Saturday, September 17, 2011

The Help


Where to begin? Such a good movie. 


Incidentally, I don't like Emma Stone (no, I've never seen her in anything...heh) and I love Bryce Dallas Howard, so it was strange having the one I don't like be the heroine and the one I do like being the terrible human being of the movie. But Emma Stone pulled off the pulled off the pretty-in-a-slightly-socially-unacceptable-way thing well, and Bryce Dallas Howard was wicked and complicated and busy-body extraordinaire. 


It was just a gorgeous movie--the colors, the clothing, the drama, the Coca-Cola bottles, the shiny red nail polish, the fried chicken.


It's based off of a recent best-selling novel, set in the early 1960's. Racism is alive and well in Mississipi at the during the bloom of the Civil Rights movement. 


"Skeeter" Phelan, urged to write something honest and unique about "what bothers her that , notices the strange inconsistencies of the behavior of the rich white women toward their black hired help. Their servants feed, clothe, and care for their children nearly all day, yet they don't let them read the same books or use the same bathrooms. 


She ends up interviewing "the help", and begins to see the world through their eyes. 

So many vibrant characters to love or hate or be disgusted by or cry with.



I don't know what all it was--the fact that I was tired and unstable walking into the theater, or that pretty much everything about the movie made me emotional. The racism, the lost son, the broken friendships, the loser guy who dumped her because she stood up for something, the realistic relationship between the two women who'd been friends for years and years and had grown heavy and wise and world-weary alongside each other. 


But by the end, I was sobbing. Big time. Like, casting about for tissues, burying my face in my knees to keep from making a huge racket, and finally just like clamping my hands over my mouth and giving myself over to the wreckage as the end credits rolled and people started to leave.



Now I'm reading the book, which is incredible, and I'm sure will result in yet another emotional breakdown. 

Go and see it. 

My only caution--there's definitely a liberal sprinkling of colorful language, but much more contextually appropriate than in most movies. ; )

If you've seen it, what did you think? 

P.S. Jenn rocks (well, for a lot of reasons but one of them being) because she told me to watch it when I asked her if it was good. :)

42 comments:

  1. I want to see it so bad! It sounds sooooo good!

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  2. you won't be disappointed when you read the book; i loved the fact that while i was a fast reader, it lasted & made me slow down and think about what the book was about. it's not an easy, light read but it is SO SO SO worth it.
    and don't get me started on the movie. LOVED IT! but i'm with you, the language needs to be cut out. only downside to it, in my opinion.

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  3. I SAW IT!!! IT WAS AMAZING!!!!!! I had gotten dragged to the movie theater with my parents because they wanted to see it but i didn't, but in the end i loved it!!! And I cried too!! I really wanna read the book now. Tell us how you like it after you read it! :)

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  4. I LOVEEEEEEEEE this movie. I cried throughout most of it. xD

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  5. Can I pretty please have Emma Stone's hair??? So cute!!!

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  6. I LOVED it too!!! Totally agree with you about the guy who dumps her. I kind of started to like him until that moment.

    The book is so good too. I'm reading it currently, and it's definitely one of my favorites!

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  7. I've heard such good things about this movie. I bought the book a few weeks ago and it's still on my "to read" shelf. But I am looking foward to reading it and seeing the movie, though I might have to wait until it comes out on DVD! :)

    ~Kristin

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  8. I have heard such good things about this movie! I am dying to see it! My uncle is actually friends with some one who plays in it. I am not exactly sure who it is, but I know he is the husband of some lady in it. :) Glad to know it is so good, and I am trying to make a time to go see it! Have been so busy!
    --Sara Beth
    Visit me here at --
    {www.purpleish247.blogspot.com}

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  9. I hadn't even heard of this movie till Bethany mentioned that she saw it...now I want to go and watch it!! :) Sounds good!

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  10. I saw it, and I had the same reaction. By the end of the movie, I was just sitting in my seat, tears rolling down my cheeks, and watching the credits. This was an amazing movie. So no, it wasn't just you :)
    I definatly want to read the book too. I'll have to pick it up one of these days.

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  11. Definitely an incredible movie. Painfully poignant and filled with unfortunate truth. I think it was masterfully done. I'm now reading the book and enjoying the slight differences from the movie.

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  12. I saw the movie in theaters a while ago, but my friends and I accidentally chose the showing that's for mom's and babies. So that kinda took away from it, but I did like it! I had tears in my eyes too! :)

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  13. My Grandma and I are reading the book, and today she told me about her "help", and the difference in the way she treated her help and the way others did. She was very "radical", because she treated her help well, buying gifts for them and helping them and such. To her, they weren't help...they were friends. This earned her a lot of scorn among the other women, but she did what was right. :)

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  14. Glad you liked it too, Polka Dot! It is an AWESOME movie - I thought it was just splendid. Now, I'll have to read the book in relation to the DVD release. =)

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  15. NO NO NOOOO! You beat me to a review. ;P I refuse to read this until I do my own so I don't end up copying you. But after I do, I promise to come back and read it and comment, k? ;P

    And I feel as if I should get a little credit for telling you how amazing this story is. That's all. (: hehe

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  16. O how funny i just saw the trailer online for the movie today and thought oooo i wanna see that... I am glad that you liked it. It's always good to watch a tear-jerker!

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  17. I've seen many good reviews on this film. Gotta watch The Help!

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  18. Looks like a good one!
    How are the accents? I mean, I'm from the south and so many movies are set there and are made there, but the accents are horrible,...do we really sound like that? :-)
    Just wonderin'

    Thanks for the review, our town was steeped in severe 'racism' up until about the early 70's. There is still a hint of it now, 40 years later...

    Blessings,
    Ashley

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  19. I found this blog today. Its really cool. BTW, my parents just saw The Help last night! Lol!!!!! Nice blogging!

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  20. One of the best movies we've seen all year! My hubby took me because he knew it was the kind of thing I'd like, and he ended up both crying in the movie and giving it a 10 out 10 - a rating usually saved for things like Braveheart and The King's Speech. :) Coming from a southern family, I found the movie all the more moving. We loved the story and that it was a character movie, which seems rare these days. I loved the art, the acting and the truth it portrayed. It's definitely an owner. I'm now number 286 out of 289 on the library waiting list for a copy of the book. Maybe I should borrow yours when you're done! :)

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  21. I adored the movie. When I went back to see it a second time two weeks later, it was sold out for the evening show. I also adored the book. One of the best movies I have seen in a long.long. time.

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  22. I really want to see that movie!! Personally, I am a fan of Emma Stone {I just love her hair} and I think that I'll love her as one of the main characters in this story. I think I'll have to read the book first, as well, to get a double perspective on this. I'm African-American, so this applies to me just as much.
    Great post, really encouraged me :))
    -Jocee <3
    {pee ess: I just adore their hair. Big poofy puffs. Haha, and the part where you said "the fried chicken". That was classic :P}

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  23. Okay. I should see this. Should I? Is it really THAT good? :)
    Hmm... maybe next Saturday's day trip. Oh wait -- I don't think it's come out in theaters in England yet! Y'all in America get first viewings. :-(

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  24. OMGoodness.... I loved this movie! I cried so hard! Definitely on my favorites list. (And I loved the colors and everything else...like tha too. :p)

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  25. I wanted to see it, but now I HAVE to see it!!! :)

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  26. I loved, loved, loved the book and HAD to see the movie right away. I thought it was extremely well done, as far as books-into-movies go, at least.

    I did not of Bryce Dallas Howard until this movie, but I am now a fan. I am with you on Emma Stone, there is just something about her...

    Great post!

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  27. I read the book first, and it is fabulous. While the movie is very faithful to the book, the relationships are deeper on the page,and that just makes it all the lovelier.

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  28. I've been meaning to read this book and see the movie all summer! I'm always the last to see everything! It looks really great though.

    I absolutely LOVE the pink dress that blonde lady holding the coke is wearing! I wish I could find clothes like that in stores! It's adorable!!

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  29. UH CAN YOU SAY AMAZING!!! i absolutely LOVED this movie !! I cried like a freaking baby !! it was SOOOOOO GOOD , enough said, if you havent seen it anyone, see it !!!1

    portrayingtaylorashley.blogspot.com

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  30. I absolutely ADORE this movie!! And just to be fair to myself, I introduced this book to Jennoelle (being her sister and all) after borrowing it from a friend hehehe!!! :)
    I was really curious to see if the script was going to be different from the book, but I thought they did a pretty good job sticking to the original story.
    Great review, and I love the pictures you chose! :)

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  31. I saw it on Saturday, and I thought it was one of the best movies ever made. And yes, I was sobbing in my seat too. :P

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  32. I want to watch that movie so bad!
    I started to read your post, then realized that you might have spoilers...:)




    (giveaway at my blog:http://5-subjectnotebook.blogspot.com/)

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  33. I saw this movie a few weeks ago and loved it! The language was a little bit more than I would have preferred, but overall it was a wonderfully-done movie. :)

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  34. I haven't seen this movie, but I want to.

    I really love Emma Stone's hair. I wish my curly hair would behave itself like that; instead of trying to go in so many different directions.

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  35. OKAY. I told you I'd be back to comment once I had my own review done. As a matter of course, we do reviews very differently... ;P

    Anyhoo, I just adore this story, as you know. And gosh, sounds like you had an emotional breakdown. It's that kind of story though.

    Another funny thing: our opinions of the main actresses are kinda reversed. As in, I hadn't seen Emma Stone in anything either but I knew I liked her anyway. And Bryce Dallas Howard was a total unknown to me, so Hilly gave me an unfavorable impression of her (not really though...she's an extraordinary actress).

    Oohhh and you DID give me credit!! haha! (you're nice. I like you.)

    I have this thing for really long comments, if you couldn't tell.

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  36. I really, REAlly, REALLY want to see this movie. Thanks for the review...an recommendation is always good before seeing a movie :)

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