The Help

I think you can generally figure out what The Help is about by seeing the trailer.  I hadn't read the book.  We've seen a few movies about slavery and the civil rights movement.  This movie does, however, lend a very different and personal perspective which really allows you to feel the emotions of the movie much more closely.  Not exactly my type of movie but I was very curious, particularly since this one is nominated for so many awards.

The story of The Help is told from the perspective of Skeeter, played by Emma Stone, who is a writer from Mississippi trying to break into the writing business.  Skeeter grew up around girls who had African-American maids who they treated very poorly.  While Skeeter also had a maid as a child, her experience and relationship was very different.  The story focuses on her trying to tell an important story from the perspective of the maids, which at the time was not only a faux-pas, it was illegal in Mississippi.

Including Emma Stone, this is a very impressive cast.  It includes Bryce Dallas Howard and Jessica Chastain as the main white women.  Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer play the maids that are key to this story.  The cast is all outstanding and really fits the era of The Help well.  That is, in my opinion, you had to have people for this movie that fit the era, and this movie does that very well.

The Help is really a fantastic movie.  It takes you on what feels like an emotional roller-coaster ride and leaves feeling rewarded at the end.  I enjoyed watching this one and I feel comfortable saying that anyone who enjoys a good drama should check this one out!