Summary
The Help stars Emma Stone as Skeeter, Viola Davis as Aibleen, and Octavia Spencer as Minny. They are three different women in Mississippi during the 1960’s who create a friendship over a book writing project that eventually breaks society’s rules and puts them at risk of jail time, loss of property, and even death. Their friendship eventually causes problems with Hilly (Bryce Dallas Howard), the social leader of the city. These friends show Hilly and the rest of the townspeople that not all secrets are safe.
Expectations Going In
I had heard only good things from people I knew, other critics, and Rotten Tomatoes gave it an overall critic rating of 76%. Naturally, I assumed it to be good. It was also, in the top 5 at the box office for 5 weeks. The one thing that had me worried was that I knew it was based off of a New York Times best selling book, so I was not sure if it would be converted to film very well.
Bad
This movie made me hate almost every white person in it. As the movie gets to the third act I discovered it was not all the white people I hated, just the white women. The white women make sure that the help are doing their jobs and the men just ask that these chores around the house are completed. At one point in the movie one of the help asks for some extra money and the man of the house looks at his wife and says, well I have to go to work. He doesn’t even finish his breakfast. He just gets up and leaves. To me, the men in this movie are just character actors with nothing to do. In a way, they are wasted material.
There is a point where Minnie is beaten by her husband and the film never elaborates on this part. I know why she was beaten, but why show the lead up, the abuse, and then never bring it back up? Not to mention we never get to see her husband again. I thought this entire scene should have been cut out of the movie.
The movie is far too long. It is almost two hours and thirty minutes. I think it should have been shortened down to two hours. Speaking of time, the first thirty minutes did seem to drag out for me and I was beginning to wonder if I was going to like this film. Once the film introduces you to more of the black characters it really starts to liven up and becomes more enjoyable.
Good
Jessica Chastin’s character is the only white woman that is not a racist. She is the typical Marilyn Monroe look alike from the 1960’s and the socialite women in the movie hate her. She wants to be friends with the other white women, but they shun her over something childish. She does a good job of acting as the bubbly blond girl that has almost everything, but no friends.
Octavia Spencer (Minny) does a wonderful job of keeping you entertained. She is funny, thoughtful, and very honest. She provides much of the movie’s humor and keeps it from becoming too serious. Spencer’s role as Chastin’s help is motherly, trying hard to teach her how to cook, clean, and stay out of other people’s business.
Bryce Dallas Howard (Hilly) is an evil, racist woman in the movie. She is the alpha female for all of the white women and they follow her every move. If she says hide, they hide, if she gets married, they get married.
The movie focuses on Viola Davis (Aibleen) because she is the one that starts telling her stories to Skeeter. She does a wonderful job throughout the film. She is tired of raising white girls that she loves just to see them grow up to be evil and treat the help bad. She does a great job of letting her emotions get to her. Her facial expressions let the watcher know how she feels. She does an excellent job at being the woman that is proud and does not want to talk about it. When she is recognized at the church for the book being written by Skeeter, she doesn’t want anyone thanking her; she just wants everyone’s story to be heard. She even drags Minny to the front of the church to receive some of the credit, too.
This movie is supposed to be a comedy/drama and it does deliver. When it is slow, it is bringing you into the movie. While it did not have me become emotional over it, I know a few people that said that they cried during the movie. Be ready to use up all of your tissues if you’re weak against tear-jerkers.
Overall Thoughts
I was not the least surprised that the movie delivered on the laughs. Emma Stone is constantly making you laugh by causing trouble with Hilly, by either back talking her and not following her lead, or by posting an article in the newspaper that publicly humiliates her. Octavia Spencer and her pie scene (not to give away any spoilers) is surprising and laugh out loud funny. While Stone and Spencer fully delivered on the laughs, Viola Davis kept you entertained with the main story.
I recognize this as a good film and generally enjoyed it, but I couldn’t watch it every year. I highly recommend renting it.
Very High Rental
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