Based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett The Help is about African American maids working in white households in Jackson, Mississippi during the early 1960s.
Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan (Emma Stone) is a young recent college graduate who dreams of being a novelist/journalist. When Skeeter returns to Jackson after finishing school, she realizes that the family maid who helped to raise her, Constantine, is gone.
Her mother insists Constantine left on her own, but Skeeter, who loved her like she was family, knows better.
Skeeter sets out to write a book consisting of letters from the point of views of the maids. She sets out to interview 'the help'. The film is set during the civil rights era, and what Skeeter and the maids are about to do is not only illegal, but dangerous as well. This is a time when racism ran rampant and segregation was legal.
I found The Help to be an eye-opening, emotional film that had me tearing during some parts and laughing out loud during others. I think this film was perfectly cast and that the actors gave great performances.
I've had the book sitting in my TBR for way too long. I always like to read the book before watching the movie, but when a girlfriend of mine asked me to go see the film, I couldn't say no.
Among the maids, I found Aibileen Clark's (Viola Davis) storyline to be among the most emotional and heart wrenching. She had me teary eyed as she spoke about her son. Aibileen brings to light what it is like to raise white women's children and make them feel important, while her own children are being raised by someone else.
"You is kind, you is smart, you is important."
I thought Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer) was a great character. She was strong and funny and pulls one hell of a stunt which she calls the Terrible Awful Secret, that I found to be the ultimate revenge. Way to go Minny.
When Skeeter finally finds out what happened to Constantine, I officially crossed the misty eyed line and went straight into all out waterfall tears.
The storyline mainly centers around Skeeter, Minny and Aibileen, but it also branches out to the other women in town and their maids. Hilly Holbrook's (Bryce Dallas Howard) way of thinking and behavior was really hard to believe. It's sad to think that people can be that ignorant.
I found some of the story to be unbelievable. I never really thought about how maids were treated back then, like they weren't even human beings. Twice in the film there were references to Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind, and how no one ever really thought about whether Mammie really enjoyed her life as a house slave.
The Help is a story about change, courage, hope and friendships and I recommend it to anyone looking to get lost in an emotional story about a period in history that is sometimes too easily forgotten or has been brushed under the carpet.
That being said, I've pushed the book The Help up on my TBR pile. I will get to it very soon.
