The Kings Speech

I had the extreem pleasure of finally seeing the beautiful, moving and utterly remarkable film The Kings Speech tonight. I am no film critic so I do not intend to write a review, but I will say that Colin Firth (who will forever remain as Mr. Darcy in my mind) and Geoffrey Rush we impeccable. By the end of the film I was sobbing, rather uncontrollably, by myself in the basement of a family I babysit for. My cheeks are still a bit tear stained.

I cried not only because of the performances, but because at a certain point in the film Colin must deliver a speech about England going to war with Germany, and I thought about how we are currently at war. I will be honest and say that I don't find myself thinking about that on a day to day basis as it seems somewhat removed from my life, and I am ashamed to admit that. There are people fighting on behalf of my country, right now, as I write this. 

I thought about a time when speeches were made over the radio. Where people had to huddle around a little noisemaking box and truly listen to the words that were blasting from it. People had to be quiet and process what they were hearing. You couldn't rewind it. You couldn't DVR it. What a novel idea.

I also thought about the feeling when you know the world is starting to change. When life changes. This thought coupled with the brilliant acting sent me over the edge. I remember the feeling when the world changed almost ten years ago. I remember when we declared war, and it fills me with such sadness to think that we are still there, and I wonder if we will ever get out. 

I do not want to get too political on this blog, but to say that I worry for the future of our country, and our world would be an understatement. Sometimes I do feel hopeless. I fear the end. I get angry at politicians (on both sides) and wish they would stop fighting over their rightful place in the sandbox of democracy and just try to get stuff done. Feed people. Clothe people. Heal people. Love people. Is that too much to ask?

Then of course in the midst of all of my tears over my fears for the world, and my complete awe at brilliant art I hear the soft cries of a sweet two year old boy who has woken up startled. I go into his room, scoop him up from his crib, rock him in a chair as he hugs my arms around him. Then I do feel the slight pangs of hope. 

I wrote a rather trite entry yesterday equating adulthood with a Costco membership.  I think becoming an adult means that you begin to understand that you have a responsibility to a generation which will proceed you. I don't mean being a parent, I mean knowing that what you do, what you say will have an effect on other people. How we act now will affect the world later and it's our job to be wise in our actions. Wise in our words. We hold a great responsibility in our hands. 

I am not sure if the artistic team behind The Kings Speech ever intended for that to be the message of the film, but it truly affected me. Waste no time adding it to your Netflix queue, it's one we all should see.