After watching The King’s Speech, I thought a lot about how I would feel if I put myself in the protagonist’s shoes. I cannot imagine the immense amount of anxiety he feels (even before becoming King) having to give public speeches while being so self-conscious about his stammer. It was heartwarming watching the King try whatever he could to become a great speech giver and to watch his wife and daughters continuously support him throughout the process. I was reminded of the importance of family in helping people overcome obstacles. I also enjoyed how genuine the King was portrayed – his frustration every time he went to the speech therapist (Lionel) showed that there were many points where he felt like he couldn’t improve or where he was overwhelmed.

Throughout the film, Lionel tried to push the King outside his comfort zone and to gain confidence. When the King got angry at the therapist for suggesting that he would be better than his brother David if he took the throne, I wondered about the boundaries that therapists have with their patients.  As Lionel’s wife brings up, Lionel may not make decisions for his patient. This would be crossing the line. But Lionel knows more about speech therapy than the King. Still, Lionel’s work may allow the King see his potential but in the end, it is up to the King to decide how far he wants to go. However, this may also be a blurry line because people may not know where their limits are if they are not pushed to that point. Overall, this was a very moving film and it gave me a different perspective on the choices that we make in order to overcome the challenges we are facing.