The Help, based on the 2009 novel by Kathryn Stockett, is a story about three courageous women who come together to expose the unjust way in which African American housemaids were treated in 1960s era Jackson, Mississippi.
Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan (Emma Stone) is a young, aspiring writer who lands her first assignment after returning home to Jackson after attending college. Since the assignment is a cleaning advice column, (a subject that Skeeter knows nothing about), she enlists the help of an expert: African American housemaid, Aibileen (Viola Davis). After witnessing the cruel way in which Skeeter’s white, childhood friends speak about and treat their black housemaids, however, Skeeter soon realizes that there is an important story to be told, here-- that of the lives of the maids working for white households. After much convincing, Skeeter recruits Aibileen to help her in this endeavor and the two women risk job loss, social exile, arrest, and worse in order to secretly meet and record these stories. Despite all of this, Aibileen’s best friend and fellow maid, Minny (Octavia Spencer), soon joins the cause, as do many other maids. What results is a quiet revolt in the form of a collection of writings that turns Jackson’s social structure on its head.
Eventually, this endeavor becomes much more than an assortment of tales exposing the prejudices of a few white households. It transforms into an important movement that has a legitimate chance of facilitating change in Jackson, Mississippi and beyond. The journey also serves to bring change to the individual women involved in the project, imbuing each with a feeling of power over their lives and a renewed sense of hope for the future.
Performances: Emma Stone tends to shine in everything she’s in and this movie is no different. She is fresh, yet determined in this film, and her sweet and honest performance holds our hearts throughout. (In the scene where Skeeter’s mother reveals the truth about Constantine, the family’s maid, Stone’s performance causes the audience to suffer along with her and want to comfort her, all at the same time). Viola Davis is wonderful as Aibileen, gifted enough to convey both extreme pain and cool indifference with a simple look, and Octavia Spencer’s Minny is comical, merely through her display of straightforward honesty. But perhaps the most memorable performance was the one given by Bryce Dallas Howard as “Hilly”. Hilly is the head of the white, social group in Jackson and makes sure to remind everyone of this. An obviously unhappy person, Hilly scrutinizes every step the housemaids and even her own friends make, waiting for her chance to pounce on any type of defiance. Howard plays this part perfectly. Although Howard’s “Hilly” is more of a caricature of this type of persona than a realistic, understated character (such as Davis’ “Aibileen”), you end up disliking Hilly so much (even after you leave the theater), that it is obvious Howard has done a good job in portraying her.
Written and directed by Tate Taylor, this Dreamworks film stars an almost all-female cast, including Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and Bryce Dallas Howard. It is based on the bestselling debut novel of the same name by Kathryn Stockett. Staying quite true to the book, The Help focuses on Skeeter’s observation of the inconsistent treatment of the African-American help - how they are allowed to raise white children, yet are considered as “contaminated” and frequently humiliated. Somehow, these women still continue to work, teach, and love.
Set in the 1960s, Emma Stone stars as aspiring writer Skeeter Phelan, who is fresh out of college and returning back to Jackson, Mississippi to land a job at the local newspaper and reunite with her Southern socialite friends. This includes the prejudiced and self-righteous queen bee Hilly Holbrook (Howard), who later on uses her position to pass a sanitation initiative against the help and to ostracize those who cross her. Three women’s tales weave together as Skeeter decides to write a book about the help and first enlists Aibileen Clark (Davis), the housemaid of the Leefolt family who, although gifted in raising white children, is still struggling with the death of her only son, and Minny Jackson (Spencer), a feisty maid and talented cook (specialties: fried chicken and pies) who experiences a change in her work as she is hired by Celia Foote, a clueless newcomer who is desperate to be accepted by the other gals in town and to learn how to cook. Two stories gradually transform into over a dozen as more of the help are emboldened to step forward and tell their stories.
It is the four actresses who play the three protagonists and antagonist of the film who bring this heartwarming tale to life. Stone is like a breath of fresh air; in the way she portrays Skeeter being enlightened, she inspires the audience as well. Howard does Hilly Holbrook justice - if anything, it is the character herself who seems to symbolize nothing but racism and evil, and endures a large dose of retribution in the end (a bit too much, in fact). The amount of hatred the audience feels toward Hilly can only be praise towards Howard’s depiction. Davis and Spencer are especially to be commended for giving superb, if not Oscar-worthy, performances. Spencer infuses The Help with well placed remarks and actions, as well as the “Terrible Awful” that had the audience rolling in their seats with laughter. Davis is a compelling force and holds the movie on her shoulders; her final scene will bring tears to the watcher’s eyes.
Face it, it hasn’t been an impressively substantial summer for films. This is the kind of movie that will warm hearts and touch souls. Modern society is filled with horror at how anyone could have allowed this sort of treatment to take place fifty years ago, wonder at the strength that the help possess and the love they have for the white children they care for, and compassion forSkeeter, Minny, and Aibileen, who are all complex characters with journeys of their own. The Help is beautifully adapted from the book to the big screen, and for anyone who understands the racial tensions during the Jim Crow era, it is an uplifting movie that will not be forgotten.
Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan (Emma Stone) is a young, aspiring writer who lands her first assignment after returning home to Jackson after attending college. Since the assignment is a cleaning advice column, (a subject that Skeeter knows nothing about), she enlists the help of an expert: African American housemaid, Aibileen (Viola Davis). After witnessing the cruel way in which Skeeter’s white, childhood friends speak about and treat their black housemaids, however, Skeeter soon realizes that there is an important story to be told, here-- that of the lives of the maids working for white households. After much convincing, Skeeter recruits Aibileen to help her in this endeavor and the two women risk job loss, social exile, arrest, and worse in order to secretly meet and record these stories. Despite all of this, Aibileen’s best friend and fellow maid, Minny (Octavia Spencer), soon joins the cause, as do many other maids. What results is a quiet revolt in the form of a collection of writings that turns Jackson’s social structure on its head.
Eventually, this endeavor becomes much more than an assortment of tales exposing the prejudices of a few white households. It transforms into an important movement that has a legitimate chance of facilitating change in Jackson, Mississippi and beyond. The journey also serves to bring change to the individual women involved in the project, imbuing each with a feeling of power over their lives and a renewed sense of hope for the future.
Performances: Emma Stone tends to shine in everything she’s in and this movie is no different. She is fresh, yet determined in this film, and her sweet and honest performance holds our hearts throughout. (In the scene where Skeeter’s mother reveals the truth about Constantine, the family’s maid, Stone’s performance causes the audience to suffer along with her and want to comfort her, all at the same time). Viola Davis is wonderful as Aibileen, gifted enough to convey both extreme pain and cool indifference with a simple look, and Octavia Spencer’s Minny is comical, merely through her display of straightforward honesty. But perhaps the most memorable performance was the one given by Bryce Dallas Howard as “Hilly”. Hilly is the head of the white, social group in Jackson and makes sure to remind everyone of this. An obviously unhappy person, Hilly scrutinizes every step the housemaids and even her own friends make, waiting for her chance to pounce on any type of defiance. Howard plays this part perfectly. Although Howard’s “Hilly” is more of a caricature of this type of persona than a realistic, understated character (such as Davis’ “Aibileen”), you end up disliking Hilly so much (even after you leave the theater), that it is obvious Howard has done a good job in portraying her.
Written and directed by Tate Taylor, this Dreamworks film stars an almost all-female cast, including Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and Bryce Dallas Howard. It is based on the bestselling debut novel of the same name by Kathryn Stockett. Staying quite true to the book, The Help focuses on Skeeter’s observation of the inconsistent treatment of the African-American help - how they are allowed to raise white children, yet are considered as “contaminated” and frequently humiliated. Somehow, these women still continue to work, teach, and love.
Set in the 1960s, Emma Stone stars as aspiring writer Skeeter Phelan, who is fresh out of college and returning back to Jackson, Mississippi to land a job at the local newspaper and reunite with her Southern socialite friends. This includes the prejudiced and self-righteous queen bee Hilly Holbrook (Howard), who later on uses her position to pass a sanitation initiative against the help and to ostracize those who cross her. Three women’s tales weave together as Skeeter decides to write a book about the help and first enlists Aibileen Clark (Davis), the housemaid of the Leefolt family who, although gifted in raising white children, is still struggling with the death of her only son, and Minny Jackson (Spencer), a feisty maid and talented cook (specialties: fried chicken and pies) who experiences a change in her work as she is hired by Celia Foote, a clueless newcomer who is desperate to be accepted by the other gals in town and to learn how to cook. Two stories gradually transform into over a dozen as more of the help are emboldened to step forward and tell their stories.
It is the four actresses who play the three protagonists and antagonist of the film who bring this heartwarming tale to life. Stone is like a breath of fresh air; in the way she portrays Skeeter being enlightened, she inspires the audience as well. Howard does Hilly Holbrook justice - if anything, it is the character herself who seems to symbolize nothing but racism and evil, and endures a large dose of retribution in the end (a bit too much, in fact). The amount of hatred the audience feels toward Hilly can only be praise towards Howard’s depiction. Davis and Spencer are especially to be commended for giving superb, if not Oscar-worthy, performances. Spencer infuses The Help with well placed remarks and actions, as well as the “Terrible Awful” that had the audience rolling in their seats with laughter. Davis is a compelling force and holds the movie on her shoulders; her final scene will bring tears to the watcher’s eyes.
Face it, it hasn’t been an impressively substantial summer for films. This is the kind of movie that will warm hearts and touch souls. Modern society is filled with horror at how anyone could have allowed this sort of treatment to take place fifty years ago, wonder at the strength that the help possess and the love they have for the white children they care for, and compassion forSkeeter, Minny, and Aibileen, who are all complex characters with journeys of their own. The Help is beautifully adapted from the book to the big screen, and for anyone who understands the racial tensions during the Jim Crow era, it is an uplifting movie that will not be forgotten.
