This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Arts & Entertainment

Review: "The Help"

The movie opened last week.

Adapted from the popular book by Kathryn Stockett, “The Help” explores racial tension and daily life in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960s. The film centers on three women, Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan (Emma Stone), Aibileen Clark (Viola Davis) and Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer), who form an unlikely friendship when Phelan decides to write a novel from the point of view of the help.

Skeeter, fresh out of college from the University of Mississippi, applies for a publishing job in New York and is advised to write about something that disturbs her, especially if it bothers no one else.

“The Help” gives insight into the daily lives of women—both black and white – living in Jackson during the civil rights era. Phelan’s college friends, Elizabeth Leefolt (Ahna O’Reilly), Hilly Holbrook (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Jolene French (Anna Camp), are all married and with children and a maid. Charlotte Phelan (Allison Janney) is Skeeter’s funny but also frustrating mother. Perhaps one of the most interesting relationships is friendship that forms between Celia Foote (Jessica Chastain) and Minny Jackson. Unsophisticated Celia, from a small town called Sugar Ditch, hires Minny without her husband’s knowledge so she can learn to cook and clean properly.

Find out what's happening in Lortonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The film is heartbreaking at times – when Aibileen tells Skeeter she has imagined a different life for herself, when Hilly refuses to give her maid a $75 loan to send her twin boys to college (“You’ll thank me later” she says) – but it is also uplifting and funny. After helping Celia through her third miscarriage, Johnny Foote tells Minny she has a job for the rest of her life with their family. Aibileen’s entire church recognizes her (in secret) for having the courage to be the first maid to participate. In the Junior League newsletter, Skeeter “accidentally” writes commode drive instead of coat drive and Hilly wakes to find her award-winning lawn filled with toilets.

Spencer does a great job of portraying feisty and “sass-mouthing”  Minny (she also voices Minny on the audio book), and Davis gives the perfect balance of tranquility and courage to Aibileen. Other standout performances include Chastain as Celia and Howard as Hilly, a snooty Junior League lady who is determined to keep the races separate. Howard’s performance allows the audience to loathe Hilly and to understand the prejudices the plagued America during the 60s. Chastain convincingly portrays scatterbrained but endearing Celia Foote, and has the audience rooting for her to succeed and find friends in Jackson.

Find out what's happening in Lortonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Author Kathryn Stockett and director-screenwriter Taylor are childhood friends from Jackson; Taylor read and optioned the book before it was published. The film does not stray far from the book and Taylor executes the novel’s narrative simply and without much embellishment.  

“The Help” is an enjoyable film and definitely worth seeing in theaters.

The film opened Wednesday, August 10 and is playing in nearby theaters including AMC Potomac Mills (11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 2:30, 4:00, 6:15, 7:45 and 9:30), Kingstowne Regal (12:00 p.m., 1:00, 3:05, 4:05, 6:15, 7:15, 9:25 and 10:20) and AMC Hoffman (10:15 a.m., 11:40, 1:00 p.m., 2:30, 3:50, 5:15, 8:15 and 9:35).

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?