I finally went to see the movie today and it was great! Like others have mentioned, it followed the book pretty closely.

This movie had a good portrayal of why people did not speak up (from both sides). Definitely a must see.

I finally saw it yesterday (the hurricane a couple of weeks ago prevented our original viewing). I thought it was fantastic. It strayed away from the book just enough to provide a little extra "kick," but I think they relied on the pie storyline way too much for laughs.

Viola Davis will probably get another Oscar nomination. Allison Janney was also good--did anyone else think she was trying to channel Dixie Carter?

Why were the mothers portrayed as being so old? Being that Hilly and Skeeter were only 22 or 23, their mothers were probably 45-50 at the very very oldest.

An excellent movie.
 

I thought it was very well done.

Local Chattanooga hero, Leslie Jordan, did his usual superb job as the newspaper editor.

I related well to the storyline... although Chattanooga, TN is hardly Jackson, MS. From 1961-1966 our African-American housekeeper helped rear me and was often a best friend to this only child. I remember how crushed my mother was when I shared with "Dee Dee" (my special name for Rosa) that I had an imaginery friend. Dee Dee's grandmother had worked for my grandmother. Our story had a much different ending, however. In 1966, Dee Dee left our employ to work in the mailroom at a local bank. A bank where my father served as president and he assisted her with this move. I worked at the bank in the summers during college and often had lunch with Dee Dee. All of these years later -- we are still friends.

Good movie.

Had funny moments.

Had sad moments.

It wasn't as funny as people made it out to be. It definitely wasn't pure entertainment. Every scene was predictably profound in that there was so much embedded in it. I have not read the book yet but I could predict most of the movie including the cake and the pawn shop/ring outcomes. I spent most of the movie being angry and pissed off. I ended the movie being angry and pissed off. Most of the people in the theater were white and that is the trend for this movie--definitely not a Tyler Perry movie. I was annoyed by some of the things the white people laughed at. I thought "What the hell is so funny? Is some of that funny laughter or nervous laughter?" I wasn't annoyed by the things the Black people laughed at.

I was teary eyed over things in the movie like the Evers killing. I wasn't teary eyed over things like the little girl who was sad at the end because the nanny was fired. It seemed sad at first until I remembered the context of a little white girl crying for her Black "mommy." Sadness was quickly replaced by anger. The movie ended on a positive note. What a good way to make white people happy in 2011 as many whites will feel that this has given a voice to the voiceless. What a funny and fun movie. In real life, I believe that more violence would've occurred if some Black folks helped write a book like that. Some violence would've happened to not only express anger but to try to reinforce the sense of control, order, and power. That's how these dynamics tend to work in real life and there is nothing more frightening than some angry people in positions of power (in most racial contexts: white people).

So, yeah, good movie. I wouldn't go around saying "omg, THE HELP IS A MUST SEEE" to white people as many white people have been doing to anyone who will listen including Black people--volunteering how awesome the book and movie are kind of like people were reading the book in the movie. That's because it is so much more than just a "great movie." And I'm always apprehensive when the mainstream (read: majority whites) are so excited over such things.

My family who grew up in the 1930s, especially the south, still refuse to see this movie. They remember how it was in the 1930s-1970s and how it still is in many areas. I will call them tomorrow to tell them about the movie and they will probably say they don't need to see this harsh reminder that has entertained so many white people. I wonder why more whites didn't love The Color Purple this much---oh, that's right, white people weren't among the main characters.

:) <-----smile

bump for the 2012

Thanks Doc.

I posted my thoughts on this movie in the current movie thread, but it seems to be this movie is a little old for that thread. I hate movies like this, although the history is true and something that we all need to be reminded of, at times. I guess I'm one of those who believes that if you don't know your history then knowing your future can be difficult. The movie pissed me off, basically, not because of what I was seeing, but because there are some folks who still believe in this today. I only watched it because I was watching it with my girl, and she wanted to see it. There was some other shit in the movie that bothered me, too.