See: 'The Help'

From bestselling book to fabulously feelgood film

by Adrienne Wyper

As I said in my last film review ('We Need to Talk about Kevin'), going to see a film adaptation of a book you've read can provoke some anxiety.

Phew! This film, directed by Tate Taylor (who also wrote the screenplay) is faithful to the book, by Kathryn Stockett. Indeed, when I read the book last year, I could visualise it on screen.

Set in 1960s Mississippi, 'The Help' is the story of how an aspiring author (Eugenia 'Skeeter' Phelan, played by Emma Stone) publishes a book (anonymously, for the safety of all concerned) about how black maids - 'the help' of the title - are treated.

Standard advice given to would-be writers is to write about what you know, and Skeeter, having been partly brought up by her family's black maid, does just that, against a backdrop of racism in the deep South.

There are some great characters, brought to life by excellent casting, with some touching moments, such as Aibileen (Viola Davis) telling the baby girl she looks after: 'you is kind, you is smart, you is important' every day, to counteract the negative messages she gets from her mother. And there are hilarious moments, like Minny (Octavia Spencer) revealing exactly what the 'terrible awful' is...

Some reviewers have criticised the film for glossing over the major events of the time, and portraying black people in a stereotypical way, but, for me, not every film needs to be a documentary. I went to the preview of this fabulously feelgood film with my colleague Carol, and we both loved it.

Want to read the book? Buy it for £7.99 from the Allaboutyou online bookshop.

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About The Authors

Carla  Griscti

Carla Griscti

Editorial assistant on allaboutyou; Music lover, travel bee and food fanatic.

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Emma Marsden

Emma Marsden

Food consultant of All About You, loves creating something out of nothing and decluttering.

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Bernadette  Fallon

Bernadette Fallon

Editor of All About You; an online journalist with a fetish for glossy magazines.

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Adrienne  Wyper

Adrienne Wyper

Deputy editor of All About You. I love cycling, cooking and creating

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Carol  Muskoron

Carol Muskoron

Associate editor of All About You, loves life (mostly) and one-pan recipes (always).

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