Summary
28 February 2011
The King's Speech won the best picture award at the Oscars. The film about King George VI's battle to overcome a speech difficulty won a total of four Academy Awards, including best actor for Colin Firth.
Reporter:
Peter Bowes
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Report
The words every filmmaker wants to hear:
Spielberg: And the Oscar goes to…
Bowes: came from the legendary Hollywood director, Steven Spielberg.
Spielberg: The King's Speech…
Bowes: The film tells the story of how George VI employed an unconventional speech therapist from Australia to help him overcome his problem with stammering. Funded in part by the UK Film Council, a body which is being disbanded by the government, the film also won the award for best original screenplay and best director. Colin Firth, who plays the King, joked that his award for best actor meant his career had peaked.
Firth: I'm afraid I have to warn you, that I am experiencing stirrings, somewhere in the upper abdominals, which are threatening to form themselves into dance moves.
Bowes: David Seidler, who wrote the screenplay, said he hoped the award would inspire people who are trying to overcome speech impediments:
Seidler: I accept this on behalf of all the stutterers throughout the world. We have a voice. We have been heard, thanks to you, the Academy.
Bowes: It wasn't a clean sweep for The King's Speech, out of 12 nominations it won in four categories, but Oscar glory is bound to boost the film's takings at the box office.
Peter Bowes, ´óÏó´«Ã½ News
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Vocabulary
- unconventional
here, alternative, quirky or not following well-known or established methods
- funded
financed or given money to be made
- disbanded
taken apart or discontinued
- peaked
reached the top, or become as good as it's likely to get
- stirrings
strong feelings that make you want to act in a particular way
- upper abdominals
muscles around your belly or stomach
- to form themselves into
to come together and become
- speech impediments
medical conditions causing people to suffer difficulties with speaking
- a clean sweep
here, winning every award it was nominated for
- takings
money earned from selling (tickets)
