He ain't no P-P-P-P-P-Porky P-P-P-P-Pig...

It's ever so hard to believe that April showers should bring may flowers when the sky is an ominous hue of gray with looming clouds rushing in to cover the light of the sun. The day had moved from the typical early briskly cool to a sharply cutting blade of freezing temperatures. Eventually, the heavens opened and began to weep it's with held tears to clean away the remnants of Old Man Winter's long embrace. The cool early afternoon found Jack Frost busily courting Madame Spring like two star crossed lovers. In their embrace, they waltzed across the remaining day's long hours turning the moisture ladened dust particulates of Madame Spring's rain drop dress into a swirling dress of frost ferns and cottony snow. Weather Madam Spring was joyous or not, we may never fully know, but the day was reverted into a frozen northern sheet of white as the two conspiring lovers danced the day away casting off the snow that made Madame Spring's dress so lovely.

With the day's work completed, I make the slippery drive home through inches of snow covered streets. With the Magnum's traction control flashing like a strobe light to signal ever slippage, I sputter the Traction controlled seizing vehicle to the curb-Or what I think is the curb-since the blowing snow was so heavy that I'd wager that even a snow fox would be challenged to find it's own tracks if it quickly turned to find them. In the moments that the car door opens to the time I reach the breezeway door, I take a note of how beautiful this momentary reprieve is. The city lights are on early and reflecting their bright white glow through the falling snow and illuminating the street below. The tracks in the street are ever changing to reveal hues of; grays, burnt umber, ivory, cream, even streaks of blue, rose, sage, and violet. What a marvelous sight the changing of colors. Even the placed one may find them can be a wonder.

As Bobbie, Max, Courtney find the time to help me dig out a path for the car and clear the sidewalks, we enjoy the time that we are working together. Our shared toil, grunts and groans make quick work of the wintry mess. As we shoveled the cement ways clear, our dogs Mitzy and Lucy inspect our thoroughness and look to us as if to assign an approval. The day's are longer now and the darkening light still confines the sky to ever darkening shades of gray. We finish not a moment too soon and retreat into our home to settle in for the night.

With sighs of completed relief, we make our way to the living room, onto the new couch and under the down comforter that Bobbie pirated off of our bed. Warm and comfortable with the wind picking up it's force outside, we watch this:

It's just after the roaring twenty's and King George V has passed on. The sons of the king must make their stand for the the crown, the empire and their people. On one hand, we have the reluctant playboy Prince who is very much self engrossed and cares only for his own personal exploits. The younger Prince-a much sterner man-is more likely to reign with the people's mind nearer his heart. The younger Prince does have a flaw that creates a sense of weakness about him. He has an awful stammer that will ultimately lead him on a road to self revelation, self discovery, and a self actualization of his life. He learns what it means to be a stronger man...A man who's fears can be overcome and how one's life can be transformed from that moment on.

I flat out enjoyed this film. It's a brilliant piece of work. The actors are so skilled in their craft that the audience is transported to the era. Firth conveys with an exacting precision what a personal fear can do to the person who's suffering from it. Rush, with his many varied credits, is such a magnificent character actor that he adapts to the role so convincingly that one could never tell that he'd ever played a contra role such as Javert in Les Miserables. An uplifting tale of that is not only heartfelt and powerful, this picture show is what great films are made of. If you need to, beg, borrow, or steal this one. You won't be disappointed. There's a reason why Colin Firth won an Oscar for this, and it shows.

Another great film to join the ranks of emotionally compelling screen plays like Life is Beautiful, The King's Speech will have you rooting for the underdog.

For it's marvelous content, and flawless story telling, this film ranks a 9 out of 10 royal scepters...Even with out CGI.