Not often are we regaled with a feel good movie that makes us think about serious issues. Before watching The Help, I had resigned myself to needing a box of tissues for an evening of sniffles, and it lived up to that expectation.
l. to r. Emma Stone with back to camera, Ahna O’Reilly, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anna Camp, and Viola Davis in the back.
However, there was more to this storyline than meets the eye. Besides racial tension and injustice in the south, the film was also about women empowerment, self-esteem, and pride. It touched upon many issues that affect women, even today such as getting married and raising a family versus persuing a career.
Adapted from the New York Times Best Seller “The Help” by author Kathryn Stockett, this film surrounds the life of three women in Mississippi during the height of the civil rights movement. Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan (Emma Stone) is a recent graduate from the University of Mississippi who returns home after graduation to an unceramonious welcome from her mother and friends who think she should focus on finding a beau, getting married, and raising a family.
Emma Stone and Allison Janney
Skeeter has different goals. She wants to be a journalist and upon her return finds a job at a local newspaper writing a cleaning column. Not fully satisfied with this task and after getting assistance from her friend’s maid Aibileen Clark (Viola Davis), Skeeter decides to write a tell all book from the perspective of the black maid about their experiences and the treatment they receive.
Emma Stone in a scene from “The Help”
With the help of maids Aibileen and Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer), Skeeter details the good and bad of the life circumstance of being a black maid in the south, giving these women a voice to vent their frustration in a way they never have been able to do. During this time she forms a bond with Aibileen and Minny, to the chagrin of her friend Hilly Holbrook (Bryce Dallas Howard) who is determined to uphold the traditions of the south.
Emma Stone, Minny Jackson, and Viola Davis
The most impressive aspect of this movie was how men served merely as a backdrop to support the premise of the story. An example of this is a scene where Minny is involved in a domestic violence situation that leads to her being battered by her husband after being fired by Hilly. During the scene, Minny’s husband is never seen, only heard. But the impact of his brutality, which left bruising on Minny’s face, was significant; showing yet another way women were oppressed, specifically the black maids.
But, there is also the bond that is shown between women. Through all the strife, oppresion, even ignorance; the women recognize that they have similarities, similarities that turn out to be stronger than their differences and become a catalyst that helps them form a bond.
Chicly Yours,
The Chic Spy
Check out my interview with actress Emma Stone and more!
(Images courtesy of DreamWorks Pictures)
