If you read the book "The Help," you will certainly not be disappointed in the movie. The movie faithfully follows the important parts of the book, and it hardly misses a beat. I'd say that both the book and the movie are equally great, and there are so many outstanding performances in the movie that are Oscarworthy for 2012. Most importantly, you will go through many emotions. You will laugh, cry, and most of all, feel intelligent. That is the basis of feel-good movies - to evoke an emotion in you.
Emma Stone is Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, the center heroine of the story who isn't looking for marriage, is dating the son of a politico, but just finished college and is looking to become a journalist. She is rejected at first in New York, but is immediately accepted as the advice giver "Miss Myrna" for a local newspaper in Mississipi. But "Miss Myrna" is not enough. She realizes that she has been raised by a loving black housekeeper named Constantine (beautiful cameo by aging actress Cicely Tyson, and has been a staple in intelligent black acting), and out of all her old college friends, she is the only one who has never taken her housekeeper for granted. All her other friends have turned evil as they hired housekeepers to raise their babies and do all the hard work for them, while they are hedonistically having fun and playing bridge. The meanest of all of them is Hilly Holbrook. Bryce Dallas Howard, Ron Howard's lookalike daughter, viciously chews up her character of Hilly with boundless enthusiasm, and I hope that she gets an Oscar nomination for her portrayal. Emma Stone is quieter in her role as Skeeter, but I think she should get an Oscar nomination as Best Actress because she played her so honestly and faithfully.
The housekeepers are marvelously played and the actresses' performances of them are priceless. Viola Davis will touch you deeply as Abileen, the Oprah Winfrey-esque domestic, who is more loving to Katherine Leefolt's (Ahna O'Reilly) neglected daughter, and convinces her that all people are equal, and they are. Octavia Spencer is a hoot who provides comic relief as the overweight, sassy, blurting domestic Minny, who lost so many jobs, is a heck of a cook, and tells everyone what she thinks of them. She is first booted out of Hilly's house, when Hilly discovered she was using the family bathroom, and then told everyone she stole silver as a cover-up, but then she forms a wonderful relationship with the naive but troubled new girl in town, Celia Foote (Jessica Chastain, looking and acting like Marilyn Monroe, and yet bringing intelligence and complexity to the character). Unlike the book, Celia keeps Minny as Minny forms a strong bond with Celia after her miscarriage, and helps her through her intimidation of her husband Johnny's former lover, Hilly. And of course, there's those hilarious and unforgettable Minny's chocolate pie scenes, the comic relief of the movie and book.
In addition to the bright young cast, there are wonderful supporting parts by veteran southern-born actresses - Sissy Spacek plays Hilly's equally prejudiced mother who may or may not dig into the pie. Mary Steenburgen as Elaine Stein, the New York-based editor of Harper and Row who at first is reluctant to hire Skeeter, but after Skeeter's book,"The Help," is published, she accepts her. That makes Skeeter have to leave her ill mother, (Allison Janney, in an icy performance) behind. Her mother doesn't tell Skeeter about the entire truth of why Constantine, the housekeeper who raised her, disappeared, so that is where Skeeter uncovers the truth of domestics and their employers.
"The Help" is a perfect marvel that is faithful as historical fiction. It speaks the truths of the Civil Rights Era and the beliefs of blacks and whites alike. This was author Kathryn Stockett's first novel, and it is a huge blockbuster. Writer-director Tate Taylor follows the book meticulously, but dilutes it for the 2-hour and 15-minute running time for content. He delivers honest and emotional portrayals from everyone, whether the characters are touching, sensitive, funny, or cold-hearted. Hands down the best picture of the summer, and were not even into the fall, but this movie makes for an Oscar Contender, and I hope my prediction will be right. I would like the Academy to remember Emma Stone as Best Actress, Bryce Dallas Howard as Best Supporting Actress, Tate Taylor as Best Director, and "The Help" as Best Picture. I would also like to add Viola Davis for her tender performance as Abileen for an Oscar nomination as well.
Emma Stone is Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, the center heroine of the story who isn't looking for marriage, is dating the son of a politico, but just finished college and is looking to become a journalist. She is rejected at first in New York, but is immediately accepted as the advice giver "Miss Myrna" for a local newspaper in Mississipi. But "Miss Myrna" is not enough. She realizes that she has been raised by a loving black housekeeper named Constantine (beautiful cameo by aging actress Cicely Tyson, and has been a staple in intelligent black acting), and out of all her old college friends, she is the only one who has never taken her housekeeper for granted. All her other friends have turned evil as they hired housekeepers to raise their babies and do all the hard work for them, while they are hedonistically having fun and playing bridge. The meanest of all of them is Hilly Holbrook. Bryce Dallas Howard, Ron Howard's lookalike daughter, viciously chews up her character of Hilly with boundless enthusiasm, and I hope that she gets an Oscar nomination for her portrayal. Emma Stone is quieter in her role as Skeeter, but I think she should get an Oscar nomination as Best Actress because she played her so honestly and faithfully.
The housekeepers are marvelously played and the actresses' performances of them are priceless. Viola Davis will touch you deeply as Abileen, the Oprah Winfrey-esque domestic, who is more loving to Katherine Leefolt's (Ahna O'Reilly) neglected daughter, and convinces her that all people are equal, and they are. Octavia Spencer is a hoot who provides comic relief as the overweight, sassy, blurting domestic Minny, who lost so many jobs, is a heck of a cook, and tells everyone what she thinks of them. She is first booted out of Hilly's house, when Hilly discovered she was using the family bathroom, and then told everyone she stole silver as a cover-up, but then she forms a wonderful relationship with the naive but troubled new girl in town, Celia Foote (Jessica Chastain, looking and acting like Marilyn Monroe, and yet bringing intelligence and complexity to the character). Unlike the book, Celia keeps Minny as Minny forms a strong bond with Celia after her miscarriage, and helps her through her intimidation of her husband Johnny's former lover, Hilly. And of course, there's those hilarious and unforgettable Minny's chocolate pie scenes, the comic relief of the movie and book.
In addition to the bright young cast, there are wonderful supporting parts by veteran southern-born actresses - Sissy Spacek plays Hilly's equally prejudiced mother who may or may not dig into the pie. Mary Steenburgen as Elaine Stein, the New York-based editor of Harper and Row who at first is reluctant to hire Skeeter, but after Skeeter's book,"The Help," is published, she accepts her. That makes Skeeter have to leave her ill mother, (Allison Janney, in an icy performance) behind. Her mother doesn't tell Skeeter about the entire truth of why Constantine, the housekeeper who raised her, disappeared, so that is where Skeeter uncovers the truth of domestics and their employers.
"The Help" is a perfect marvel that is faithful as historical fiction. It speaks the truths of the Civil Rights Era and the beliefs of blacks and whites alike. This was author Kathryn Stockett's first novel, and it is a huge blockbuster. Writer-director Tate Taylor follows the book meticulously, but dilutes it for the 2-hour and 15-minute running time for content. He delivers honest and emotional portrayals from everyone, whether the characters are touching, sensitive, funny, or cold-hearted. Hands down the best picture of the summer, and were not even into the fall, but this movie makes for an Oscar Contender, and I hope my prediction will be right. I would like the Academy to remember Emma Stone as Best Actress, Bryce Dallas Howard as Best Supporting Actress, Tate Taylor as Best Director, and "The Help" as Best Picture. I would also like to add Viola Davis for her tender performance as Abileen for an Oscar nomination as well.