PLOT
After the death of his father King George V and the scandalous abdication of King Edward VIII , Bertie who has suffered from a debilitating speech impediment all his life, is suddenly crowned King George VI of England. With his country on the brink of war and in desperate need of a leader, his wife, Elizabeth, the future Queen Mother, arranges for her husband to see an eccentric speech therapist, Lionel Logue. After a rough start, the two look into an unorthodox course of treatment and eventually form an unbreakable bond. With the support of Logue, his family, his government and Winston Churchill, the King will overcome his stammer and deliver a radio-address that inspires his people and unites them in battle. Based on the true story of King George VI, THE KING'S SPEECH follows the Royal Monarch's quest to find his voice.
MAIN CHARACTERS
- King George VI (Bertie) - Collin Firth
- Queen Elizabeth (future Queen Mother) - Helena Bonham Carter
- Lionel Logue (speech therapist) - Geoffrey Rush
- King George V - Michael Gambon
- King Edward VIII - Guy Pearce
- Winston Churchill - Timothy Spall
After watching the trailer, click on the link below (warm-up activities) and discuss the questions included there with your classmates and teacher.
USEFUL VOCABULARY
- Royal Family: 'Your Majesty', 'Your Highness' (treatment), abdication, to crown.
- Speech: speech disorder, speech therapy/therapist, to stammer, to stutter, swear, recite, speak in public, audition, voice.
- Radio: broadcast, off the air, on the air, radio-address.
WARM-UP ACTIVITIES
Now that you've got an idea of what the film is about, get ready to watch the whole film in the class.
SOME MORE INTERESTING INFORMATION:
- Original oral speech by George VI, 1939.
- Original written speech by George, Sept. 1939 (See the last two pages of the document).
