Film Review: The Help

 Photo taken in the lobby of The Summit 16

I read The Help (review) while participating in the Southern Reading Challenge. I was particularly interested since the book was set in my birth state of Mississippi during a time in history in which I lived. I sincerely enjoyed the book, but I am usually less interested in the film because so few translate as well to the screen. I was also concerned about the white woman as savior or magic Negro scenario Hollywood so routinely favors. That is not true of this film.

My accolades go to the casting director and the director, Mississippi native Tate Taylor. I would not be surprised if Viola Davis gets Oscar buzz. Montgomery, Alabama native and Auburn graduate, Octavia Spencer, held the film together as Minnie Jackson with her performance as a strong woman in her profession and friendships but vulnerable to violence in her own home and as a black woman during that time of unrest.

If its strongest point was the performances, the weakest point was my inability to feel the danger and fear of living in 1960's Mississippi. Although this was not overlooked in the scenes where stories were recalled, the Medger Evers' murder, and the Life magazine cover, I'm not sure this reality was truly captured. Maybe someone who has not read a lot of southern history might feel differently. But, personally, I couldn't feel it.

One of my favorite scenes was the scene around the television watching the funeral of President John Kennedy, showing how this event affected both white and black families alike. Equally astute was moving directly to the photograph of President Kennedy on the wall of Abilene Clark's (Viola Davis) home next to her son and Jesus. I never visited a black friend's home as a teenager or as a UA student that I did not see photographs of Jesus, President Kennedy, and Rev. King on the wall.

While Junior League President, Hilly Holbrook (Bryce Davis Howard) appeared to be a caricature I'm not convinced this wasn't closer to reality than one cares to admit. Certainly, the League's choice of charities was not lost on the audience. The most disturbing to me, although played to comedic hilt by Sissy Spacek and major guilt by Allison Janney, were the mothers. Yikes. 

The film was as much about class as it was about race by its inclusion of Celia Foote (Jessica Chastain). Celia embraced Minnie, physically and emotionally, into her home and life. Whether Celia would have caved to the pressure had she become a member of Junior League or not is unclear. This seemed to be an important point to me, for then and today.

Writer Kathryn Stockett and Director Tate Taylor created a good book and a good movie but they also created an event. In the lobby of the theater were women and more women, black and white, laughing and taking photographs by The Help poster. The energy was palpable. There was a running dialog in the audience by readers and non-readers of the book and applause at the end. That was a testament to its success.

Note: I greatly respect Professor Melissa Harris-Perry and followed her on Twitter during her viewing. I certainly defer to her knowledge of African-American history. I'm sure the images of the maids were disturbing and there was not enough time spent in this movie on the real dangers and violence threatening and enacted upon the women of Mississippi daily. However, this was not that movie. The accomplishment of this book and film, to me, is that women came together as women and responded equally to the same things... as women... and hopefully introduced a glimpse of history to young women.

If you saw the film, please share with me your impressions.