Call the Academy! The Help has Oscar written all over it, and deservedly so. It’s an emotional roller-coaster ride that will make you laugh, cry, and even anger you at times, but when you leave the theatre, you will feel good about the entire experience.
Based on the bestselling novel by Kathryn Stockett, the film is set in 1960s Mississippi in the midst of segregation. Blacks were expected to use different toilets and sit at the back of the bus, and even though the law allowed them to be treated like animals, white families brought them into their homes to clean, cook, and raise their children for little pay and much torment.
The Help demonstrates the era from the viewpoint of Skeeter (Emma Stone), an educated, young white woman who sympathizes with the black maids she sees being treated poorly by the ladies she associates with. She wants to tell their side of the story, and goes against her friends, and the law, in order to convince these women to trust her and open up to her. When they do, it’s a wake-up call as to how prejudiced the community she grew up in is.
What really sells The Help is the heart and soul of its cast. Stone, who has grown drastically as an actress since her break-out role in last year’s Easy A, is charming and likeable. Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer play, respectively, Aibileen and Minny, the two maids that, at first, reluctantly open up to Skeeter and are so amazing, you can feel the anguish of their characters. And Bryce Dallas Howard’s portrayal of the bigoted Hilly Holbrook goes to a dark place that will make you livid to watch.
The real stand-out is Jessica Chastain as the adorably awkward Celia Foote, an outsider who is looked down upon by the other white women. No matter how hard she tries to fit in, they push her away. At first, her flighty personality is fun, but then you see how much pain she’s in and it’s devastating to watch. Along with her work in The Tree of Life and the upcoming film The Debt, Chastain is the actress of the year and this just solidifies it.
Writer-director Tate Taylor is known mainly for his acting roles in films like Winter’s Bone. With The Help, he was able to weave all the emotions the story presents richly and eloquently and has proven to be a master behind the lens.
Rating: 
Rated PG
Cast: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jessica Chastain
Directed by: Tate Taylor
Top image: A scene from The Help. Courtesy Walt Disney Studios.
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