The movie is delightful and I recommend it with a couple of caveats –
Take a box of tissue, especially if you have ANY relatives who are black, came from Mississippi, or turned their lives around. Read a Bible or any other very inspirational piece of literature afterward – otherwise, you might do time!
I actively avoid depressing movies and TV shows because they sometimes overwhelm me – the first time I saw “Hair” I got so upset my uncle had to remind me that it was just a movie. “Precious” left me drained as I surveyed the theatre to see people shaking their heads, sobbing, or rocking back and forth in unison. I spent time while the credits rolled consoling strangers who sat near me. “The Help’ is such a movie, so don’t say I didn’t warn you.
It’s amazing how long ago that period was – Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King, Jr., the Kennedy Assassination, and a book of rules on how to interact with people who don’t look like you. A lot has changed and yet we still have so far to go. After learning the frightening statistics regarding race and wealth building you can see that our gains are slowly being wiped out – the middle class, especially the black middle class being winnowed out. If things continue to deteriorate, we’ll all be right back on the bottom.
The movie revolves around a progressive woman from a socially acceptable family who wants to be recognized as a writer, even though her friends and family want her to concentrate on something worthwhile – getting a husband.
The woman decides to interview a black maid and submit her experiences for a book. The fear is palpable – living in the oppressive state of Mississippi, a state famous for its disregard of the Negro race. Her job isn’t a hobby or a past time – she needs the money to eat! The thought of betraying the confidences she is privy to frighten her and the audience to death.
You thought you had a hard job, but imagine being a maid in Mississippi in the 60’s. You can’t look your boss in the face – can’t touch him or her. You’re intimately involved in every aspect of their personal lives – cooking, cleaning, raising their snot nosed brats and you can’t even use the bathroom, or eat off a plate. You’re constantly being accused of stealing, lying, and/or being lazy. People talk to you like you’re their child and you’re older than they are in most instances. You can’t go to school because you have to earn a living to make ends meet, and you go home to a house that’s basically a shotgun shack.
The turning point comes when one of the maids tries to send her children to college. It’s sad, demoralizing and debilitating, but it encourages the other maids to tell their stories. There isn’t a dry eye in the house and I scratched my face wiping off the cascade of tears that flowed from my eyes. There are some very funny moments to be sure, but they don’t come without a price. I suggest attending with a group of friends so that you can decompress after the movie is over. I’m glad I went with the Deltas – and I do encourage you to find a group and attend this weekend.
Copyright 2011 Patrice Brazil
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