[Freeda]

We saw The Help last night, and the story and acting are superb, and certainly Academy Awards should be won. I at times found it hard to watch just because of the sad commentary on how African-American people were sometimes treated even as recently as the 60s. And as I watched the movie, tears came at times, because it brought back memories about, and gratitude for, Theresa, who came into my family's life years ago.

Because of working, I had fulltime help as my children grew up, and my last fulltime, and later parttime, nanny/housekeeper, for about 17 years, was Theresa, an African-American woman who started with me when my youngest child was age one, and who is still like family to us today. She and I called ourselves 'sisters' because that's how we both felt; and I never had a sister (just two brothers). When both of my parents died before I was forty, Theresa was a rock to me. When her sister died, I sat next to her, with her head on my shoulder, for the funeral. We jokingly tell people that we are each other's 'sister from a different mister'.

One of the most embarrassing moments -correction, THE most embarrassing moment - in my life, and one that our family, including Theresa, still laugh about among ourselves, happened just days after she had started working for us, in 1986, when Theresa came to my office to take my daughters, ages 1 and 3, with her to our house. My, shall we say spunky, 3-year-old daughter had a mind of her own, and she decided that she wanted to stay with me at the office. When both Theresa and I failed in trying to talk her out of this idea, and I had a meeting to get to, Theresa finally just picked my daughter up to take her home. Kicking and screaming, and with her fingers dug into Theresa's arms, my furious, defeated, red-faced 3-year-old yelled out, to my horror, "I don't like brown people!" Well, I could have just died from shock and embarrassment. Our family was not at all prejudiced, and I had no idea where those words had come from! I was just hoping Theresa wouldn't quit! Theresa patiently just carried her on out to the car (she later told me it was all she could do not to burst out laughing), and suffice it to say that now at age 29 my daughter still thinks of Theresa as her second mom.

Even though Theresa doesn't work for us anymore, after we moved away from Kentucky to TV a few years ago, we are still family, and always will be.

[Carla B]

Yes, it was different. I grew up the mountain west, and moved to South Tx toward the end of that era. It was the first time I ever saw segregation....in the form of separate drinking fountains, restrooms, drugstore counters labeled "colored", and the "back of the bus." Thinking back on it, those images are like a shadowy black and white movie.

[Boudicca]

We Buttonwood Gals, really enjoyed the movie, as well as thought provoking dinner conversation afterwards over supper.
The movie faithfully followed the book, and the few omissions (from the book) made no difference to the movie plot.
While all the actors/actresses were very good, Cicely Tyson's as the fired life long nanny to the main character was heartbreaking. Without a word being spoken, Cicely's character looked through the closed door as she was fired. The closed door, literally and figuratively said it all. Tears ran down my face due to the range of emotion on Cicely's . While she hardly gets a mention, IMHO, she stole the movie in that one scene.

[texasfal]

I bought tickets to the 1:55 Saturday show. When we showed up at 1:15 the line was out the theatre, down the sidewalk and past the restrooms. I went to the ticket lady and she told me the only seats left (even though I had tickets) were on the front row. She said I should just get rain checks because the movie will be here for another 2 months. So that's what we did.

[brostholder]

The Help just accomplished a very unusual feat. Very seldom does a movie that does not open as #1 at the box office ever reach that position, but that's just what has happened. Great book and great movie!!

[lawatha]

I read the book after my daughter recommended it, and then my Mom read it after me. I couldn't put it down once I picked it up. As a middle class west coast California girl growing up in the late 50's, early 60's, we never had "Help", "colored" or otherwise. I thought the book was fascinating, and can't wait to see the movie.

[jebartle]

in a LONG LONG time!.....As I was leaving theatre, I told the mile of movie goers to get their Kleenex out!....Happy, Sad, Funny, every emotion known to mankind.....You will love it!

[Barefoot]

We enjoyed seeing The Help tonight. At times it was funny, but it was mostly very painful to see the way women treated "The Help". Being from Canada, it was an eye opener for me. I'm so happy things have changed. It's a mativating movie with a strong message.

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by LELANDJANE

Saw the movie yesterday and really liked it. I read the book right after it came out, but it seemed like except for a few things, the movie followed the book pretty closely. I missed the part about Skeeter's boyfriend's "uppity" family dinner.

I loved the book as well........and am actually up to the part where Skeeter's boyfriend's "uppity" family dinner is taking place. Reading it on the Kindle.

It's a really good book. In the beginning, I thought, "Oh my gosh...I have to read it in this southern maid's speech pattern......." but then got right into it and chuckled all along.......feeling her every word. One in a million book.

I can relate to a lot of the book as far as the "silent" division between the races in New Jersey in the 1960's.....which then came to a head with the notorious riots as we were returning from our honeymoon in 1965. When traveling in the "south" was the first time we saw the white and black restrooms, white and black water fountains, etc. Obviously, never lived in Mississippi and never had any "help".

My family was not racist but my husband's was and thus, I did not invite to our wedding a nice gal who worked with me in the secretarial pool.....although she was lovely, a college educated gal from North Carolina........it was just "NOT DONE". Actually, I had a nice little black girlfriend in 1st grade......and my mom had friends at work as well. She was not prejudiced.

I can so relate to this book............although we never had a maid but just the general atmosphere of the times.........

Also, all of our mannikins in the "downtown" or "uptown" department stores were all white..........after the riots, they became black. I had never seen an "Ebony" magazine until sitting in my eye doctor's office and was surprised to see all the black folks depicted in the ads. We truly grew up in an all white world. Times have changed......this is just a memory from the past.

I realize the south was totally different than growing up in New Jersey.

GREAT BOOK. Can't wait to see the movie.

[texasfal]

Have the lines gone down for this movie? I went to see it two weeks ago and the line was out the theatre and wrapped around the bldg.

[Carla B]

Yesterday we got there at 4:15 for the 4:40 show. There was no line at the ticket booth but most of the tickets had been sold and we had to sit in the 3rd row. No problem for my husband, as he likes sitting up close. Anyway, the movie was awesome.

[annmarie]

We listened to the CD in the car on the way to Florida this year, it was a great story. It is a funny and sad story, We loved it. Sure made our trip seem shorter. Saw the movie when we got here and it is somewhat different. I think I was so taken with the voices that narrated it that I had to adjust to the actors in the movie. We found the movie very moving as well.

[ilovetv]

How many readers here had a "maid", of any color, growing up?

I don't know of anyone we knew in the Midwest having one.

I know this is a good movie and one I'm definitely going to see. However, I have read opinion pieces from other states that cite the movie as more reason to be repentant of "white guilt".

What do you think if you've seen it?

[ssmith]

My daughter went on 2 mission trips, in a state that is in the deep south, a very poor area and she was just shocked how people lived and were treated. She also been to the Dominican Republic and really some lived here in the south in just as bad a conditions as the DR, many without any way out. I think the segregation that exists today is not as common and not as much the norm but it is still there.

BTW, the movie was great!!!!

[CaliforniaGirl]

Originally Posted by ilovetv

How many readers here had a "maid", of any color, growing up?

I don't know of anyone we knew in the Midwest having one.

I know this is a good movie and one I'm definitely going to see. However, I have read opinion pieces from other states that cite the movie as more reason to be repentant of "white guilt".

What do you think if you've seen it?

We had a maid when I was a child, and yes, she was black. That being said, my mother did not have a predjudiced bone in her body, luckily. Our maid used our bathrooms and ate with us and was a trusted friend.

We used to get our Christmas trees every year at the Atlanta Farmers Market. I remember as a small child asking my mother why they had a "colored" cafeteria and a "white" cafeteria, and my mother replied that it was because there were too many ignorant people in the world.

I have to admit that some parts of this movie made me squirm with embarassment at even being a part of that generation. In some small defense of the South, I must say that I witnessed more bigotry in California (where I moved after college) than I ever did growing up in the South.