Wednesday, December 7, 2011

The Help

An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960's decides to write a book detailing the African-American maid's point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis. Starring Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Octavia Spencer.

So, I assumed this would by the type of movie I would really like. And I did like it. It was kind of slow, and I didn't cry at all, but it was a good story, and there were a lot of different characters that you get to know well. It's pretty rare to have a half-dozen or so characters so well developed. Celia Foote is such a ray of sunshine, Abileen is stoic, and Minny is sassy. Hilly is easy to hate, and Skeeter is the glue.

The history person in me was a little disappointed, however. The subject matter was handled very safely and positively. The Help would definitely be a good starting point for opening dialogue with children about black history. The 1960's was a very turbulent time for black people, and this movie doesn't try to convey just how difficult it was. It results in a feel-good movie where we are uplifted about how much the black people achieve, and are reminded that not all white people were racists. I guess what I'm trying to say is that this is a safe movie about black people in the 60's, which is fine, but maybe go and watch "A Time to Kill" afterwards for a bit of a harder edge on the issue.
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2 comments:

  1. AmandaDecember 7, 2011 at 3:26 p.m.

    I think it's refreshing to see a movie (or read a book) that deals with sensitive issues in a way that doesn't leave you hating mankind at the end. I think it does highlight a lot of the major terrifying things that happened in those times (Abileen's son's story, the shooting, Minny's personal life, etc). but it's amazing to see a strength in people so beat down. Do things always have to be hard edged to convey a sense of history?

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  2. VikkiDecember 8, 2011 at 10:14 p.m.

    Well said Amanda, and I agree to a point. I think this is a good starting point for understanding the civil rights movement and how black people were treated during the mid-century, but I just don't think it should ever be used as a stand-alone source on the issue. The issue itself is hard edged and though I like to think it has a happy ending, like the movie does(the US has a black president!)it took a whole lot more blood and fighting to get there than the movie suggests.

    Thanks for your thoughtful comment, it was good to hear from you and it got me thinking :)

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