We’ve Seen Films About All Sorts of Aliments and Illnessess, Why Not Stuttering
Now a lot of us have seen films about Dementia, Alzheimers, Autism, Blindness and Physical Disability but there was a story that just so happen to grab my attention. It was about speech issues, something which I am all too familiar with. Now i know that we had The King’s Speech in 2010 where Colin Firth played King George who had an infamous stutter. I haven’t seen the film in its entirety but having a communication issue is which I myself am familiar with having got a similar one myself. Recently in the news Emily Blunt openly admitted that she would also be open to doing a film about it as it’s something that’s close to her heart. She herself had opened up about her struggles with the problem. It is something which prevented her from being able to speak until she was 5 years old.
As someone who also lives with a near similar I wouldn’t object to seeing it if she is able to get production off the ground.
The last film that was made which was about people with Communication problems was Coda, which went on to critical acclaim. I have never seen it but have watched a few clips, I found it highly inspirational and insightful. The film is about a family where most of the family members are deaf apart from the youngest child is the only one who can still hear.
In today’s society where many people tell their stories through the medium of films and TV. I find it fascinating that when it comes to films about communication speech impediment rarely seems to get a mention. There have been a handful of characters who have featured in TV and film who have either stuttered, had limited vocabulary or just struggled to speak at all. They only served as a supporting character. I cannot think of a single film or TV programme, be it a one-off or a series, where a stuttering character was the protagonist.
The only film I can think of is The King’s Speech. King George IV, who the film is based on did actually suffer from stuttering and did hourly exercises to help control it. Even though he is helped to overcome it I am fairly certain that his issues weren’t cured. The are numerous communication issues that people live with, including me, and one of the basic facts is the likelihood that there’s probably no actual cure for it, just exercises to help control it.
After I watched the film I actually became more sympathetic to both the character and what he had to put up with. It’s certainly not easy to put with, and isn’t easy to overcome either. I should know because this is an issue I’m still dealing with to this very day. One of the things I occasionally thought about was whether another film like King’s Speech would be made again.
So when Emily Blunt announced her intentions my interest was peaked.
For me, this is certainly a film I would consider watching as speech impediment, including stuttering, is something I have been vocal about. First and foremost it’s something that a lot of people live with in todays society, another being that it gives the subject itself a platform.
I have socialised and worked with people who have dealt with the same problems so I knew straight from the get go how challenging it could be for them. Hell, these people have my unconditional sympathy full stop.
Speech issues is something that I have lived with my entire life and is something that I will continue to live with indefinitely. Though my own life experiences i have known a lot of people with similar problems, so for me, the sympathy is instant and unconditional. I have lost count of the amount of times that I have had to battle to maintain a steady pace and/or not stuttering whilst talking with people. Now whilst I admit that it’s been just as much of an issue for the family, and in some cases driven them nuts, I always remind that it’s more strenuous for me.
At the end of the day it’s easy to criticise someone about not slowing down or not to stutter but it’s harder to actually do it if you’re the one. I mean a great many of us have ended up losing our rag at someone but giving them frequent reminders of how challenging it can be to do so can be just as much a pain in the a**e.
Hopefully if this film comes out people will realise how difficult simple things like talking can be and try to become just that bit more sympathetic. If The Glorias can educate people on feminism, Philadelphia can educate people about HIV/AIDS and My Left Foot about Cerebral Palsy then with a bit of luck a film about stuttering can educate people about that.
