By: debbie lynn elias
Eloquently and authentically adapted and directed by Tate Taylor from the best-selling book by Kathryn Stockett, THE HELP is a rare gem indeed. Not only does it celebrate and showcase the friendship and sisterhood of women, it celebrates the love and strength of the 1960’s often stereotyped African-American “Southern” household help, as well as the Caucasian women who wanted to break free of the bonds of the archetypical “Old South” societal custom and move forward with Civil Rights and Women’s Rights.
THE HELP revolves around the relationship of three women – Skeeter, Aibilene and Minnie. The most unlikely of acquaintances, Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan is a strong white Southern woman of the 60’s with the foresight and courage of a woman of the 21st Century. On graduating college, Skeeter returns home to Jackson, Mississippi, hellbent and determined to become a writer rather than marry and settle down. Getting a job at the local paper writing a column on household cleaning tips (of which she knows nothing), Skeeter turns to Aibilene, an African-American maid who has spent her life raising 17 white children because “That’s what I do”. Aibilene is as wise as the day is long and has blessed every child she has known with her love, kindness and wisdom. But, despite diapering, cleaning, toting and catering to the whims of her white employers, Aibilene has never been anything but “THE HELP”. Same for her best friend, Minnie. Also an African-American maid, Minnie is just as hard working and wise as Aibilene but unlike Aibilene has a tendency to speak her mind, something that just isn’t done by “THE HELP” in the 1960’s South. But there is someone who wants to hear what Minnie has to say. And what Aibilene has to say. And what every other maid has to say. Skeeter. She not only sees their wisdom, but their pain of being second class citizens, a distinction which she despises. So, she concocts a plan to write a book with the voices of each and every maid who will speak to her, chronicling their lives and experiences working for white Southern families. And what experiences! What families! What women! And we meet them all. The good, the bad and the ugly.
To become involved in an undertaking like this, Skeeter, Aibilene and Minnie know the risk they are taking. They could all land in prison. The times are turbulent but not without hope. Jack Kennedy is president. Martin Luther King is fighting for civil rights. But a neighbor, Medgar Evers, is gunned down in his driveway. And another maid is falsely accused of theft, arrested and jailed. And then Kennedy is killed. Can it possibly be true that white folk and black folk just don’t mix? Not in the eyes and heart of Skeeter and Aibilene. To them, each and every person has a voice and rights. Even THE HELP.
Start the Oscar campaign machine now because THE HELP is a serious Oscar contender on so many levels. If there was an Oscar category for Best Ensemble Cast, my #1 film on that list would be THE HELP as not only is every performance superlative, but the cast, jaw-dropping – Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Allison Janney, Jessica Chastain, Sissy Spacek, Mary Steenburgen and Cicely Tyson. And when you’re Tate Taylor, how does one even get an A-list cast like this? “I think when you have such a powerful novel as THE HELP and you couple that with the intelligence level of these actresses that I have and then you have the fact that there just aren’t roles like this for women”, it boils down to if you write it, they will come. I fully expect to see Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard and Viola Davis vying for Best Actress nominations and a slam dunk Best Supporting Actress nod for Olivia Spencer. But don’t count out Jessica Chastain who does her own scene stealing as Celia.
Emma Stone simply wows as the headstrong and socially responsible Skeeter. Multi-layered and nuanced with Skeeter’s respect for the “old South”, her love for her own maid Constantine who has disappeared, and the childhood support of her friends, Skeeter tries to not only integrate herself into the business world, but the Northern world which is artfully demonstrated with Mary Steenburgen’s publisher, Miss Stein. Stone brings a great naive levity to many scenes with just a surprised look on her face. She doesn’t need words. Just open her eyes wide, the eyebrows go up, the glasses slide up or down a bit and the funny look of amazement is there. A nice balance to some of the more dramatic tones of the film. For Stone, it was a “no brainer” to become involved in THE HELP and tackle Skeeter. “I just felt that I could kind of relate to her viewpoint in a lot of ways. But I don’t think I possess her bravery, which instantly made me want to play her.”
Then we have the exquisite emotion Viola Davis brings as Abilene. She wears Abilene’s heart on her sleeve and laces that with a wavering inner courage and strength that slowly emerges with careful story and character pacing. A calculated, understated but emotionally powerful performance that draws you into Aibilene’s heart and the story. On the flip side, the often overlooked and underestimated Octavia Spencer just explodes as Minnie. For both Kathryn Stockett and Tate Taylor, “There’s no other person to play Minnie.” Spencer is the blood and fire coursing through the veins of THE HELP. She commands the screen. At times harkening to an updated version of a sassy Hattie McDaniel, Spencer adds edgy humor but then uses that as a mask for the horrors of Minnie’s home life and the fear she faces every day about life her family, finding work. Beautifully portrayed.
Another scene stealer is Bryce Dallas Howard as Hilly. Described by Howard herself that “Hilly is a pretty wretched person”, she was more than thrilled that “Tate had a very specific perspective of how this role was going to be, which was that there was going to be humor in it; there was going to be a certain amount of levity to balance out the subject matter. I really liked that we got to take Hilly at times to an absurd place. I got to do the horrible behavior in a way that we knew was kind of crazy and funny.” Solid acting. Full emotional arc and range of emotions. She shines with physicality and nuanced mannerisms that are slightly over the top in keeping with the over-the-top dominatrix nature of Hilly. Outstanding performance.
Allison Janney delights as Skeeter’s put upon “dying” mother. What I found notable is that because of the inbred melodrama of Southern women of the time, you really aren’t sure if she is dying or not. You believe she’s ill and you hear the word cancer (which is the one faux pas I picked up on as people never said the word out loud back then), but there’s a always a seed of doubt which just makes the performance that much richer. Then toss in Sissy Spacek as Hilly’s mother, Missus Walters. Stealing every scene she is in, Spacek is hysterical! And picture perfect playing the maligned matriarch whose daughter has put her out to pasture but who is actually more on the ball than the rest of the world. Taylor even expanded the role of Missus Walters just for Spacek.
I can’t believe this is the same Jessica Chastain I just saw in “Tree of Life.” LOVE her as Celia Foote and then put her together with Octavia Spencer and you’ve got magic. Again, another great range of emotion with a complete arc. And then there’s Cicely Tyson in a very brief but pivotal role as Skeeter’s beloved Constantine. Excellence. Period. Enough said.
Not to be missed are little casting gems with Dana Ivey and even Ashley Johnson, who most will remember as cute little Chrissy Seaver in “Growing Pains.” But then just look at the twins that play Aibilene’s latest little charge, Moe Mabley. Cuteness personified. Your heart just melts whenever Moe Mabley is on screen. Then add Viola Davis to the mix and your heart smiles and melts while tears fill your eyes.
I had the privilege of first meeting Tate Taylor some years back with a little “must see” indie film he was in, “Wannabe”. He was a standout as a coked out drummer in a washed up band but I knew then there was something more to him. Taylor’s niche is clearly that of writer/director. His dream has always been to direct and he does just that with THE HELP. But even more than direct, Taylor has done the almost unimaginable – adapted the book without adversely affecting the emotional power of the story or the composition of the individual characters and the interpersonal relationships that comprise the story. The characters are as a real and full bodied as in literature, and in many instances even more so thanks to the consistently superlative acting.
The script is true to the essence, emotion, essential details, character and story construction as set forth in the book. Tacit historical reference of Kennedy’s death and Medgar Evers roots the story in reality and gives the audience touchstones common to all demographics and generations on which to grasp for understanding and to use as a focal point in time for setting. Language and syntax are crucial to a period film like this and Taylor honors both here, staying true to the period and the social standing of each individual.
But with a story and film like THE HELP, it’s the little details that really set the tone, make the story and engage the audience. Important to Taylor, together with Production Designer Mark Ricker and Director of Photography Stephen Goldblatt, was that Mississippi be a character. “The reason we’re here is Mississippi is a character. Let’s frame every shot we can in a non-intrusive obvious way to where we get Mississippi. That’s when Steven had the amazing idea for the shot of Skeeter going into her home the first time. The arm that went up and we see the outside. It’s hot. We see family photos, a stuffed turkey on the wall. And Mark Ricker, the way he went into it to differentiate these homes which can all just look like a house filled with antiques. I had great people.”
Nobody but Taylor with his Southern sensibility and inherent knowledge of this life could have made this movie. And he called on the right people to help in the task, particularly Ricker. “He’s from North Carolina and he’s got such an attention to detail… Kathryn gave him the wonderful tools in the novel. I was able to then add what I do know about traditions and stuff and then he went crazy.” The attention to the apportionment of the set design, costuming, make up and hair is impeccable and informs not only the story but each character as well. I myself know this world. This was my mother’s world. My mother was in many respects, Hilly, with a little bit of Skeeter thrown in. What we see on screen IS what the sensibilities were at the time. A woman was raised to be married and she was raised by a Black maid. My mother had “Aunt Eller” and until her death, she spoke lovingly of the woman just as Skeeter speaks of Constantine. Hair was rolled and teased and big, really big, and hair spray was (and for many still is) the primary cosmetic ingredient of the day. And of course, THE HELP used cases of Aqua Net Gold as “It’s the only thing that can handle the Mississippi air.”
Other gems of detail are scenes involving homemade dresses, covering a scratch in the furniture, wall decor with period perfect gravel dog pictures, fancy blue chalky “Ode to a Grecian Urn” glassware that defined social strata. And let’s not forget Crisco and girdles with boning. All aid in making THE HELP three dimensional.
Stephen Goldblatt’s cinematography adds a level of exquisite visual imagery that compliments the tonal strata of the film and social strata of the characters. Taylor and Editor Hughes Winbourne move the film along at a steady easy pace that allows the audience to absorb the color and flavor of this world while digesting and appreciating the elements of the personal stories unfolding. Completing the experience is Thomas Newman’s score and the end credit song written and performed by Mary J. Blige which I expect to vie for Best Original Song come Oscars.
But at the end of the day, these are women we want to sit down with and get to know. They are rich, interesting, warm and wonderful. As perfect as a sipping a cold glass of sweet tea on a sweltering summer afternoon, THE HELP quenches your thirst for a perfect movie experience.
Skeeter – Emma Stone
Aibilene – Viola Davis
Minnie – Octavia Spencer
Hilly – Bryce Dallas Howard
Celia – Jessica Chastain
Missus Walters – Sissy Spacek
Charlotte – Allison Janney
Constantine – Cicely Tyson
Written and Directed by Tate Taylor based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett.
