The Help

[Steve Williams]

Here is the official movie trailer

I saw this film last night. For those who haven't either read the book or seen the film, you are in for what I feel (year to date ) is the BEST film of the year.

This movie will make you laugh, make you cry and make you outraged that we as a people in this country had such a dark time in the 60's with segregation and the "code" of behavior.

The three lead characters are all magnifient with young Emma Stone (23) playing the role of the Skeeter the writer of The Help.

The very best acting however fell to Viola Davis who played Aibileen Clark. IMHO she will be nominated and quite likely will win the Oscar for Best Actress. What an amazing actress she is. If you recall, she also won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress a few years ago for Doubt

Then there is Octavia Spencer who play Minny Jackson. I also feel she too will be nominated for Best Supporting with a strong likelihood that she too will win

The movie is just that good and should not be missed.

Bryce Dallas Howard (Ron Howard's daughter) plays Hilly Holbrook (or Two Slice Hilly for those who read the book). She too gave a remarkable performance

Cicely Tyson played essentially a cameo role but her performance will leave you with a lump in your throat as you watch her play an aging maid. Sissy Spacek was also a delight in watching her play the role of Hilly's mother

The movie is everything one wants in a film....an excellent story, beyond incredible acting and at 2 hours and 20 minutes all you can think is how did that time pass so quickly as it is all too easy to become enmeshed with the story and the characters. There is also an intertwining of the history of the time with comments about Martin Luther King, Medgar Evers and John F Kennedy.

Capsule Comment. This is a film not to be missed and IMO will get the nod for Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress as well as a possible Best Director nomination.

This movie has it all and will be standing at the top of the heap come Oscar night (can you tell that I liked it )

BTW, my wife liked the film more than the book as she saw the characters develop better in the film

 

[FrantzM]

Steve

Entirement d'accord ! Great movie ... The most interesting part is how understated and accurate the actors performance (hence directing0 was .. No over-acting here.. just the story and as you so well put it .. Great acting.. I will see it again as soon as come back to the USA...

 

[Steve Williams]

I agree

This is one film that will make its way to my library

Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer are remarkable actors and IMO opinion a lock on Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress

 

[jazdoc]

Viola Davis was terrific. I went into this movie with pretty low expectations and it would have been easy to make it too saccharine. Very well done. My wife read the book and thought they did a good job with the adaptation.

 

[Gregadd]

I don't think my mother can sit through a movie . She'll be 88 years young in October. (Actually her birth certificate says 89. I don't want to go down that road.) We'll have to wait for it in DVD. It resembles the female version of Driving Miss Daisy. BTW she preferred working for single men. They were at work when she did her job. They were much better tippers also.

 

[amirm]

Having also boycott movie theaters, I will also have to wait for the Blu-ray. It will be a long wait though, given the material in the trailer and endorsement by you all.

 

[Gregadd]

Just saw Help. I concur with Steve. My mom liked it too.

 

[Steve Williams]

Having seen the movie I had felt without a doubt that Viola Davis would be nominated and win Best Actress and Octavia Spencer will win Best Supporting however looking at the credits it seems that both were in a supporting role and Emma Stone who plated Skeeter was in a starring role and almost certainly will be nominated.

However let's not forget Ron Howard's daughter who played Hilly or Jessica Chastain who played Celia. Both were also terrific so look for multiple nominations in the same category for actors in this movie. It was just that good

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Who directed, Steve? When you have that many young actors turning out terrific performances in one film, that's where I'd look for cause.

Tim

 

[Steve Williams]

Who directed, Steve? When you have that many young actors turning out terrific performances in one film, that's where I'd look for cause.

Tim

Tate Taylor who also did the screen play. He also acts and is somewhat young. His past directorial films were ones that came and went

 

[Kippyy]

I liked this film, but it didnt hit me with anywhere near the power of Mississippi Burning with Gene Hackman. Still hard to believe segregation was the norm just 60 years ago. Then again, homosexuals still cannot marry in most states...

 

[Steve Williams]

Two totally different movies Kippy

 

[RBFC]

MY wife brought home the Blu-ray the other day, and we watched this tonight. A great film, with incredible acting chops from several key cast members. While I first thought I would be bored by a film of this nature and length, I sat through the film and felt the outrage at the depiction of 60's Southern society.

I agree, there'll be some Oscars here.

Lee

 

[JackD201]

As a dark skinned guy myself, I can't help but notice how racial prejudice has lessened in my travels over the last 30 years. Movies like this and many that have come before it have surely helped. Unfortunately, I caught this on the plane. I really liked it too. I just wish I had skipped it and waited for the BD though. Watching on planes over aged systems like our flag carrier's takes so much away from the experience.

 

[NorthStar]

Steve

Entirement d'accord ! Great movie ... The most interesting part is how understated and accurate the actors performance (hence directing0 was .. No over-acting here.. just the story and as you so well put it .. Great acting.. I will see it again as soon as come back to the USA...

"Entierement".

Just to correct properly. :b

_____________________

* Sounds like a great movie with a true eye-opener Steve.

 

[Steve Williams]

IMO I have seen "most" all of what are considered critic's favorites and I haven't seen a movie this year as good as The Help. I really hope it wins the Oscar

 

[jadis]

I normally shy away from these kinds of drama/comedy but the trailer looks good so I gave it a shot and watched it with my wife at home. Both of us liked it and it does a great job of drowning me with emotions, like I sort of feel what the helpers were feeling. Very well made and I agree, many people in here deserve an Oscar or 2.

 

[Steve Williams]

The Help, as predicted won big time last night at the SAG Awards with the film winning Best Ensemble Cast (essentially a Best Film Award) and Octavia Spencer winning Best Supporting Actress and the surprise of the night when Viola Davis beat out Meryl Streep for Best Actress (she was my sentimental favorite to win)

 

[Gregadd]

The Help is reacist! But I think it is supposed to be self serving and condescending. It was designed to conveyy the basic helplessness of blacks and whites. I beleive insanity is the denial of reality. Both sides were locked into thier roles of master and servant. It produced an insanity that went undiagnosed and untreated. While one side reaped greater beinifits the situation was maddening. The civilr rights movement was a catharsis for our country and the world. If The Help made you feal uneasy, I for one think it was successful.