"The Help"...Stuck on the Fence

Now let me first start out by saying that going into this movie was somewhat of a difficult task. Considering I know and have seen someone personally (my grandma) who is "the help" I had to be as objective as possible. My mindset was, here is another movie that is trying to make things right. So taking all anger and emotion out of my system (well as much of it as I could), I stepped into the theater and watched the film.

The Help provides the viewer with a beautiful yet harsh reality of history that still exists today, just not at the same level. Maybe one day it will cease to exist, but until then, we must march forward. Here is a flick that shows us a bird's eye view of the "Junior League" as well as the central focus "The Help". Not everyone is fortunate enough to sit on their porches and "sip mint juleps" and talk about what dress they are going to buy tomorrow, some folks do not have that luxury and still have to work for a living.

To a degree one could say that this film was put out for white folks to apologize to blacks for the poor treatment that was done to them. And then some might say, this was film to shed light on a dark past, unfortunately but from whose perspective. The Help is not all sad there are moments where you will laugh, for different reasons, and some times that will empower you to another level. Even with a predominately all-female cast I think there is something that even men can take from it. There is this appreciation for those who struggle for what is right and do not give up. That's a lesson that anyone can apply to their life.

From beginning to end there is no denying that you will feel some tension, and there will be times you will want to jump through the screen, but that just let's me know I got some work to do to make this picture right. One thing this movie does that is right on the money, is that it will make ALL feel uncomfortable and awkward, and that is a good thing. People should be able to critically think about this time in history and WANT to do something about it, genuinely!! Even the characters, who you wish to hate the most, provide a bit of solace. As a human it just makes you look within your self and say, "is this how I want to end up".  In the end you just want to feel sorry for them.

One gripe that I do have is the way they glazed over certain historical events within the film. For example, a simple one minute discussion each of the Medgar Evers shooting/killing and the "March on Washington" just was not sufficient. I'm not asking for the film to deviate from the original focus, just a little more highlighted time. Both events played a major role in the United States particularly African Americans. And to just brush over them, almost makes the events seem irrelevant. Hollywood is not perfect, but there is always room for improvement.

Special props should be given to Octavia Spencer (Minnie) and Viola Davis (Abigal), you can feel their happiness, their anger, their passion. Here are two actresses who know how to shine and shine bright. Although they are playing "the help" both characters take us into another world that we may have never ventured into. It takes a lot of bravery and courage to step into a role such as this, but each played the role effortlessly. Another person who brought their 100% was Ms. Cicely Tyson. In my sole opinion she could do no wrong in my book, hopefully she will get he just due. In addition to Cicely Tyson, Sissy Spacek does an awesome job of playing a concerned mother who only just wants what is best for their children, even if it is not the path you would personally want to take.

I can see how this will get a lot of Oscar buzz, and yes I would be happy if Viola or Octavia were to win, but I can't help but think it's another Gone With the Wind moment. (sigh)

All in all, The Help is a tear jerker and if nothing else exposes a reality that should have been brought to the light a long time ago. Now don't get me wrong I would have preferred it from another perspective, but the world has not come to an end yet. In a weird sort of way I am glad I did not read the book first, because, the book would be floating through my head non-stop. And I am still hesitant to read it now, considering it took 59 attempts before the book got published (food for thought). I do not feel strongly enough to say boycott the film, I just feel as though when going into this film be cognizant that it is a film based off of a book, and that this reality does exist.


Rating: 3 out 5 stars