If you haven’t seen the movie based on the best-selling book by Kathryn Stockett, hurry to your local theatre before it’s gone from the big screen. It’s a movie you don’t want to miss, for many reasons.

The Help draws you in from the first scene.

This was hands-down one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time. I went with my daughter and my son’s girlfriend and we absolutely loved it. The storyline drew us in and didn’t let go. Emma Stone (Skeeter), Viola Davis (Aibileen), Octavia Spencer (Minny), Bryce Dallas Howard (Hilly) and Jessica Chastain (Celia) did an amazing job.

Kathryn Stockett’s story embodies the power of perseverance.

In an earlier post, I mentioned that it was Kathryn Stockett’s dogged determination that turned her dream not only into a published book, but into a best-selling book. Now The Help has gone on to become a major motion picture. Oh, what we would have missed if Ms. Stockett had given up after the first batch of rejections, or the second, or even, rejection number 60.

The Help sparks great discussions.

The movie’s tagline says, “Change begins with a whisper.” Certainly, the movie’s characters changed, but it sparked change in our minds, too. Afterwards, we discussed things like:

  • How would we have responded if we’d been raised in that time period?
  • Do we have the courage to stand up for what’s right—even when the cost is high?
  • Are we paying attention, to make sure we don’t miss our cue to speak up?
  • How has the world changed—for the better and for the worse—since those days?
  • How has technology impacted our world?

The Help encourages writing that matters.

There were some uncomfortable scenes in the movie. The stereotypes and attitudes of the characters made me squirm—and often made me angry. It would have been easier to water down those scenes to make them more palatable, but Ms. Stockett didn’t. And the screenwriters didn’t either. That takes courage.

When I sit down at my keyboard to work on my story-in-progress, I will be thinking about The Help. About determination. And about having the courage to speak up for what’s right.

Have you seen The Help? What did you think of it?