The Help

I'm part way through the book, and feel like it's one of the rare times when I'm glad I saw the movie first. Having the visualization of the PERFECT cast (except Constantine) is really adding to my enjoyment. When Constantine is described as heavyset and she's played by Cicely Tyson . . . oops.

What stood out for me the most - as not being true to the book - was Constantine's daughter. She did not look at all as I had pictured. It's made clear in the book that she was of mixed race, so much so that she looked more white than black. If you hadn't read the book, you wouldn't have known there was a secret reason why the daughter (who was named Lulabelle in print) lived somewhere other than with her birth mother.

I also thought it would have been interesting if the scene with the man Minnie saw in Celia's backyard had been included!

Best movie I have ever seen. Or one of the best movies. There will be Oscar buzz over this. Need to read the book though. Heard it is great as well.

Finally got to see it and took an elderly shut-in neighbor who hadn't read the book. We both cried several times. It was really well done. The minor discrepancies with the book didn't detract from the movie. One scene that said it all for me was when Skeeter asked Abeline what it was like to raise other people's kids while someone else was watching her own. Her nonverbal reaction while looking at the picture of her son was a condensed version of the whole movie. And the Oscar goes to...

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Originally Posted by Gutmutter

Finally got to see it and took an elderly shut-in neighbor who hadn't read the book. We both cried several times. It was really well done. The minor discrepancies with the book didn't detract from the movie. One scene that said it all for me was when Skeeter asked Abeline what it was like to raise other people's kids while someone else was watching her own. Her nonverbal reaction while looking at the picture of her son was a condensed version of the whole movie. And the Oscar goes to...

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Gut,

I've not seen the movie yet, but judging from your statement, I'm assuming that Abilene is played by Viola Davis?
If that's the case, you need to rent Doubt in which she plays a young boy's mother. That was some of the best acting ever, esp. when you realize that she was playing opposite Meryl Streep.!!

Thanks! That's a movie I wanted to see and never got around to. I'll keep an eye out for it.

Viola Davis was amazing in this movie and in Doubt. Her role in Doubt was quite small but she was nominated for an Oscar so that tells you how good she was in the role. On a personal note, she is in the process of adopting a baby so things are going great for her personally and professionally. I can't help wondering if she will tell the baby "You is smart, you is kind, you is important." :)

The more I read about Constantine and her daughter the more I wish they had kept that part true to the book.

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Originally Posted by Gutmutter

Thanks! That's a movie I wanted to see and never got around to. I'll keep an eye out for it.

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If you went to Catholic school, or had friends who did, you will reallly identify with Doubt.
Meryl Streep's portrayal of the nun is absolutely classic. And Viola Davis, in a very small but pivotal role, is just amazing.

Found this link in a Facebook discussion related to this movie and I was just wondering what people here think:
Open Statement - The Help
A snippet from the article:

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‎"The Help is not a story about the millions of hardworking and dignified black women who labored in white homes to support their families and communities. Rather, it is the coming-of-age story of a white protagonist, who uses myths about the lives of black women to make sense of her own. The Association of Black Women Historians finds it unacceptable for either this book or this film to strip black women’s lives of historical accuracy for the sake of entertainment."

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My personal opinion is that , while I understand their point, I also disagree. Their complaints seem to stem from things that are absent from the story: strong/positive depictions of African American males, the fact that some women were sexually assaulted by their employers, the vibrant history of the civil rights movement. These are all important topics, but they are not the point of this book. This book is a small window into the friendships between women, the bonds between the children and the women who raised them, and how the perspectives of these children develop over time - some of them grew up to be part of a system repressing the black women who work in their homes but a minority of them may see the problems with this environment and want to help change it.
This article at one point says "The film, on the other hand, makes light of black women’s fears and vulnerabilities turning them into moments of comic relief." I have to assume they are talking about the part where Minnie runs into Cecilia's husband. I wonder if part of the problem is that he is probably the most prominent male included in the movie and he happens to be a nice white man, while the black male character we hear the most about is Minnie's abusive drunk husband. We are all quite aware that there were many racist white men in the south at this time, but none are featured in the film because the focus in this film is on the women - women are the villains in this film and women are also the heroes. The men are just side-notes.

As for the dialect issues, I am not from the south and I was not alive when this film took place so I have NO idea how accurately/inaccurately the speech was portrayed.

Just saw it. It's Tuesday night and the 7:55pm showing. I am surprised how many people are here. Yes the majority are women of all ages and a few guys. Very good movie, really enjoyed it.