"It profits me but little that a vigilant authority always protects the tranquillity of my pleasures and constantly averts all dangers from my path, without my care or concern, if this same authority is the absolute master of my liberty and my life."

--Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

The King's Speech

My wife and I finally saw The King's Speech with Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter.   Excellent, excellent movie, and I now think that it will sweep the acting Oscars for Actor, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress.   The story of King George VI (Firth) and his efforts, with the help of an uncredentialed and unorthodox speech therapist (Rush) and his loving wife (Carter as the Queen Mother), is touching, uplifting, and often hilariously funny.  (At one point, the King momentarily overcomes his stuttering by unleashing a stream of profanity that would give Lenny Bruce a run for his money.)   Best of all, it's a movie that champions values that thoughtful adults ought to champion -- honor, decency, loyalty, perseverance, bravery and, not least, friendship.   Really good stuff.

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