If any film has the potential to win an Oscar or two this year, it's "The Help". Emma Stone plays Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, a recent college-grad who has returned to her home in Jackson, Mississippi to become a writer. After some personal experiences, Skeeter decides to write a book about African-American maids working in white homes, giving them a voice and an opportunity to share their own experiences. She first enlists Aibileen Clark (Viola Davis) to share her stories with her. As the setting is the early 1960's, many of the maids are afraid to talk, for fear that they might be killed like many other African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. However, after receiving too much abuse from white employers, the maids agree to share their tales. The film is beautifully done, with several outstanding performances from Allison Jane, Bryce Dallas Howard, and especially newcomer Jessica Chastain, who I imagine will become a more familiar face in the near-future. However, the true standout performances come from Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer, and above all, Viola Davis, who played her role as a maid who has suffered much in her life. Look for the three names last mentioned when awards season comes around in January. See this movie now, before it receives an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. 8 out of 10 stars.
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