Thursday, August 25, 2011

The Help

As good as the book.  Really!


The casting?  Unbelievable.  I knew who every character was as soon as they were on the screen.  (Did I mention that I read the book?)

This book/movie was set in 1961.  I was 13 years old then.  There was certainly racial tension in the East in 1961, but thankfully, nothing like what was found in Mississippi.  I watched this movie with a heavy heart that any of God's children would have to feel what the ladies in this movie (and many like them) felt at the time.

Although the story was full of grit, character, and courage, there was a heavy undercurrent of sadness.  I felt it even more in the movie than in the book:  to actually see faces show the pain of racism - to see bodies portray the weariness of their daily existence - to see the hateful smirks and self-righteous attitudes of women who had (and were very aware of) the power to make life miserable for another human being.   I was silent - speechless - thoughtful - and grateful for the strength of the human spirit.

In the end, the story, for me, was about courage, about "right", and about human connections - regardless of race.  And most of all, about hope. 

Well done!


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