In the span of 3 weeks, I both read the novel and saw the movie, "The Help." As such, I feel I was able to compare them even better than other film adaptations of books. As I watched, I saw a very good depiction of the characters in the novel. But the entire experience went beyond that. As I watched, I found myself reflecting on the larger issue of civil rights, as well as the prisons in which we all find ourselves.
The story focuses on three women. Two of them are African American maids, and one is a young white college student. The young white woman is an aspiring writer, and she begins to take an interest in the lives of the countless women who end up raising white children. The story shows how her interest in writing their stories leads to shared discovery...not only of the need for equality for the African American people, but also shedding a light on the prisons many of the the peoples of both colors are in. For example, the character of Minny is in a different kind of prison. She has gotten in trouble at work through her sass, and she loses her job. But a deeper prison in which she finds herself is the one at home, as she wearily deals with an abusive husband. The high society white ladies and men in the movie are in a prison of their own construction. They cannot question the status quo, so they go along with horrible realities. They pay other women to raise their children, and treat those women like rubbish since the are expendable. Since the African American women must be kept where they are, the delicate social construct must be maintained, so they find any way they can to maintain the status quo, or even dial it back a few years.
The key character to the story is Aibileen, played amazingly by Viola Davis. Mild mannered and gentle, she is also strong, and she becomes the first woman to stand up and tell her story to Skeeter (Emma Stone), who is compiling these stories into a revolutionary book about the lives of the women. This is a story that is small in focus, but makes one think about the world. Anytime a story with these themes in it is released, it elicits controversy. I think that is good. We must be able to deal with our history honestly, and art can do that, however imperfect the work of art may be. I thought it ironic that the two women (Aibileen and Minny) however oppressed they were, end the movie in a freer state than the racist community in Jackson. True, they are still second class citizens who are in the poorer class, but they have shared their story, and they have found a certain measure of dignity. The society women of Jackson, while more privileged and wealthy, are trapped in hate and fear.
The performances are all great, and the film is able to capture the characters on the screen very well. There are some amendments to the book, as well as some deletions. But the true strength of the adaptation is the ability to realize the characters in the book. And the pie story line was executed brilliantly. For those who have read the book, you know what I am talking about. For those who have no idea what I am talking about, you will not be disappointed in the pay off.
