Whatever Is Noble

I finally had the chance to sit down and watch The King’s Speech.  Way before it won all its awards I knew I would like it as it possesses the following qualities:  a plot about royalty (check), British accents (check), period costuming (check), and Colin Firth (check).  All of these qualities, plus the lack of a battlefield, made my husband fairly certain he would not like it, but I digress.

The movie was great, Mr. Darcy – uh I mean – Mr. Firth’s acting was spectacular, and my husband and I both enjoyed it.  My short summary is that The King’s Speech is about a good man, supported by his loving wife, working hard so he can better serve and lead.  It is a plot full of courage, faithfulness, sacrifice, friendship, and honor.

With the movie sent back in its red envelope, I keep thinking about the noble Bertie and the aforementioned virtues that were so prominent in the film.  It’s not often that such a well done movie – a Hollywood film – showcases such a hero and such Good in a way that is not sappy, or cheesy, or in a lame-o family film.  Also, it is not often that any movie would cause me to look a little differently at the man next to me on the sofa.

You see, the more I think about Bertie the more I think about my husband.  My husband is a good man, working hard so he can better serve and lead.  His life and our marriage are full of courage, faithfulness, sacrifice, friendship, and honor.  He is a good father and partner.  He is the best man I know.  Watching The King’s Speech reminded me of all that and therefore helped me love and appreciate him a little bit more.

I don’t think that’s what Firth and Rush and the rest were setting out to do when they began working on the film.  I don’t think they had the foggiest idea that the story of King George VI’s overcoming his stutter would make some midwestern woman fall even more in love with her husband.  But then again, that’s what good art does.  Its honesty, goodness, and nobility help us to focus on the honest, the good, and the noble.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.  Phil 4:8

Image courtesy of Vintage Collective.

Bonnie Engstrom

Bonnie Engstrom

Bonnie Engstrom is a cradle Catholic and stay-at-home mom. She married her dashing husband in 2006 and they now have five children: one in Heaven and four more wandering around their house, probably eating pretzels found under the couch. Bonnie lives in central Illinois and gets excited about baking, music, film adaptations of Jane Austen books, and the Chicago Bears. She was a cofounder of The Behold Conference and she blogs at A Knotted Life.

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4 thoughts on “Whatever Is Noble”

  1. Bonnie, what a great review of one of my favorite 2011 movies. We had the 8th grade kids & their parents over to watch it this summer. The R rating was crazy and so undeserved–I wrote about it back when around when it won Oscars. So great to see you here– what a great site!

  2. The King’s Speech was most emphatically not a “Hollywood”movie, but a British one…wherein lay its immense charm.

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