Review: The Help

To be honest, I was uniquely intrigued when I saw The Help nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, along with other categories such as Best Actress for Viola Davis and Best Supporting Actress for Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer. Out of the four, Spencer came out with the win. From what I picked up from the snippets shown during the airing of the Awards, it revolved around a familiar situation of uber-racist proportions.

Of course, this isn't the first drama I've encountered that tackled something as monumental as white against colored people ,or at least the mistreatment of the latter. Rather, it's not the first movie I appreciated so much when it comes to building a bridge between two races. Two others that come to mind are Hairspray, the musical-turned-movie about breaking status quo, and Something the Lord Made, a medical drama TV movie based on true events revolving around the collaboration of two doctors - one white and one colored (who starts off as a carpenter). These two contrast in many ways but come together where it matters most.

Hairspray, being a musical, underscored its plot through song and dialogue. It remains light but has a lot more to say beyond a show featuring the "nicest kids in town". Behind the scenes there's the issue of racism and close-mindedness with typical high class white women who will do anything to keep things where they are.

Something the Lord Made, on the other hand, is a true tale of the complex partnership of black cardiac pioneer Vivien Thomas (Mos Def) and white surgeon Alfred Blalock (Alan Rickman), who work together to solve the Blue Baby Syndrome. Their story revolves around the prevalent racism of segregation where most - well, all - black employees are no more than class 3 employees.

Ultimately, The Help once again brings the issue of black or white to the big screen, with a flavor of focusing on issues revolving around colored help and raising white children. The movie dons powerful insight into slipping through the cracks show and tell the perspective and overall state of the maids during this oppression. It evokes the freedom and courage to speak the truth behind an anonymity in the midst of racist white housewives whose only concern is to mind theirown kind, complain about sharing bathrooms and bridge tournaments.

This story emotionally moved me to understand where these maids were coming from and the bond that formed between these people and the people they worked for, if it ever was something to be cherished. I guess the best thing I can take away from this wonderful move are the words Aibileen Clark (Viola Davis) imparts to Mae Mobley, the toddler she takes care of:

You is kind. You is smart. You is important.