The Help

      "You is kind, you is smart, you is important"  That is my favorite part of The Help (2011). I loved how Aibileen talks about taking care of her first baby and how much she loved him.  It was then that she learned that she could have a positive influence on a child.  She loved each one of those babies she raised.  Sometimes more than their own mothers loved them.  And she made it a point to tell each child how kind, smart and important they are.
    
      The Help is an interesting view of life in Mississippi in the 1960's.  Emma Stone (Easy A, Zombieland, Superbad) plays Skeeter.  Skeeter is a very ambitious young girl, fresh from college.  She wants to be an author and was told to write about something that bothers her but doesn't seem to bother any one else around her.  That is when she decides to start interviewing maids, or "the help", about their lives.  This movie has become so hugely popular that I really don't need to let you know all of that.  It was nominated, and won, many awards.  Justly so, I understand why it has made such a huge impact.

      Movies, such as The Help, that deal with racial issues are a fascinating study of human behavior.  I find relationships so interesting, the way we as human beings will treat others, for good or bad.  Be it a mother/daughter relationship, a relationship with neighbors or a boss to an employee.  This movie covers all of these relationships.  I was really disturbed by the way Hilly and her "followers" treated Celia Foote. I know the movie was making a statement about the treatment of the help and I don't want to make light of that at all. It was awful and wrong. However, someone that is belittling to anyone, will be belittling to everyone no matter race.  Celia's story really stuck with me. It broke my heart to watch her story unfold. All she needed was someone to tell her, "you is kind, you is smart, you is important".  Each of us as human beings, no matter our race, gender, social standing, etc. should have someone in our lives to remind us of how special we are for just being us.

      Everyone talks about the end.  The ending is very powerful and not what one might call happy. The movie in general isn't really a feel good, happy movie.  It has some very funny moments and some wonderful characters who are very lovable. That isn't really the point though.  The point is to make us stop and think and maybe take a self evaluation about the way we treat our fellow man.