The King's Speech

If you haven't seen The King's Speech, run, don't walk to the nearest theater. In my opinion, it is the best movie of 2010. Colin Firth plays King George VI, a man who suffers from a lifetime of stuttering and stammering. After countless visits to speech therapists, his wife, played by the delightful Helena Bonham Carter, takes him to see Lionel Logue (played by the talented Geoffrey Rush). Logue, known for his untraditional and quite unconventional ways, finally makes a break through with the King. Firth, Rush, and Carter deserve every award that comes their way.

What I enjoyed the most about this movie is watching a true friendship develop between the King and Logue. Having never had real friends, the King is very hesitant to open up and trust Logue. After years of hardships and frustrations, including his interesting path to become the king, he finally accepts Logue's friendship and makes his first ever wartime speech...a speech delivered to a frightened nation by an incredibly brave man.

The main takeaway from the movie is that we all have a voice; some of us just struggle more than others to find it. One of the best scenes in the movie (seen in the trailer) is when the King and Logue are rehearsing for the King's coronation in Westminster Abbey. Logue sits in one of the royal thrones much to the King's anger and dismay. The King, known for his bad temper, starts yelling at Logue to get out of the chair which leads to the King yelling "...because I have a voice." To which Logue proudly responds, "Yes, you do."

In life, sometimes all we need is a friend encouraging us and reminding us that we have a voice, and that our voice matters. If you struggle to find your voice, never forget that you have one, and that it absolutely matters. As long as your voice is one of love, hope, peace, change, and encouragement, then shout it from the rooftops. If no one hears you, speak louder. I promise that someone will hear you at some point. Don't ever, ever, ever give up. You have a voice, and you matter.