Oscar success for King’s Speech
The Oscars showed no hesitation - the British movie The
King's Speech dominated the major prizes at the Academy
Awards.
The King's Speech, which dramatises the battle by King George VI
- the Queen's father - with his stammer, was crowned
Best Picture.
Colin Firth threatened to dance with joy after winning the award
for Best Actor and said:"The fact that (the award) has overlapped
with something that has resonated with people is probably the most
valuable thing of all."
The Best Original Screenplay Oscar went to the film's creator,
David Seidler. London-born Seidler dedicated his win to "all the
stutterers throughout the world".
The film also picked up Best Director for Tom Hooper who has
worked on many British TV shows including Eastenders and Byker
Grove - the children's programme that first brought Ant and Dec to
our screens. In his speech he thanked his mother, who first told
him about the play that formed the basis of the film. He said: "The
moral of the story is 'Listen to your mother'."
Toy Story 3 won two awards. The final instalment of the
adventures of Woody and Buzz Lightyear won best animation - beating
The Illusionist, which was made in Edinburgh - and best original
song.
Alice In Wonderland won Best Art Direction and Best Costumes.
But other children's films just missed out: The Grufalo was
nominated for Best Animated Short Film, and How To Train Your
Dragon and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 both came
away with nothing.
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Oscar success for King’s Speech
The international and Oscar success of The King's Speech
has brought the problem of stammering to worldwide
attention.
But the reality of life for a stammerer, or stutterers, is a
long way from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.
About one in 20 children under 12 has speech difficulties. Many
experience bullying at school or prejudice at work, or are treated
as though they are stupid.
In his Oscar acceptance speech the writer, David Seidler,
dedicated his win to "all the stutterers throughout the world".
For years, stammering has been misunderstood - and has usually
been the butt of thoughtless jokes on TV and in films.
Now, for the first time, a hit film treating the subject
sensitively could improve the situation for those with the speech
impediment.
That's certainly how John Mann, from Glasgow, feels about the
film which tells the story of how King George VI sought to overcome
his stammer.
He was part of a group of stammerers who went to see the movie
at the Glasgow Film Theatre when it was released, and he hopes that
the film can change attitudes and prejudices.
Mr Mann, who founded a self-help group in Glasgow called Safety
in Stumblers, feels the film, accurately portrays what thousands of
people like him go through.
He said. "I liked the humour in the movie but it was more
laughing along with the King rather than at him."
He felt was its accurate portrayal of the kind of therapy and
help that stammerers need.
Around 1% of the population have a stammer but there is no cure
- a point reflected in the film. Mr Mann himself has been through
15 years of speech therapy and still has a stammer.
Mr Mann believes there is potential for the film to change
attitudes - and they need changing. Although he has had very
positive experiences with his current employer, he has heard horror
stories about people not being promoted because they stammer.
Also, when he was job-hunting as a young man, it was only when
he removed the fact of his stammering from application forms that
he started getting interviews.
For Mr Mann, who works with other stammerers through his
website, www.safetyinstumblers.org, stammering is still part of his
life but it has not prevented him from achieving his goals.
"I think the film could raise awareness and show, most
importantly, that stammering wasn't all of the King, it was just
part of him and it's not to be ridiculed," he said.
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