When Kathryn Stockett wrote her first novel, she never imagined it would top the New York Times bestsellers chart for six weeks straight. Now a major motion picture, “The Help” has reached thousands with a terrific cast and its message of courage and perseverance.
Set in 1960s Mississippi, “The Help” follows the lives of Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan (Emma Stone), Aibileen Clark (Viola Davis), and Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer) as they struggle against the restraints of their time. Born into a sophisticated Southern family, Skeeter shocks her mother and old acquaintances by landing a job as a cleaning columnist after college. Upon her arrival, she is devastated to find that her friend and caregiver, Constantine (Cicely Tyson), has mysteriously abandoned her post as housemaid. With no support from her peers, Skeeter turns to the black maids employed by her friends for hands-on advice about the column. Through compassionate and newly-educated eyes, she begins to see the suffering of these women who care for white children, but are segregated from daily life. Ashamed by the ignorance of society, Skeeter recruits Aibileen, Minny, and several other maids to share their experiences with her in secret, and plans to publish a scandalous novel in the height of the civil rights movement. Determined to bring to light the hypocrisy of Mississippi socialites, she changes the name of each maid and succeeds in publishing over two hundred pages of outrageous tales, splitting the profits between the women for their fearlessness.
In a time where the fight for equality was prohibited and great leaders were carried to their graves, these women unite to fight the needless cruelty prevalent throughout the South. “The Help” is not only inspiring, but educational and, at times, humorous. Each scene brings the audience new understanding of how these women coped with their situations. The heartbreaking accounts of service show that people of every background can grieve or love. If this film is any indication of what is yet to come for 2011, we have much to look forward to, because “The Help” opened the eyes and hearts of many to a generation beyond our reach.