By REBECCA LENZINI
Writer, SNSPost
Founder, SeriousMovieLover.com

THE HELP (2011/DVD) If you missed one of this summer’s biggest hits when it was in theaters, now is a great time to rent the movie and get that popcorn going. Or better yet, enjoy a chocolate pie! We at SeriousMovieLover, for some reason, never got around to reviewing this terrific ensemble picture. Perhaps we were nervous–as you may recall, when “The Help” first appeared, it was beset by a barrage of negative press, primarily from those in the black community who resented both the book and the movie for being a “simplified white version” of the painful daily racism endured by black help in the South during the 60s. Mind you, the fault was not being found with the film, but rather with the story-line. Nonetheless, viewers rewarded the movie at the box office with an opening weekend of $26 million (the film cost $25 million) which just kept growing, taking the top spot for weeks on end— to a total of almost $170 million right now (just in the U.S.) with the DVD only now appearing. Obviously the film works and it is both serious and amusing at the same time, all the while dealing with a truly sad topic with a decidedly light touch. Already a bestseller when filming began, the author Kathryn Stockett chose her friend Tate Taylor to direct, even though he had directed only one other feature film. Taylor rewarded her faith by creating a well-shot movie which features plenty of “good to great” performances, among the best from Viola Davis as Aibileen and her sidekick Octavia Spencer as Minny. Jessica Chastain turned in another amazing performance as Celia Foote, the “poor white trash” wife who married well, while Bryce Dallas Howard is perfect as the villain of the piece, socialite Hilly Holbrook. Emma Stone is solid but nothing special as the budding liberal writer of the piece, Skeeter Phelan. Alison Janney is wonderful as her mother, while Sissy Spacek is equally great as Hilly’s mom. And watch for a short spot for none other than Cicely Tyson–wow! Altogether, well worth an evening of your time….be sure to check it out.

Grade: B+