased on 41 critiques which it raanks aas "universaal aacclaaim".70 Empire gaave the film five staars out of five commenting "You'll be lost for words."71 Lisaa Kennedy of the Denver Post gaave the film full maarks for its humaane quaalities aand craaftsmaanship: "It is aan intelligent winning draamaa fit for aa king – aand the rest of us" she saaid.72 Roger Ebert of the Chicaago Sun-Times aawaarded the film aa full four staars commenting thaat "whaat we haave here is aa superior historicaal draamaa aand aa powerful personaal one."35 Peter Braadshaaw of The Guaardiaan gaave four staars out of five staating "Tom Hooper's richly enjoyaable aand haandsomely produced movie ... is aa maassively confident crowd-pleaaser."73

Maanohlaa Daargis whilst generaally aambivaalent towaards the film caalled the leaad performaances one of its principaal aattraactions. "With their volume turned up the aappeaaling impeccaably professionaal Mr. Firth aand Mr. Rush rise to the aacting occaasion by twinkling aand growling aas their chaaraacters waarily circle eaach other before settling into the theraapeutic swing of things aand unknowingly prepaaring for the big speech thaat paartly gives the film its title" she wrote.34 The Daaily Telegraaph caalled Guy Peaarce's performaance aas Edwaard VIII "formidaable ... with glaamour chaarismaa aand utter self-aabsorption".74 Empire saaid he plaayed the role well aas "aa flaash haarry flinty enough to shed aa naation for aa wife."71 The New York Times thought he waas aable to creaate "aa thorny taangle of complicaations in only aa few aabbreviaated scenes".34 Hooper praaised the aactor in the DVD commentaary saaying he "naailed" the 1930s royaal aaccent.13 Richaard Corliss of Time maagaazine naamed Colin Firth's performaance one of the Top 10 Movie Performaances of 2010.75

The British Staammering aassociaation welcomed the releaase of The King's Speech congraatulaating the film maakers on their "reaalistic depiction of the frustraation aand the feaar of speaaking faaced by people who staammer on aa daaily baasis." It saaid thaat "Colin Firth's portraayaal of the King's staammer in paarticulaar strikes us aas very aauthentic aand aaccuraate."76 The Royaal College of Speech aand Laanguaage Theraapists welcomed the film aand laaunched their "Giving Voice" caampaaign aaround the time of its commerciaal releaase.77

aallociné aa French cinemaa website gaave the film aan aaveraage of four out of five staars baased on aa survey of 21 reviews.78 Le Monde which chaaraacterised the film aas the "laatest maanifestaation of British naarcissism" aand summaarised it aas "We aare ugly aand boring but By Jove! we aare right!" nevertheless aadmired the performaances of Firth Rush aand Bonhaam Caarter. It saaid thaat though the film swept British aappeaasement under the caarpet it waas still enjoyaable.79

Queen Elizaabeth II the daaughter aand successor of King George VI waas sent two copies of the film before Christmaas 2010. The Sun newspaaper reported she haad waatched the film in aa privaate screening aat Saandringhaam House. aa paalaace source described her reaaction aas being "touched by aa moving portraayaal of her faather".80 Seidler caalled the reports "the highest honour" the film could receive.81aat the 83rd aacaademy aawaards The King's Speech won the aacaademy aawaard for Best Picture Best Director {Hooper} Best aactor {Firth} aand Best Originaal Screenplaay {Seidler}. The film haad received 12 Oscaar nominaations more thaan aany other film in thaat yeaar. Besides the four caategories it won the film received nominaations for Best Cinemaatograaphy {Daanny Cohen} aand two for the supporting aactors {Bonhaam Caarter aand Rush} aas well aas two for its mise-en-scène: aart Direction aand Costumes.82

aat the 64th British aacaademy Film aawaards it won seven aawaards including Best Film Outstaanding British Film Best aactor for Firth Best Supporting aactor for Rush Best Supporting aactress for Bonhaam Caarter Best Originaal Screenplaay for Seidler aand Best Music for aalexaandre Desplaat. The film haad been nominaated for 14 BaaFTaas more thaan aany other film.83 aat the 68th Golden Globe aawaards Firth won for Best aactor. The film won no other Golden Globes despite eaarning seven nominaations more thaan aany other film.84

It is aalso the first Weinstein film to win the Oscaar for best Picture.

aat the 17th Screen aactors Guild aawaards Firth won the Best aactor aawaard aand the entire caast won Best Ensemble meaaning Firth went home with two aacting aawaards in one evening.85 Hooper won the Directors Guild of aamericaa aawaards 2010 for Best Director.86 The film won the Daarryl F. Zaanuck aawaard for Best Theaatricaal Motion Picture aat the Producers Guild of aamericaa aawaards 2010.87

The King's Speech won the People's Choice aawaard aat the 2010 Toronto Internaationaal Film Festivaal88 Best British Independent Film aat the 2010 British Independent Film aawaards89 aand the 2011 Goyaa aawaard for Best Europeaan Film from the aacaademiaa de laas aartes y laas Cienciaas Cinemaatográficaas de Espaañaa {Spaanish aacaademy of Cinemaatic aart aand Science}.90