Racism isn’t born, folks, it’s taught. I have a two-year-old son. You know what he hates? Naps! End of list.” — Denis Leary

In 1960s Jackson, Miss., aspiring writer Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan (Emma Stone) crosses taboo racial lines by conversing with Aibileen Clark (Viola Davis) about her life as a housekeeper, and their ensuing friendship upsets the fragile dynamic between the haves and the have-nots. When other long-silent black servants begin opening up to Eugenia, the disapproving conservative Southern town soon gets swept up in the turbulence of changing times.

I have not liked a movie like this in a long time. I have mentioned in the past in different blog posts I do not care for movies over two hours. I didn’t mind it here as the characters and their stories were terrific. I didn’t want the movie to end. Some stories made me laugh while others made me cry. You do need tissues for this.

I immediately like the Skeeter character as she started to write her book and reflects on the past. She wants to honor Constantine, the maid who helped raise her. We see early in flashback how Constantine encouraged a young teenage Skeeter as she was not asked to a dance and felt bad. Constantine had the following advice to give….

“I wish you would quit feeling sorry for yourself. Now, that’s ugly. Ugly is something that grows up inside you. It’s mean and hurtful, like them boys. Now you’re not one of them, is you?”

Constantine follows up with “Every day…. Every day you’re not dead in the ground, when you wake up in the morning, you gonna have to make some decisions. Got to ask yourself, am I gone believe all them bad things them fools say about me today? You hear me? Am I going to believe all of them bad things them fools say about me today? All right.”

I’ve always believed you should treat people the way you want to be treated and what goes around comes around. I’ve also believed not everyone in the world is bad. Unfortunately there is always that one person that doesn’t want to evolve. We see this with the character Hilly Holbrook (Bryce Dallas Howard). Hilly forces her beliefs on others and not everyone has the courage to stand up to her. She has influence and wants to keep the status quo. I guess every story needs a good villain and Hilly delivers.

The only part of this movie I did not care for what the Hilly Holbrook and pie situation. It was an attempt at humor which I didn’t think worked. I would have rated this movie a good 4.5 stars if it wasn’t for that scene. I have to just give this movie 4.2 stars.

When I watch a movie I like to think. This movie had plenty of thought provoking moments.

Click here for the Netflix link in case you would like to add it to your queue.

All the best,

Alan
Alan Zibluk
The Internet Guy
http://www.alantheinternetguy.com
e-mail: alan@alantheinternetguy.com

The Original Internet Guy Website (2004)
http://www.internetguy.ws

Who is Alan Zibluk — http://www.alanzibluk.com