The Help (film)

[vodkafan]

I watched The Help last night. First thing we noticed going in was (apart from my Indian ex-wife, who was with me) that everybody in the cinema was white and not one of them looked under 40. So maybe this film has not caught the attention of the younger generation? We could tell by the sounds the audience made that they had all read the book. That did give us a cosy "family" feeling sitting there.

My ex especially wanted to go with me because we both enjoyed the book and have been waiting for this for ages. We were both extremely impressed with the casting of Emma Stone as Skeeter. I had seen her in Zombieland and Easy A and I thought she would be totally wrong for the role (too pretty) but I think she pulled it off well. She even seemed to change her body shape to fit in with the image of Skeeter, she should have been taller but there's not a lot she could do about that. Abiline and Minie were well cast too, although Minie wasn't angry enough, she showed her softer side, this is a woman who has a lot of inner rage; maybe her rants were left on the cutting room floor.

I think the director kept faithful to the book but it was simplified and there were some important bits left out; I would have liked to see them included and if it had been 30 minutes longer then all the better for the story.

Especially some bits were played almost as humourous (like when they spotted a white woman in the supermarket reading the book) when it was not funny at all; what they were doing was extremely dangerous.

We liked the film though and my wife cried at several bits.

Somebody mentioned somewhere here (I couldn't find it though) that it was a bit patronizing because a white girl had to come and help the black maids out, they wouldn't have thought of doing this on their own. I don't think that's fair.

I think the story is believable, I think in real life it takes somebody young and enthusiastic and a little bit naive like Skeeter to start things off sometimes, because she didn't know enough to be afraid until she was in it, and she saw it through.

Edited November 1, 2011 by vodkafan

[Inver]

.....I thoroughly enjoyed it, and as you say there were bits left out, but it didn't matter, you would only notice if you had read the book. I loved Minnie. The wee girl who played 'baby girl' was lovely and she broke my heart when she was at the window.

[Janet]

I thought it was brilliant! I went with a couple of friends and also took my 14 year old - she loved it too. Which parts were missing from the book?

[vodkafan]

I thought it was brilliant! I went with a couple of friends and also took my 14 year old - she loved it too. Which parts were missing from the book?

 

A bit where a black boy- one of the other maids sons- gets blinded for using a white bathroom- a part where one black woman accuses Skeeter of using their stories to get ahead and make money for herself- a lot of the relationship with Stuart (including meetings with his father) and most of the violence from Minnie's husband (and the fact that she finds courage to leave him at the end)

[Janet]

Oh yes, thanks. Now you mention them I do remember them. I'm just rubbish these days at remembering details!

 

I thought they were going to leave out the bit about Johnny knowing all along about Minnie helping Celia but I quite liked the way they put it in - it was quite late in the film - I remember it being earlier in the book although that could be wrong too.

 

I realised the relationship with Stuart was cut short as I'm sure there was a scene where she had a meal at their house - or maybe his parents came to hers, which wasn't in the film.

[BookMan18]

I saw it a few weeks ago and I absolutely adored it. However I am still going through the book right now, so whether it changes my opinion of the book or not is still up in the air.