The Help - Movie Review

Okay, for all of you who have been feeling left out and not able to relate to my posts because you had no idea what I was talking about or you aren't big on reading, then this post is the one you've been waiting for. "The Help" was made into a major motion picture starring Emma Stone, Viola Davis, and Octavia Spencer. So hopefully some of you will have seen it and can leave your feelings about it in the comments section :) Here's a link to the trailer in case you want a little preview of it: "The Help" trailer

My thoughts are as follows:

• I noticed quite a few differences between the book and the movie, but the overall story was definitely told.
• It seems like the movie was "niced up" to make it a little more PC for audiences (I wish it would have been more true to the book in this instance).
• Skeeter's hair was almost always perfect ringlets, not the frizzy mess that was talked about so frequently . . .maybe I'm putting too much stock in the main character's hair?? I had issues with the main girl's hair in "A Tale of Two Cities" too.
• Skeeter's mom was much more supportive of her in the movie than in the book. In the video she figures out that Skeeter is the author of the book and stands up to Hilly about it. It was nice to see, but frankly, it didn't happen, so it felt a little fake. 
• A big shocker that I thought was a really sad choice, but in the movie, Stewart never proposes. As much as I was disappointed by what Stewart does, I still wanted to see it. 
• One thing I think the movie got exactly right was the characters of Minny and Abilieen . . .they were just like I had pictured them :) 
• Celia's eccentricities were played down quite a bit (especially the risque nature of her ball gown, although that might just be my being calloused by the fashions en vogue today). There was also no mention of the "holding tonic" that she drank and at the end of the movie, she is a phenomenal cook. What? I liked that the family still needed Minny to cook for them, oh well. 
• Celia's miscarriage was also downplayed, which I guess is a little more understandable as that could be a really touchy and disturbing scene for many people. The mean Doctor was not called, and Celia was able to bury her babies in the backyard, which gave a nicer sense of closure than the raw nature of the book. 
• Henry (the colored man who worked at the restaurant and talked to Aibileen on the bus) was not in the book at all. There was a man on the bus, but he wasn't named. Henry was actually my husband's favorite character in the movie, and I have to agree that he was a very nice addition . . .I liked him too.
• Another character that stood out more in the movie and was much more memorable on screen than in the book was Hilly's mom . . .she was really funny :) 
• Stewart's parents were completely left out of the movie. I can understand this because it would have added quite a few scenes and another dynamic that would have made the movie much longer. Overall, I think that was a good choice by the screenwriters. 

So, which did I like better, the book or the movie? I would have to say that I did like the book better as it felt more real than the movie did, but honestly, both were good. It was a new subject matter and I felt like I learned a little bit and was still entertained, so I would recommend checking it out. Now, readers, what did you think? Book or movie? Any favorite characters or favorite moments? My main takeaway from "The Help" was just that I wish there was more equality and less prejudice in this world. No matter where you live or who you know, if we could just all treat other people more like we would want them to treat us, the quality of life in this world would improve drastically.