The Help

I was standing on the sand watching the horizon and waiting for the big wave of a movie called The Help to hit me. But when it finally reached the shore and slapped my legs I didn’t even lose my balance. Based on the hype, I was expecting to be knocked down flat, instead I was underwhelmed. The film is decent, there are some excellent performances, but as far as the story goes, I saw nothing new.

Perhaps for young viewers with no sense of history this movie may be shocking. But for someone like me who lived through the period there was no new ground covered here. Emma Stone plays Skeeter, a young white woman who grew up in a big southern house and was raised by a black nanny. She returns from college and gets a job at the local newspaper and suddenly she has a conscious. That in a nutshell is my problem with the movie, character motivation. Repression is a byproduct of fear and an act of rebellion takes courage. All throughout this film I was looking for those defining moments, those sparks of courage that allow a person to stand up. But in some cases they were really hard to find.

There are two performances that are pivotal to this film, Viola Davis as Aibileen and Bryce Dallas Howard as Hilly Holbrook. Both performances are crucial to the story and they are wonderful. Aibileen is a black maid who took pride in raising seventeen white children. She learned at the age of 14 that she had the ability to influence and instill self-esteem into her young charges even when their parents ignored them. But her heartbreak occurs when the children grow up. As adults they fall right into step and become just like their parents. Not everyone turns out like Skeeter.

On the other side is a woman like Hilly. She was raised by a black maid too, but when it was her turn to run a house and become a part of society, her fear and insecurity causes her to use her influence to spread hate. Not only does she use her power to ostracize the outsider who stole her former beau, but she uses her leadership to spread her bigotry through political means. How can any woman raised and nurtured by a black nanny turn out this way? Besides insecurity and fear what is her motivation, what causes her to be so hateful and venomous?

It is never clear why these white mothers maintained such a distance from their children. Some were distant while others were downright neglectful. Even Skeeter claims that her nanny raised her while her mom (Allison Janney) was busy with her meetings and such. Why were these woman so detached when it came to their children?

When it comes to Skeeter it is never shown where her courage and indignation comes from. Is it her eastern education or the unexplained disappearance of her beloved nanny (Cecily Tyson) or is it her outsider mentality? Skeeter was never like the other southern girls. Or is it just a way for her to secure a new job? When she returns home she joins her peers at the league, dates a southern boy, and tries to fit in, but why is it different now? Did someone open her eyes at school, was it the civil rights movement? What causes Skeeter to fall out of step. Once her writing project begins she cannot do it alone, she cannot succeed without the cooperation of “the help”, the women whose stories she will tell. I really wanted to know why these women finally said, “Enough!” I was more interested in the catalyst.

Viola Davis’ Aibileen is Skeeter’s first interview but it isn’t until Minny (Octavia Jackson) climbs on board that the ball gets rolling. Minny is sassy and resents being put down but she swallows her pride in order to care for her own family. Aibilene on the other hand always took pride in her job. She is good at it and it is what she knows. It isn’t until she loses her own son that she becomes bitter and resentful. As the two most fully realized characters in the film their motivation is clear, but what about the rest? Standing up and speaking out could get a person beat or killed. This is not something the women would do without conviction.

I am going to recommend this film based on some very strong performances, but I do have reservations when it comes to the execution of the story. I have not read the bestselling book. Perhaps it does a better job explaining the culture. But based on the hype and the high praise going in I really wanted to love this movie and leave praising its virtues. But after seeing it I just felt underwhelmed. I would love to be convinced otherwise, that I missed the point or I am expecting too much from a movie. I sincerely hope you enjoy the film more than I did, but for me The Help needs help in making a stronger statement.

Like Skeeter I made a few stands in my life and I could tell you exactly when, where and why these acts occurred. I guess I was expecting the same from the movie, more pivotal and defining moments. I like the movie, I respect what it is trying to say, I just wanted more clarity and understanding. The Help is about women who changed the world and that is a very worthy subject. 

Rating: First Run Change begins with the word enough