If you follow the New York Times best-sellers list, then you’re well-aware of The Help , but did you know that it’s been made into a movie with none other than it-girl of the moment, on the verge of becoming America’s next sweetheart, Emma Stone (Easy A)?
With a little help from Viola Davis (Doubt), Bryce Dallas Howard (Terminator Salvation), Jessica Chastain (The Tree of Life), Octavia Spencer (Dinner for Schmucks), Allison Janney (Mr. Sunshine), and Mary Steenburgen (The Proposal), the adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s novel takes “a look at what happens when a southern town’s unspoken code of rules and behavior is shattered by three courageous women who strike up an unlikely friendship,” according to IMDB.
Actor Tate Taylor (Winter’s Bone) takes on writing and directorial duties for The Help and is sure to help skyrocket Stone into a household name with A-list status, if she isn’t already, especially after coming off a well-deserved Golden Globe nomination this year.
What’s at the core of this movie is dramedy: the reality of prejudice in Mississippi during a pre-Civil Rights early 1960s, as well as the caring relationships that exist between the abused caregivers who maintain the homes and lives of the white families and their impressionable coming-of-age children. This movie seems to have all the right elements to make it a surefire hit, but I anticipate seeing lots of fireworks in the dynamic between the determined Stone as protagonist Skeeter, maternal Davis as Aibileen, and the very underestimated Spencer as Minny.
Also, it’s about time that we see Howard, daughter to Oscar-winning director Ron Howard, step forward into a mainstream film, beyond being known as the blonde in Spiderman 3 or the model in those colorful Kate Spade ads. In addition, with all the Cannes buzz behind Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life, Chastain is a surprising and seemingly pleasant addition to the Southern mix of women as Celia Foote, who, along with Howard’s character Hilly, could probably benefit from an uncomfortable lesson in humility.
Set for an August 12th release this summer, you can catch Stone also in Crazy, Stupid, Love. (see our article here) on July 29th and in a supporting role in Friends with Benefits opening July 22nd (see our other article here). Check out the trailer and featurette below and let us know if you’ve read the book. What are your expectations for this big screen adaptation?
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