The Help (*** out of ****)

The Help is a safe film. It doesn't dive deep into racial qualms but still addresses them to some degree. It's a feel good movie in the end. I'm not the biggest fan of these types of movies but I can recognize when one is well done. The Help is well acted and contains a story some will be drawn into. However it's not something that should be praised as groundbreaking. Just another decent feel good movie.

Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelam (Emma Stone) returns to her town after going away to study journalism. She lands a job but needs a little help with her article. It's the 1960's and the civil rights movement is still struggling to move forward. Aibileen (a great Viola Davis) is a black maid working in a white household. She's been through several and raises the children more than the actual parents ever will. Eugenia seeks Aibileen's advice on her column but soon decides to do something else. She wants to write a book about the maids who work in these households. It's Aibileen's story and book but just penned by Eugenia. Of course in the community this sort of thing will be frowned upon so they keep it a secret. It's a nice story but a tiresome after a long two and half hour running time. However the lead performances and fine supporting ones by the likes of Bryce Dallas Howard, Jessica Chastain, Octavia Spencer and Sissy Spacek make the film worth seeing.

*** out of ****