Tuesday, August 23, 2011

The Help

Truth be told, I became interested in this book when I saw the trailer for the movie.  I have said it before, and will say it again, I love Emma Stone.  As soon as I saw her in the trailer I decided that I must read the book and see the movie.  I am here to testify that neither will disappoint you.

The story is about black maids working for white families in Mississippi, except that its about so much more than that.  Each lady in this story unfolds as a character with more depth than you would suspect.  One thing that I loved about this book is that it didn't paint anyone as purely evil or purely good.  I read so many young adult fiction stories where the antagonist is so clearly evil that there is not any real fun in hating them, it is just to easy.  Hilly Holbrook though, she was fun to hate.

The basic plot is that Skeeter has come home from college at Ole Miss and takes her aspirations of being a journalist to unexpected levels by interviewing the black maids that work in the houses around her town.  The story takes place as the civil rights movement is picking up in America.  The story is told from 3 different persepectives: Skeeter, Aibileen and Minny.  Aibileen is a voice of reason and calm who cares deeply for the children that she cares for.  Minny is a spitfire of a woman who rarely holds her tongue.  Together in secret these ladies work to gather the tales of other maids in town to build a book they call "The Help."

The characters in the book are vivid and bright, and the movie does not alter them at all.  So often I go to the theater in anticipation of the adaptation of my favorite books only to be disappointed.  (Harry Potter anyone?) So I went to see The Help expecting them to change the story that I had loved so much.  I was in for a shock.  The movie and book flow very seemlessly together.  The timeline is altered a bit to add some extra drama, and the story line of one maid is changed, but all in all it was like watching my imagination from the book on screen.

Emma Stone plays the comedic loud woman so excellently in her films, yet she brought a different perspective to Skeeter.  Octavia Spencer plays Minny to perfection.  From the waggle of her eyebrows to the wiggle of her hips, Minny jumps off the page and onto the screen flawlessly.  Viola Davis wows as Aibileen.  She manages to convey strength and softness all at the same time.

My favorite thing about going to see this film was the mix of people in the audience.  From old to young and skin tones of every shade.  This story touches everyone.  The audience roared with laughter at the terrible awful (read it, you will understand).  The sweet lady next to me handed me a tissue as Constantine's story came to it's conclusion.  I found it remarkable how this story of segregation brought so many people from so many walks of life together.

Dear friends and readers, if you only ever see one film that I recommend, please make it this one.  Go get the book then go see the movie.  OR go see the movie then go get the book.  Either way you will be glad you did.

Happy Viewing and Reading!

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