Based on the #1 New York Times best selling novel, “The Help” is a movie you won’t want to miss. Set in Mississippi, the movie closely follows the hardships of segregation in the 1960’s. Emma Stone – who is quickly becoming one of my favorite actresses – plays “Skeeter”, a college grad with a dream to become a journalist; a dream that is highly criticized because “most girls her age should only dream of being married and having babies”.
Viola Davis plays “Aibileen”, a maid who struggles to get through life after the loss of her son. Octavia Spencer is Aibileen’s best friend, “Minny”, also a maid, with a sassy mouth and a love of fried chicken.
Things get shaken up when Hilly – a white socialite who loves to be the center of attention – starts a petition that forbid blacks to use the same bathroom as whites in their homes. She suggests that each family build an outhouse for their maids to use instead. Every girl in town is intimidated by Hilly, played by Bryce Dallas Howard, and she quickly convinces her friends that sharing the toilets is simply unsanitary and for their own good.
When Skeeter gets hired to write a housekeeping column for the local newspaper, she is determined to show her worth, and stemming from her disapproval of Hilly’s petition, she decides to prove her journalistic skills by giving the maids a unique opportunity to speak their mind. Skeeter devises a plan to write a book, based off of interviews from the maids who have spent their lives raising the children of Southern prominent families, only for the children to grow older and become their bosses.
The idea is greeted with much skepticism and fear, as Aibileen is at first the only maid willing to share her horror stories, and risks getting found out. But Minny and the others soon follow, giving Skeeter enough material to publish a scandalous, yet “anonymous” novel – turning the town upside down!
Skeeter, Aibileen, and Minny begin meeting on a regular basis to exchange stories and along the way form a strong bond that is unlike any other during that time. They respect each other. They love each other. And in an odd way, they all learn from each other.
While I was watching this movie, I laughed, I cried, and I cried again. I think at one point I looked over at my boyfriend and either he had just chopped some onions, or he was wiping away a tear. But most importantly, I left that theater with a sense of appreciation. “The Help” reminded me of how far we’ve come in this country, and how blessed we are to be able to take advantage of our power to make a difference.
What are your thoughts? Will you see “The Help”?
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