The Help

[AnchorAlum]

Originally Posted by OleMissGlitter

Growing up in New Orleans and living in Mississippi now, I thought the novel was very true to the time in which it was written. I saw the movie as well and I cried and laughed! My husband even liked it. I thought everything was wonderful about it! (Really loved it when they mentioned Ole Miss a few times!!!) I think it is a must-see! Of course read the novel too!!!

I grew up in the segregated South, and read the book, thinking the entire time that I was in that room, that house, and could hear those conversations. It was the "way things were" when I was a girl. We didn't have a maid, but we did have a cleaning lady from time to time.

I spent the summer of '62 with my aunt and uncle in Hattiesburg, and found things to be noticeably more structured as far as "coloreds", which was the language of the era. I remember being in the sorority house when our elderly handy man was still called the House Boy. What a courtly gentleman he was, but to think back to how he must have felt to have teenage white girls call him that gives me pause. Same with our cooks and maids, who had to "wait" on us and take our breakfast and lunch orders with no complaints.

I saw the movie yesterday AFTERNOON which makes me a senior citizen I guess. Whatever that infers. And aside from one or two exaggerated portrayals of certain characters like Celia and Mae Mobley's mama, who was just dumber than dirt, the regional dialect of all the characters was spot on.

Bryce Howard was chillingly good, Viola Davis will rightfully be nominated for an Oscar, and Sissy Spacek didn't need a dialect coach, that's for sure. She was delightful, by the way.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by rhoyaltempest

I read an article about the real Aibilene who indeed worked for the author's family. I'm sure although fiction, there is much truth in the story.

This seems to be what the people who have the toughest criticism about the movie and the book fail to recognize. Granted, they probably haven't read the book nor seen the movie.

It's very telling to me that those who actually experienced the era, on either side of the color line, don't seem to be as offended as those who weren't even born during that time. What does that say about what we choose to believe about our history?

[AnchorAlum]

It's very telling to me that those who actually experienced the era, on either side of the color line, don't seem to be as offended as those who weren't even born during that time. What does that say about what we choose to believe about our history?[/QUOTE]

Excellent observation.

If we don't tell the truth, what are we left with? It was a very rough time, and those who can tell it should tell it, with no fuzzy soft bumpers to act as shock absorbers for what we don't want to hear.

[AOII Angel]

I found this to be a hard movie to watch. I cried throughout and felt sick to my stomach at the blatant cruelty. I didn't feel like there was a white savior making everything better at the end because at the end, despite a little embarrassment for Hilly, she was still on top. This movie is NOT just about entertainment.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

It's very telling to me that those who actually experienced the era, on either side of the color line, don't seem to be as offended as those who weren't even born during that time. What does that say about what we choose to believe about our history?

Speaking generally, since there were/are people who experienced the era who consider certain depictions offensive: That can mean a number of things. It can mean they are accustomed to being offended by depictions of Blacks whereas younger generations have seen relatively more balanced depictions; they consider real life to be more important than media depictions; etc.

White folks would have no substantive reason to be offended by anything, anyway.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlum

If we don't tell the truth, what are we left with? It was a very rough time, and those who can tell it should tell it, with no fuzzy soft bumpers to act as shock absorbers for what we don't want to hear.

Yep.

At the same time, it is very telling that Blacks are most often on the big screen when there is a "rough time" to depict. A look at what are considered the top movies of all time with a majority Black cast (and some of the top Black actors') show how prevalent these movies are. Therefore, I don't think it's a problem with these stories being told so much as it's a problem with ONLY these stories being told.

On a related note, Aziz Ansari had a very true and hilarious interview I heard on NPR yesterday:

http://www.npr.org/2011/08/13/139606...inutes-or-less

[christiangirl]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

It's very telling to me that those who actually experienced the era, on either side of the color line, don't seem to be as offended as those who weren't even born during that time. What does that say about what we choose to believe about our history?

MommyCG saw this last night and she thought it was hilarious. She told me "Go see it, you'll crack up!" I asked if she thought it was accurate (she was a young adult in AL during this era) and she said it was extremely accurate, not just in MS but the entire south. She wasn't offended at all: "That's how it really was, what can I say?"

I may go see it during this week.

[Low C Sharp]

White folks would have no substantive reason to be offended by anything, anyway.

I'm a straight white woman, and I'm just as offended by what I perceive to be insults to other groups as I am by insults to groups I'm in. Maybe more so, since I've got pretty thick skin.

Being white affects my perception, no doubt. But if I can see it, it bothers me no matter who's being attacked.

[Smile_Awhile]

I saw it last night with a bunch of my sisters. I just kept thinking of the maid that still (or at least used to) work for my grandmother one day a week. I remember my mom telling me stories about the woman who used to work for my great-grandparents, and wore a uniform similar to the ones depicted in the movie. Both were African-American, and my mom was a child during the period depicted in the movie. I had a very hard time believing it was the 1960s and not the 1940s.

I also reflected on my own experience- while my mom was still working full time when I was very young, we had an in-home babysitter who watched me. My mom cut back her hours when I was about four, but that same lady stayed with us one day a week when my mom did work. She was with my family until I was 14. I wouldn't go nearly as far to say that she raised me, but the elements were just too similar for me to not think about.

While I have good faith that they were treated fairly well by the members of my family, it definitely gives me pause now.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Low C Sharp

I'm a straight white woman...

What's that?

Originally Posted by Low C Sharp

...and I'm just as offended by what I perceive to be insults to other groups as I am by insults to groups I'm in. Maybe more so, since I've got pretty thick skin.

Being white affects my perception, no doubt. But if I can see it, it bothers me no matter who's being attacked.

I said "substantive" because some whites will be offended by some things but the foundation for the offense tends to be different. For instance, you are just as offended by depictions of nonwhites which is different than nonwhites being offended by depictions of nonwhites.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Speaking generally, since there were/are people who experienced the era who consider certain depictions offensive: That can mean a number of things. It can mean they are accustomed to being offended by depictions of Blacks whereas younger generations have seen relatively more balanced depictions; they consider real life to be more important than media depictions; etc.

White folks would have no substantive reason to be offended by anything, anyway.

I'm not saying that the older people aren't expressing offense at all--their responses are a little more nuanced than the younger people, since they actually experienced it and saw that each maid's experience was different but in some levels the experiences were universal. My mom saw it and for the most part, really enjoyed it. She's of that time and saw a number of female relatives work as maids. Her only complaint was that the portrayal of black men was pretty rotten.

The people who have expressed the most offense, at least in my circles, are definitely young people of color--specifically those involved in some aspect of "the progressive struggle"--civil rights attorneys, documentary filmmakers, ethnic studies students/professors, etc. A big part of that is that they may be demanding a certain level of accuracy that is impossible for a feature film. These are also the people that can't just enjoy a TV show, book, movie, or album for its entertainment content.

[BluPhire]

Wife forced me to see it. Will be honest, I was entertained. I compared notes with others that saw it and one of the notes we all had in common was that we (blacks) were the minority in the movie theatre.

I heard a lot of people crying, especially at the end.

[ellebud]

I finally saw the movie last night. It was wonderful. I hope that there will be several Oscar nominations for the women in The Help.

I feel that those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it. Perhaps because I have lived most of my life in Los Angeles, and I am on the older side, I am aware of the discrimination that many groups endured.

So, the far reaching grasp of Jim Crow laws: When I was young, about six or so, my father worked for a company based in Virginia. He went to Virginia on a business trip. My father told the story how he "made a mistake" by drinking out of a "Colored: water fountain. The security guard came over and asked him if he was aware that he was making a mistake. My father was confused until the guard pointed out the "Colored" sign on/near the fountain. My father apologized and went to the "correct" fountain. But he was shaken. He could have been detained by the police. And that, as well as the "colored" fountain horrified him.

I was in one of my brief stints in a Jewish Sunday school. I asked my father if the guard was a Nazi. Silence ensued.

The Help is a fabulous book. I believe that the movie is very good. There are some gaps. But, it is a wonderful movie.

[AnchorAlum]

Your story reminded me of something my brother did as a child in a grocery store; a Winn Dixie to be exact.

While my Mother was not looking, he snuck over to the "colored" water fountain and took a drink. We seriously stood there for a few minutes waiting to see if anything would happen to the color of his skin. When he remained a freckly white kid, we both agreed that the different water fountains were dumb. I think he was actually a little disappointed that he couldn't show Mother that he was "different".
The social experiments that 5 year olds undertake are interesting in their simplicity, and in their truth.

[ASUADPi]

I just got home from the movie and was impressed by it. I read the book awhile back, so it seemed to follow it pretty closely.

I really enjoyed the movie. I thought the acting was amazing, there were plenty of parts where I was like "man if only I could smack the living daylights out of you".