Movies That Help Me Focus: A Knight’s Tale

If you have ever read Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” then you probably recognize the title of this movie. If you are a stickler for adaptations being as close as possible to the original, then you may want to read some reviews before seeing this movie.

For example, during the opening scene where two knights square off in a jousting match, there is classic rock playing while the crowd does a wave - yes, this movie is light, whimsical, and even goofy.

From the moment Queen’s “We Will Rock You” begins playing you realize that this movie is going to be different than most you have seen.

However, by the time the credits begin rolling you realize that this story is the fairy tale of the average man.

Changing Your Stars and Finding the Girl

A Knight’s Tale follows the life of William Thatcher. No, he is not a descendant of Lady Margaret, rather, his name highlights the family profession.

William is born into poverty with his blind father who mends fishing nets for a living. We never know William’s mother and we see early on the plight of the peasantry trying to move up in the world.

Realizing that opportunity is probably not in his cards, William’ father finds work for the young lad in the company of a knight.

It a sad moment to see William leave his father and embark on a new world, but William’s Dad encourages him to learn all he can, seize the moments, and change his stars.

William does indeed seize the moment when he is older and the knight he is serving dies before a jousting match. Despite the concerns of his friends and coworkers, William impersonates his master, puts on the armor and jousts for the first time in his life.

He doesn’t win, but what he does gain is a small taste of the knighthood he has dreamt about since he was a boy.

As you can imagine, the rest of the movie is William growing into knighthood, winning tournaments, and finding a pretty princess to perform for.

The movie came out when I was about 14, and it is very much a coming of age movie for any man.

I enjoy goofy humor, and Knight’s Tale fires on all cylinders in that respect. What it also conjures within me is the spirit of integrity, and believing what one must be before the rest of the world recognizes you as such.

William is in hiding as a knight for most of the movie, but as he resides in the shadows you begin to see him grow into his armor and the title he wears.

By the third act of the movie, you believe William is a knight, and so does he. Even when the truth comes out and he has the choice to run and hide or die, he faces the challenge rather than cower like a peasant.

William’s character is a reminder to me that though the dreams we have may seem distant, and others may think us crazy for pursuing them, we must pursue them all the same.

We don’t change our stars by doing the same work over and over, and neither do we change by listening to the people who doubt us -we change our stars by daring to do the impossible, and achieving the unthinkable.

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