“The Help” gives new twist to a classic American issue
Set in Mississippi during the 1960s, “The Help” stars Emma Stone as Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan, a southern society girl who returned from college to become a writer. When she gets offered a writing job in her home town Jackson, she uncovers stories within the black community that leave her life-long friendships hanging in the balance of what society considers wrong and right.
Skeeter begins to find answers when she befriends her best friend’s housekeeper, Aibileen Clark, played by Viola Davis. Clark was the first to open up despite advice given to her by friends in the black community. While the intensity of the movie heightens, more women begin to speak up and tell their stories.
From their unlikely alliance, a remarkable sisterhood emerges, instilling in all of them the courage to transcend the boundaries that society defined their lives by, and the realization that sometimes those boundaries are made to be crossed.
Bring a box of tissues, as “The Help” will not only get your blood pumping with the classic issue of race in America, but draw tear after tear with the emotional ties brought about through its characters. Although there is plenty of pain displayed, the healing process is one worth experiencing.