Kilt on Colin Firth in movie "The King's Speech"

[xman]

Very happy to say that it has just won lots of awards, at least most of the major ones
Baftas

Good news!

[Zardoz]

Not sure where you live but exactly what you describe has been happening all over North America - and I'd bet you and your wife are of more mature age than the twentysomethings who run theatres. They completely missed the boat on this film - most of which are made for an 18-24 male demographic.

It seems that once you hit 50 you become invisible to marketing types - and this film has been a good example of that.

I hope things are different elsewhere in XMarks land - like the UK and the Antipodes - but the lineups of grey-headed movie goers has been something of a phenomenon here. And as for the wrong kilt choice - the essential plot point in the movie of that trip to Balmoral came though loud and clear.

This is funny, because when I saw it at a weekday noonish showing, at 48 I was likely the youngest out of the 30 or so folks in the audience! I didn't think much about it at the time, but I guess as an historical drama it is pulling an older demographic. I recall the audiences for 'Valkyrie' and 'The Queen' being similar.

Although, kilt problems and historical revisions aside, I thought it was a good movie, and Colin Firth did a hell of a job. I'm not as convinced everything about it is Oscar bait, but then again, the average Academy voting member is about 60, so the demographics may help them out!

[creagdhubh]

I am not in the least bit suprised about that.

Me neither Jock.

[MacMillans son]

Did you see the floor planks in his office? They were clearly Douglas Fir, they don't even have Douglas Fir in the UK!! What were the set designers thinking??

Oh, you didn't notice the floor planks? I'm pretty sure the rest of the world didn't notice the tartan either.

In spite of the horrific fabric faux pas, I hope you enjoy the film

[ThistleDown]

Did you see the floor planks in his office? They were clearly Douglas Fir, they don't even have Douglas Fir in the UK!! What were the set designers thinking??

Oh, you didn't notice the floor planks? I'm pretty sure the rest of the world didn't notice the tartan either.

In spite of the horrific fabric faux pas, I hope you enjoy the film

Yes, immensely. But did you notice that Colin Firth doesn't look like the Prince of York? Much fatter and a different shade of colour to his hair, didn't you think? And his stammer...more hesitant, perhaps?

[Jock Scot]

Did you see the floor planks in his office? They were clearly Douglas Fir, they don't even have Douglas Fir in the UK!! What were the set designers thinking??

Oh, you didn't notice the floor planks? I'm pretty sure the rest of the world didn't notice the tartan either.

In spite of the horrific fabric faux pas, I hope you enjoy the film

As we are splitting hairs! We do indeed have Douglas Firs in the UK, acres of them. Granted, they are not native to the UK.

[MacBean]

I was hoping that the Academy would make a departure and nominate Collin Firth and Geoffrey Rush both equally for Best Actor. I thought that the film portrayed their interdependence, and the solidarity between roaylty and commoner, a key to winning the upcoming conflicts, astonishingly well.

[xman]

I was hoping that the Academy would make a departure and nominate Collin Firth and Geoffrey Rush both equally for Best Actor.

I thought the same thing until my wife pointed out that Firth's time was pretty evenly split between Rush and Bonham-Carter. they really are supporting roles by definition even though Rush is so commanding a presence and his character so forceful in the film. It does make one think he was on par to the story development as Colin Firth. An excellent cast.

[cessna152towser]

The King's Speech opens here on Thursday 3rd March, it will be showing for about ten days.
The first two nights are already fully booked and then I'm off to Canada on the 5th so looks like I will miss seeing this in the cinema.
Ah well it will be out on DVD in a few months time.

[Mike_Oettle]

My wife and I went to see the movie today and were most impressed.
We did notice the odd error – although the Kerry tartan was barely seen.
It would have been an anachronism to show Bertie (as Duke of York) wearing the King George VI tartan, since that was only made once he was King.
What caught my ear (rather than my eye) was the notable omission of South Africa from among the Dominions.
People (including screenwriters) appear to have forgotten that this country ever had that status. But it was our General Smuts who put the idea forward in the first place (even if it was his successor as Prime Minister, General Hertzog, who punted it at Imperial Conferences).
I do feel it rather picky to complain about the physical differences between Firth and George VI. It is after all a movie, and Firth an actor portraying Bertie, rather than a carefully selected lookalike (who would likely be hopeless in the role). But I felt they could have done a better job of casting Churchill.
I liked Helena Bonham-Carter as Elizabeth. The girl who played Princess Elizabeth (now the Queen) was a bit too pudgy for my liking, but perhaps I am being picky about that.
My wife remarked that the actress playing Wallis Simpson was well suited to her role.
I know full well that Rush is an Australian, but his accent (as Lionel) was not really Strine. It actually sounded much like my own – but then I am also a colonial.
With regard to Douglas fir: while it is a North American species, it is (as has been pointed out) grown in Britain. And it might well have been imported – timber from many parts of the world found its way to London at the height of Empire, and probably still does.
South Africa relied on timber imports for many years. In my lifetime it deliberately switched to locally grown timber (mostly alien species). But our climate is not well suited to growing hard pine (not cold enough), and South African pine (SA pine, it is called) is known to be an inferior product.
We do have excellent indigenous timber species, like yellowwood and stinkwood, but they are slow-growing, and harvesting is (quite properly) restricted.
Regards,
Mike