The Help: The Other Side of the Story
Even though this film is based upon events that happened in history, The Help teaches a valuable lesson about how the African American society was affected by the White community’s actions. The lesson this film teaches is that we should not be naïve about a situation; instead, learn more about the unknown before making assumptions.
The Help is about a young author Skeeter Phelan (Emma Stone) during the civil rights movement who decides to write about African American maids and their viewpoint of what it’s like to work for white families. Skeeter interviews maids and asks them about the hardships they go through while working. The problem is that Skeeter is the only white person who is willing to know more about the viewpoint of the Color. Two of her friends Hilly (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Elizabeth (Ahna O’Reilly) are especially among those who do not want anything to do with gaining more knowledge about the situation as they have their mind set on the fact that African Americans carry different diseases and should remain segregated.
A scene that depicts this is the bathroom segregation scene. Elizabeth invited ladies over to her house for an organization, and Hilly begins to fidget in her seat hinting to the fact that she needs to use the restroom but refuses. As she is doing so, the camera goes to Elizabeth showing her noticing Hilly’s actions. The camera stays on the two of them showing that the conversation should just be between them as Elizabeth makes a quiet remark of wishing that Hilly would go use the bathroom. Suddenly an unknown voice interjects, and Elizabeth whips her head around in surprise not realizing others were listening. The camera switches to Hilly’s mother as she continues to say that Hilly won’t use the restroom because she thinks that Elizabeth’s maid Aibileen (Viola Davis) uses it as well. The camera quickly switches to Aibileen showing her expression sadden. The camera goes back to switching between showing just Hilly and Elizabeth since the conversation should have remained to just the two of them, but then shows Aibileen checking on Elizabeth’s daughter; it is also evident that the conversation is loud enough to be heard from where Aibileen has moved too, and she is still listening in. All of a sudden the camera shows Skeeter looking up hinting at the fact that she is able to see Aibileen in the hallway listening in, and she quickly interjects and changes the subject; without responding to Skeeters interjection, Hilly continues on with the conversation that has been interrupted, but this time she starts to include Skeeter and the other friend Jolene (Anna Camp). The camera is now at an angle where it shows Aibileen behind a corner where Skeeter can no longer see her, but it also shows the four friends at a distance still gossiping.
This film obviously fits a time in American history: the civil rights movement. The Help is set back in the 1960s when African Americans did not have as many rights as they do today. This film talks about the African American women only having the right to have a job of being a maid, having segregated schools, buses, bathrooms and neighborhoods, and many other rights that were withheld from them. It helps today’s society better understand what these people had to go through in order to get to where they are today.
Another scene that depicts the hardships of being a colored maid was when Hilly’s maid Minnie (Octavia Spencer) gets fired. Minnie, Hilly, and Hilly’s mother were all in the house, and the power is out due to a thunderstorm. Minnie is fanning Hilly’s mother as there is no air conditioning, and Hilly is lighting candles. The camera goes to Minnie awkwardly walking over to the window and peering outside at the rain pouring down. She begins to get Hilly’s attention to ask her a question, and the camera goes to Hilly slumped in her chair fanning herself not paying much attention. Minnie quickly dismisses the question as she already knows the answer Hilly will give. The camera brings Hilly’s mother into the conversation allowing the viewer to know what Minnie was meaning to ask. Hilly’s mother gives Minnie permission to use the bathroom inside so she does not have to go outside in the thunderstorm, but Hilly quickly responds telling Minnie that she would need to go outside and bring an umbrella if she needed to use the restroom. Knowing that Hilly was not going to change her mind, Minnie changed the subject and told Hilly’s mother she would go fetch her tea, and she walks off. However, instead of the camera being on Minnie during this line, it was on Hilly; it was trying to prove the point that Minnie was not actually going to get her tea. Instead, Minnie walks off to the bathroom, and Hilly gets up and follows her. The camera goes back and forth between Minnie raising the toilet seat and about to sit down and Hilly putting her ear up to the bathroom door. Hilly asks if she is in there, and when Minnie replies, she asks what she is doing in there. The camera goes back to Minnie to show her standing back up without going to the bathroom, and her only response was flushing the toilet and slamming the seat. The camera goes back to Hilly to show the surprise and disgust on her face. As she begins to yell that Minnie is fired, the camera goes back to Minnie to show that Minnie, in that moment, does not care about her consequences.
The Help is not only a very entertaining movie full of funny, moving, and sad moments; it also teaches us the lesson that many Americans have learned throughout history, and it can be applied to many other situations. A person cannot assume the abilities and history of another based on their appearance. Instead, that person needs to learn more about what they are uneducated about. People are so quick to make assumptions, and this film shows the consequences of what happens when people make assumptions of others. It is a great learning experience for all ages, and it has a different approach to the problems that happened during the civil rights movement. Even though it can be harsh at some moments, which would be historically correct, it definitely has some lighthearted moments that ease the mood of the film. The Help is a great representation of what it was like to live in the 1960s for both black and white people.
