The King’s Speech star Colin Firth and his DGA-nominated director Tom Hooper were toasted as an Academy and press luncheon earlier today. Nobody is more polite or gracious or easy to chit-chat with than these two. And let’s repeat again that TKS is an exceptionally well-made film of its type, and that I respect it fully and have no dispute with it being a Best Picture contender. It is deserving, in part because it knows exactly how to deal its hand.

King’s Speech star Colin Firth, director Tom Hooper at today’s honorary luncheon, which

The co-hosts of the event were journalist and former London Times editor Harold Evans and author Amanda Foreman (Georgina, Duchess of Devonshire and A World on Fire). At midpoint Evans got up and riffed on the film, singing its praises and noting that he’s senior enough to remember listening to the actual King George (i.e., Firth’s character) on British radio. He was followed by a q & a between Foreman, Firth and Hooper.

Also attending were Harvey Weinstein, distributor of The King’s Speech, CNN’s new prime-time TV interview guy Piers Morgan (i.e., Larry King‘s British replacement), King’s Speech costar Jennifer Ehle (i.e., Geoffrey Rush’s wife), screenwriters Geoffrey Fletcher (Precious) and Stephen Schiff (Wall Street 2) and the usual ragtag journalist types.

CNN’s Piers Morgan — I should have asked for his tablemate’s name but didn’t.

(l. to r.) Tom Hooper, Amanda Foreman, Colin Firth — Monday, 1.10, 1:35 pm.

Forbes guy Bill McCuddy, Tom Hooper

King’s Speech event co-host Harold Evans.