And the Winner Is...

When all is considered, the notion of rooting for the underdog prevails as the main reason why these two films won Oscars for Best Picture.

The reason why historical films are attractive in the first place is because it connects viewers to real people, with real problems. However, what I've found is that Hollywood tweaks history in order to make the movie more engaging. This illustrates that historical accuracy is NOT the reason for how good a film is.

Strong speeches uplift us, because in that moment, we feel like we are being spoken to, and encouraged to "fight on." However, there are plenty of other films in which speeches do not play a huge role in terms of the movie's climax. In that way, viewers are mainly attracted to the speeches in Braveheart and The King's Speech because how much we connect with the protagonist in general.

Therefore the idea of rooting for the underdog encompasses all these facets because it is an overall appeal towards our human desire to connect with people, especially in times of adversity. This video, which is a compilation of several different movies, illustrates my point that even though we might not have experienced what these characters have, we as viewers relate with their struggle because the rest of world seems to be against them. Video credit to myfaith1969

Powerfully Delivered Speeches

Though the speeches given in these films are delivered under very different contexts, both Mel Gibson and Colin Firth were able to move their audiences. However, this raises the question of whether we enjoy these speeches because of its content, or because we feel connected to the protagonists as a whole.

King George VI suffered from a humiliating stutter  his whole life and sought help for his problem for years, with little success. The King's Speech tracks King George VI's battle with his speech impairment and draws heavily upon pathos as viewers inevitability feel sympathetic towards this kind, yet distressed man. This 60 Minutes episode with Colin Firth helps explain King George VI's character, and why audiences can relate so closely to him. Video credit to CBS Online

In Braveheart's freedom speech, Wallace encourages his Scottish brothers to fight the English even though they are widely outnumbered. He also informs them that he is the legendary Sir William Wallace, and he is a man just like the rest of them. This appeals to audiences because we see that Wallace does not view himself as heroic or better than anyone else. It leads audiences to believe that we, too, can be heroes. Video credit to movieclips

The Appeal of Historical Films

Historical films are attractive to audiences because it allows them the ability to learn about people, places, and events that they would not have known about unless they stumbled across it in a textbook. Although blockbuster films based on historical events can make learning about history to be exciting, viewers will have the challenge of separating fact from fiction. 

Gerry Everding's article "Historical movies help students learn, but separating fact from fiction can be challenge," shows that historical inaccuracies are woven into these movies to heighten drama and overall audience appeal, thereby giving viewers false information. Films based on history can alter characters and distort the chronology of events, making it 50% more difficult for students to remember which information is correct, the textbook or the film.

So, although Braveheart was indeed an epic tale, Hannu Makinen's blog expertly points our the major inaccuracies of the historical retelling of this Scottish hero and his quest. 

Additionally, the video posted below is a reference that provides accurate historical background on Sir William Wallace and his involvement with the Scottish Wars of Independence. Video credit to DocumentaryFanatic

Rooting for the Underdog

Why do we root for the underdog?

In John Grohol's article, he found that "researchers propose that those who are viewed as disadvantaged arouse people’s sense of fairness and justice — important principles to most people." Due to the fact that it is human nature to see fairness in a level playing field, people automatically connect to and feel sympathetic towards those who suffer from unfairness. Researchers also found that "people tend to believe that underdogs put forth more effort than top-dogs," meaning that even though these underdogs are well-aware that they are disadvantaged, they still strive toward their goals. We believe, and invest in, the protagonist's mission.

These elements of rooting for the underdog are predominant in Braveheart. Sir William Wallace suffered personal tragedy when the English governor slit his wife's throat in front of the whole village. Audiences, then, view Wallace's quest to be in the name of love. Additionally, the Scottish were highly outnumbered by their English foes, thereby showing viewers that those men were willing to die for their freedom. We, as a society, believe in freedom and democracy, thus strengthening our faith in these underdogs.  Video credit to CheGuevaraAdi

The King's Speech also appeals to our desire to root for those who are disadvantaged. King George VI's nervous stutter is something that he cannot control and just as it frustrates him, his struggle frustrates his audiences as well. Viewers find themselves hoping that he can learn to overcome his vocal handicap  so that he can become the respected king that he deserves to be. The following movie trailer demonstrates how pathos is effectively used so that viewers can connect with King George VI's character, in just a short amount of time. Video credit to Clevver Movies