Title: The Help
Writer: Tate Taylor and Kathryn Stockett
Director: Tate Taylor
Year: 2011
Actors: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, and Octavia Spencer
Story: The Help is a 2011 film about African American maids and their view points about the white families they wok for and the struggles the African American women went through on a daily basis.
Plot: The story begins with Skeeter (Emma Stone) returning home from college. Skeeter is a white southern girl and she is considered to be of the higher society. Skeeter decides to write about the lives of the African American maids who took care of the children, household duties, and cooking in the white family homes.
Aibileen (Viola Davis) and Minny (Octavia Spencer) are hesitant to help Skeeter with writing her story. Aibileen and Minny fear that if they are even seen talking to Skeeter they may loose their jobs and never be able to find work again. So, the thought of sharing their stories about how they were and are being treated and what they have seen and heard in the white family households will do them far more harm than good.
As the story proceeds, Aibileen and Minny agree to help Skeeter with her story. Skeeter comes to the home of Aibileen, were Minny and other maids gather to share their stories and experiences. Skeeter upsets many of the elite socials with her eagerness to publish the story. The maids try effortlessly to remain anonymous of their involvement with the story. Skeeter publishes the book of the maids thoughts and experiences and sends the little Mississippi town in a comical uproar.
Chronology: The film was told in chronological order. The chronological presentation of the film allows viewers to understand the story and sympathize with the African American maids stories and experiences. This presentation allowed the viewer to have a deeper understanding of the maids hesitation to help Skeeter with her story.
The chronological story telling helped to empathize the hardships suffered by the African Americans by some of the white families. It has also detailed the fear the maids had over the possible thoughts of being without employment and not being able to support themselves and their families.
If the film would have been told on mom-linearly presentation style, it would have depicted more feeling of the African American maids’ experiences, Even though the maids told stories to actually have visual images, or scenes from those moments in time would have added more to the story line.
Resources
Barnathan, M., Columbus, C., Green, B., Lunsford, S. (Producers), & Taylor, T. (Director). (2011). The Help [Motion picture]. USA:Studio.
Clevver Movies. (2011, August 4). The Help Moview Clip “Minnie Agrees to be Interviewed” Official (HD). Retrieved from http://youtube.com/watch?v=SXisiUcnsQk
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