The Help

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Plot: In the early 1960's the civil rights movement is just starting, and college grad Skeeter (Emma Stone) moves back to Jackson, Mississippi. She wants to write a magazine feature about black women who work as maids. The maids are not paid well or treated well, while segregation and discrimination are wide-spread. After a long time Skeeter recruits Aibileen (Viola Davis) and Minney (Octavia Spencer) to tell their stories for her book. The most interesting part of the movie is the dynamics between the housewives who employ the maids  like Hilly (Bryce Dallas Howard) with each other and with the maids.

Review: Without over-analyzing the movie, it is a good story, and interesting through out. It is easy to sympathize with Aibileen and Minney about their conditions, and with Skeeter in her efforts to write about them. It is also interesting to watch how tough and mean the housewives are.  

If I think about the movie too much, then I'll nitpick about dialog that sounds like 21st Century words pasted in the 1960's mouths of the characters. Of course, Mad Men is no different. The white housewives are the villains of the movie, and they are wrenches. Some of that is for comedy, and the comedy conflicts with the documentary aspect of the film.

I expected the movie to be a lot preachier about race relations, but I didn't think it was a problem. It was a good movie with a moral message that did not seem too simple or overbearing.

I thought the performances were strong, and Emma, Viola and Octavia all had a few good scenes. I am not sure we have a best actress Oscar here, but The Help should get a SAG for best ensemble cast. The group of actresses had great chemistry. That is a tribute to the directing too.

Cast: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard

Directed by: Tate Taylor

Rating:   3.0 stars: pretty fun to watch and well-acted with a good moral message. 

More: Here is a YouTube video about making the film in Jackson, and especially the old cars. I really liked the shiny old cars.