The Helped

Last night I went to see the much buzzed about movie, The Help with great reluctance. The film is based on the best-selling book by Kathryn Stockett, which was a literary phenomenon when it was published in 2009. It tells the story of a young white woman, Skeeter, who sets out to document the stories of black maids working in white homes in Jackson, Tennessee. The purpose is to expose the hypocrisy of how atrociously they’re treated.

Sure enough, within the first five minutes, every fear I had about the film was confirmed in the opening scenes. And throughout, every stereotype about black people was put on view - from fried-chicken eating, fat mammies to physically abusive husbands and impoverished wives with multiple children.

There were, however, some redeeming features. The relationship between the boisterous maid, Minny and Celia, the ‘white trash’ outcast, was endearing if not an obvious narrative device designed to once again reinforce the mammy stereotype and the bond between two undesirables who find their strength in their friendship based on exile. There was also the relationship between Skeeter and her mother and Aibileen and the child she was employed to look after, a parallel that tied the threads of a multi-layered story. The Help was helped by its excellent ensemble cast, which included stellar cameos from Sissy Spacek and the almost unrecognisable Cicely Tyson. Which leads me to another point…

The film should really have been called The Helped. That would have been a more appropriate title since it wasn’t so much about The Help as those they Helped, those who were the perpetrators rather than those who were perpetrated against. How much did we really learn about Aibileen, Minny and Yule-May in comparison to what we knew and were made to feel about Skeeter, Hilly and Celia? What we learnt is that stereotypes persist in the movies and to present anything different would be a challenge too far, taking the audience out of its established narrative comfort zone. Was it a surprise that, at the end of the screening, the audience broke in to spontaneous applause? Why? Because they got what they came to see. They left redeemed and restored, with their consciences intact knowing that they were good guys, really, despite it all. They will overcome someday and, thanks to the movie, they have.

This new, proposed title also adequately covers those that the film was aimed at – white women. The Help is essentially a chick flick. I’m still unclear about what the merit and purpose of the film ultimately is? Can anyone offer any Help?