The results seemed preordained. “The King’s Speech” is a pudding of a movie, easy in, easy out, and its lack of chew is ideal for those porcelain veneers twinkling in the dark at the Kodak. “The Social Network,” by contrast, requires you to listen, watch, think, which isn’t often demanded of movie viewers. Academy members might be the ultimate film insiders, but there’s no reason to believe that they’re different from most moviegoers, who, used to facile entertainments, have voted for “The King’s Speech” ($114 million domestic box office and counting, as of Tuesday) over “The Social Network” (just under $97 million). Truly, considering the Academy’s track record (“A Beautiful Mind,” ad nauseum), the surprise was that “The Social Network” was even in contention. As a friend said, “If you combine regiphilia with disability, you’ve got a winning ticket.”
From a look at the Oscars and the ceremony by Manohla Dargis of The New York Times.
I thought Colin Firth was superb, but The King’s Speech did not make my top five.
Agreed. After seeing “The King’s Speech” I was impressed by Colin but did not think Best Picture.