The King’s Speech opens on Jan 7. Towards the premiere, recall the last official interview with Tom Hooper, director of the story of George VI’s fight against his stutter – has shown its not likely beginnings.
Hooper finds himself in a position of great advantage. As director of The King’s Speech, one of the most critically valued movies of this awards season, he has a strong possibility of winning an Oscar in February. And thus become one of the leading film directors in his country. A Londoner with youthful appearance, soft hair and a self-assured look, Hooper, 38, started narrating not likely beginnings of The King’s Speech.
This British film is about a stammer suffered by King George VI, widely known as Bertie before ascending the throne. Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue made progress in Bertie’s stammer where others did not succeed. But when his brother Edward abdicated as a king Bertie was crowned king and must made radio broadcasts to his people, offering them relaxing but strong support in the face of the upcoming war.
“Originally, it had a Hollywood ending,” he recalled. “Bertie was cured. That wasn’t truthful. He’s managing it.” He knew a film version would need changes. Because “you need to believe in the capacity of your hero to fail in the final act.” The interesting fact was that screenwriter (David Seidler ) also had a profound stutter in his childhood. “The King was his boyhood hero” said Hooper. In the end credits Hooper dedicates the film to his grandfather, a bomber navigator whose plane was crashed during WW2.
In recent years, he has reached exceptional success in America at the Emmys and Golden Globes, with his TV film Longford, the mini-series Elizabeth I, and with John Adams, series for Home Box Office about the American Revolution.
With a status as an actors’ director, Hooper enjoyed working closely with Firth and Rush, both of whom he admires much. “Colin and Geoffrey are friends for life, whether we work together again or not,” he said. If the film is predicted to win awards, so do its leading actors: Geoffrey Rush as Logue and Helena Bonham Carter as Elizabeth, and above all Colin Firth as Bertie.
Therefore Hooper must continue the work to promote The King’s Speech as awards-worthy. The historical but also the story of stuttering common to the 3 million slutterers in the U.S. and that makes the story partly theirs. The movie put that electric moment on the screen, for stutterers and the rest of us – a tissue pack full of stars.
Colin Firth Interview – The King’s Speech
The King’s Speech Premiere // Interviews
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3JvAe5fqt4[/youtube]
Helena Bonham Carter Interview – The King’s Speech
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVhGwpqeBw8[/youtube]
Colin Firth Interview – The King’s Speech
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfheuFM1Bi8[/youtube]
The King’s Speech Poster
The King’s Speech Poster
