With a nudge from my wife, I finally consented to go to the movies a couple of weeks ago. Don't go that often anymore. I was reminded that movies (the good ones!) remain a powerful medium. We saw The Help. It's a summer release and with the extended summer we are currently enjoying in Winnipeg, I suppose it still qualifies as such. This movie obviously has staying power. There are many scenes that are still running through my mind, probably through my heart also. It's that kind of movie. And no, I've not read the book.The movie is sufficient for now.
By summer movie standards, this is a longish movie, more that two hours in lenght. Yet because of its excellent pace and gripping story line, the movie moves briskly but never too briskly. It's based upon a true story of a young girl (Skeeter) growing up in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 60s. Upon graduation from university, this young lady returns home determined to pursue a career in journalism or as a writer in one way or another. This career choice is certainly not in keeping with the traditional house wife pursuit of most Southern women of that period.
Skeeter, like many privileged white children of the South, grows up being raised by 'the Help'. These African American women cooked, cleaned, took care of the children. 'The Help' performed all the dirty work for less that the minimum wage in most instances, in fact for a pittance in most cases. In so many ways these women became the substitute 'Mommas' for these children while their mothers busied themselves in all kinds of trivial social pursuits.
With the fresh faced Emma Stone (Skeeter) as the young convinced and convincing wanna-be-writer-journalist cast alongside the veteran Sissy Spacek as a woman dealing with the onset of dementia, Alison Janney as Skeeter's mom, Bryce Howard as Hilly Holbrook, the despicable chief racist , the casting is superb. But the real stars in this movie are 'the Help' featuring Viola Davis as Abileen and Octavia Spencer as Minnie. Encouraged, cajoled, challenged by the young Skeeter, these two women become the riveting presence in this movie as they reluctantly but bravely agree to share their stories, albeit initially in anonymous fashion.
There are many intrically woven story lines and moving scenes in this movie. But two stand out for me. At critical moments in the story Abileen, the substitute Momma, in spite of the racial abuse she is subjected to on a daily basis, takes the little white girl she is currently raising and tenderly, convincingly says to the child, 'You is kind, you is good, you is important'. Words she would have never heard from her birth mom. It's such beautiful parenting scene that it makes you wish you had said such words to your own children with the same kind of intensity and love. In stark contrast to this scene, you have Hilly Holbrook refusing to provide $75 loan to her maid which would have enabled her to send her two kids to college. The cold reason for the refusal is because 'the Bible says' that those who are able and can work should provide for themselves. It's a twisted and sad interprtation of Scripture. The maid was not asking for a freebee only a loan. This is what makes this movie so powerful. In the midst of tangible racial abuse, unmasked prejudice and patronizing attitudes you have a concurrent stream of mercy, kindness, decency, humanity, humour, joy and ultimately forgiveness. That stream flows from 'the Help'.
Another amazing aspect of this movie is how it captures the mood and the spirit of the period. Yes the racism and prejudice meet you at every corner but the film also magnificently captures a way of life. You can almost smell that southern country fried chicken. And how about Minnie's fabulous chocolate pie, especially the one with the secret ingredient. That alone is worth the price of admission.
As you take in such a movie from a different time period and a different culture, you see how veneer Christianity can cause such damage. As a result, you can't help but ask yourself, are we also blind? Is this movie still running in our community in one form or another? Am I in it?
The Gospel shines through this movie. It may not be labelled as a Christian movie but it truly is. Take the whole family to this one. But bring the hankies. It's that kind of a movie. The kind that might make me go to the movies more often.
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