The King’s Speech isn’t about two star-crossed lovers. It doesn’t have a love-to-hate villain out to destroy our hero.  The world isn’t going to explode, be invaded by aliens or otherwise find itself in an Armageddon.  The King’s Speech is about something a bit less epic but, at the same time, a bit less expected.

The King’s Speech is a period drama set in 1920s England that, despite not originally being shown in many theaters around the country, quickly became a box office hit. The movie depicts the story of the future King George VI (Colin Firth) and his struggle with a speech impediment. After hiring one speech therapist after another, George has given up on the public life and settles with hiding in the shadows of the nation, behind his older brother Edward, the heir to the throne.

However, as English royalty giving speeches is mandatory. George’s wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), finds an unconventional speech therapist for her husband as one last try to solve his problem.

The speech therapist, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), pushes George’s boundaries as he works on more than George’s diction. He ignores the prince’s power as he searches George’s personal life, fears and family relations. This produces modest results for his speech and an unexpected friendship.

The friendship between these two men becomes necessary when George’s father can no longer hold the throne. After his brother’s brief flamboyant stint as king in order to pursue a woman, George is thrust into the position of the king and ceremonial leader a nation. To add more pressure to the stammering soon-to-be-king, at this time he is pitted against one of the best orators of all time: Hitler. It suddenly becomes very urgent for King George to learn how to shake off his stammer and speak for the nation.

I know what you’re probably thinking: a movie about 1920s king with a speech impediment giving a speech doesn’t seem worth two hours of your time. It is. The subject matter is the only thing boring about this movie. The King’s Speech doesn’t fall into the Hollywood trick of making blockbusters: there aren’t any explosions, and there is no sex or violence. However, in my opinion, this is a positive feature for the film. The King’s Speech is gripping on its own merit and upheld by acting and plot instead of stunts. Although the movie is a period piece, it doesn’t seem dry or pretentious. Watching Colin Firth depict King George’s anxious, miserable speeches is more tear-jerking than seeing “Old Yeller” die.

It was brilliantly devastating to watch Firth capture the turmoil felt by a man with a stammer who is forced to give speeches to millions of people. To be honest, I never thought of a speech impediment as being too bad of an issue until I saw The King’s Speech and the beads of sweat drip off Firth’s forehead as his lips trembled to form the next word. However ,Firth played the character as more than just a pathetic, fearful man. He incorporates many complexities of anger, anxiety, duty and pride into the character, filling him out to make a king from 90 years ago someone we all can know. It is because of this beautiful portrayal that Firth received Best Actor at the Oscars.

What really makes The King’s Speech a great film is the chemistry between speech therapist Logue and King George. Logue has an eccentric, casual personality and isn’t afraid to say what he thinks to anybody. George has been raised by strict royal rules and is afraid to say what he thinks to everybody.  The two characters fit perfectly together (meaning they don’t fit together at all), and the film is full of their witty banter back and forth. Throughout the film Logue steals a twinkling, mischievous look at George that exemplifies his loving, antagonistic charm. It is these subtleties that make The King’s Speech no ordinary drama and something worth seeing. I give it five stars.