The Help

Recently the other Dude and I were discussing that not many award worthy movies come out during the summer; then I see The Help. To say it is not a story that I am normally interested in would be an understatement. I wasn't around during the time of segregation to fully appreciate the depth of this story. Additionally, if there was ever a movie that screamed "chick flick" it would be this one. In spite of that, I've heard wonderful things about the book and decided to view the movie. I'm happy to say that I'm glad that I did. Virtually unknown director Tate Taylor put together a cast of relatively unknown actors and actresses that truly made the story go.

Taylor, whose last movie was the little seen Pretty Ugly People, grabbed a familiar actress to join him in making The Help, Allison Janney. Other than Janney the only other familiar actresses in the movie are Cicely Tyson and Sissy Spacek. The rather unknown cast has a fresh feeling on the story and there are no preconceived notions based on a past actor or actresses work. That being said Emma Stone (Easy A), and Viola Davis had a true coming out party in The Help. Both women played fantastic parts, which really made the cast mesh nicely together. Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain were all spectacular in supporting roles alongside Stone and Davis.

When a movie doesn't have the explosions, crazy action or crude humor that we've become accustomed to seeing in newer movies there has got to be a great story attached in order to maintain your interest; The Help had that great story. There aren't many movies that have you laughing, crying, or getting angry and end up still being fantastic and that is where this one had me. With my common rule of no movie should be over 2 hours unless it is special; this one is very special. I would be surprised if there aren't a number of nominations coming.

Children: If they can handle a lot of dialog it is age appropriate for 10+ Award Worthy: YES! Nominations for: Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Screenplay, Picture, Director Entertaining: Yes Summer Movie Grade: A+ Is it Worth the Price of a Movie ticket: Yes Would I watch It Again: Yes

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Oscar Oscar Oscar – Kathryn Stockett's beautiful book is Oscar worthy in this film -- for editing, screenplay, supporting actress (several deserving) – Emma Stone just shines – at just 22 years old, this film proves she is a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood. There are so few roles written for black women and I was thrilled to see such great roles filled by Viola Davis (Abigail) and Octavia Spencer (Minnie) - both should be nominated for supporting roles although in my opinion, along with Emma Stone, all three share top billing.

The character development in this movie is really outstanding – I hate movies with flat single dimension characters and these from the lowest to those with the most screen time are just remarkably developed – even the newspaper editor, the lines they chose for him to keep gave you enough information that even he is a memorable character with only three scenes, maybe 4 in the entire movie. Same for Stuart, Skeeter's love interest – you actually like him then hate him and he only has maybe 3 minutes of air time. Great great job. Sissy Spacek with so few speaking moments is great as is Cicely Tyson who speaks volumes even in scenes with no words. Admittedly, being based on an amazing book the background story was already set out and tracks the book closely without some of the details but they have done a great job of putting it to film –

This movie sets out beautifully a terrible time in our history that unfortunately is not over – it is better, but not over by a long shot. Being a child of the south and coming up during that time, being raised by such bigoted grandparents and parents, it leaves me pause to wonder how I avoided this rabid virus of hate and takes me back to long hot lazy days in the deep south before every building was air conditioned – such attention detail right down to the Jesus fans they waved in church – awesome flick. You FEEL the heat, the tension, the pain, the injustice of the time but still you laugh with them even as you cry for them - both races - ignorance is to be wept over.

However, I think this movie does more, goes further in its exploration of the behavior of the privileged during that time. They were rabid toward blacks but were not that much better toward anyone who did not share their socio-economic status (the way the "Junior League" treated Celia) and the enormous peer pressure they put on one another (the club encouraging Skeeter's mother to make a poor decision). It visits the sins of the parents passed on to their children – the bigotry and injustice that is learned at the knee of our elders. OMG it is just an awesome, poignant, moving, NOT TO BE MISSED film.

Mesmerizing from start to finish – never once drags – just an easy easy easy 10

If this film were total fiction bearing no relation to reality, it would still be worth seeing for the fine acting and production values--even if some of the young white women approached "Southern Gothic."

But it wasn't fiction--at least, the depiction of Southern society wasn't. As I watched I kept drifting back to small-town South Carolina in the 1950s, where I grew up. It was moving and disturbing to be reminded how black people were treated then--loved and yet "kept down in their place." Our neighborhood was all middle-class and every family had a maid. There were plenty of boys my age, we visited in each other's homes, and called every maid by her first name. One even started a baseball team for the little white boys, for which her reward was a visit by the Klan.

Our maid helped my mother cook and clean. One of my parents picked her up and took her home every day--and she rode in the back seat. She ate her lunch in our kitchen--without being allowed to use our utensils. I remember her eating with her fingers. I do not remember ever seeing her use our bathrooms. I thought about that during the movie and truly cannot recall what she did, an embarrassing gap in memory.

I do remember when my father was out of work and our maid had to be cut back to three days a week. I actually cried; she was a member of our family. When talk about civil rights began in the late 1950s, my mother became annoyed at our maid for getting "uppity." And so it went. We moved to central Florida in 1961, where there were no maids.

Travel back in time with this film. It's quite real, and I highly recommend it.

I just returned from seeing a special preview of "The Help," which is due out in theaters this summer.

Okay, so here's the truth: I'm a middle-aged, white male... I didn't read the book and I assumed, based on the fact that this is a virtually an all-female cast, that this was some sort of chick flick. Boy, was I wrong!

This is an incredible film that not only pays justice to the bestseller on which it's based (according to those who have read the book AND seen the film), but is phenomenally cast, with exceptional performances by Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard and Allison Janney. Veteran actresses Sissy Spacek and Cicely Tyson also deliver incredible performances. While Tyson's character is central to the storyline, her role comprises what seems to be a few, precious minutes of the 2:20 running time, she delivers, in my opinion, one of the most powerful and moving moments in the film...one in which she doesn't even utter a line (trust me, you'll know when you see it.)

The Help also delivers some very funny moments and will make you laugh. I'll go so far as to say that this film and a few of its cast members will draw some Oscar nominations. I certainly think this takes Stone into a whole new level.

The racial imbalances of 1963 are well illustrated in "The Help," and will, no doubt, underscore how far America has come, as well as how little progress we've made in the last 50 years. Either way, this is a powerful movie that needs to be seen on the big screen as soon as you can get a ticket.

I took our 12 year old daughter to see this movie and we both loved it. She was not thrilled when I told her we were going to see a film that told a story from the civil rights era but when we left she said she loved it because of the women's courage, their humor and the power of their friendships. We had never seen most of the actors which was refreshing and the acting by the entire cast made it easy to get totally involved. I laughed out loud and shed quite a few tears in The Help, and will remember it and recommend it to my friends. It was wonderful to see so many scenes in which the actors related to each other so perfectly. Even the vilest characters showed moments of conflict within themselves as they played out poor behavior that had long been inbred in them. I am especially grateful to the team who provided a film that told an engaging story about human relationships with important lessons for my daughter. That is a rare occurrence in today's movies.