Check out the trailer for the upcoming Dreamworks film, ‘The Help‘ via the great site, BlackActors.net. The film opens in theaters everywhere on August 12th and you can read the Synopsis below:
Based on one of the most talked about books in years and a #1 New York Times best-selling phenomenon, “The Help” stars Emma Stone (“Easy A”) as Skeeter, Academy Award®–nominated Viola Davis (“Doubt”) as Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as Minny—three very different, extraordinary women in Mississippi during the 1960s, who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk. From their improbable alliance a remarkable sisterhood emerges, instilling all of them with the courage to transcend the lines that define them, and the realization that sometimes those lines are made to be crossed—even if it means bringing everyone in town face-to-facewith the changing times.
“The Help” was an EXCELLENT BOOK. I read it last summer. I’m not sure I’ll want to see the movie though, the trailer left a bit to be desired.
Honestly… I don’t if it cool or not… I mean my god really? Were, not we THEY taking it back to Gone With the Wind with this… IDK
typo. i dont know..
PASS….same demeaning roles for Black women. so tired. there are soo many other stories for and about us that should be supported.
i will not support the demise of my people.period.
It is so important to learn of the history that our people played a part in. This too is a story about history, not demeaning but factual. How is this supporting the demise of your people? This history is not taught in the class room.
i think its cool because they arent just maids in this movie they have families, inteligence, humor and they dont make these type of movies alot and anything viola plays in will never be degrading. i just wish black directors would tell our stories like this instead we get madea’s big happy family=FAIL
True! Viola is a talented actress but they always have her crying and depressed in every other movie. Can a sista get a love story!?! But I guess we all got bills to pay.
I agree with you Mon, I think this movie looks really good and a story that hasn’t been told but I do also agree that Viola is casted in a lot of movies where she is not the happy character. The roles where she is the happy character are roles that you don’t remember like in Eat.Pray.Love where she played the best friend. This movie does look like it is going to be a moving plot and shed light on stories that haven’t been shown on screen.
omg im so glad they made this into a movie. i read the book. this is not one of those movies that bring down black people. its actually a true story. read the book before u go thinking they degrading black people. its a beautiful story.. so happy its a film now. i dam near jumpt out my seat when i saw it.
Thank you!!!
its all how u look at it. i see it as history. this movie shows a nice in history. we have came a long way since then. we as black peopleneed to stop being the victum and rise above.
This is going to be a great movie, but I think that the central americans will have their own version of it in about 15 years, since they have replaced the Blacks in this position, now.
I like Viola (even though I got the side-eye from her at the event in Cali).
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I WILL GO SEE IT! i dont think its an issue of degrading black ppl…because Im sure some white ppl feel degraded when they see themselves being perceived this way in these type of movies also. A GREAT MOVIE is a GREAT MOVIE, and this looks like one! Thank YOU, ANGEL!
It looks good! It’s SET back in the 60′s. BLACKS we’re treated like that… I don’t understand how y’all are mad about these “stereotypes”… This was the TRUTH in the 60′s.. CMONSON.
this again is standard fare for us. historically we are now seen in a very narrow prism. for the male actor it is in a supporting role or a stereotypical role though it is very subtle. for the women the same applies as well. the sad thing about this is we have the resources within our own community to define to this country who and what we were and what we will be in the future.
why are most black films set during the 60′s?
I think the point is that there are far too many “black” movies that consist of a white person coming to “save the day”. Black people have their own heroes who are underrepresented in the film industry.
Between these and the Madea “my auntie/grandma/sister” is ignorant and violent” movies, there are millions of black stories needing to be heard.
AMEN!!!!
Can we not find a problem with every black film that comes out. My GOD!! a lot of people judge these movies before they even come out or just by watching the preview. They see a movie call “The Help” and automatically think it’s about the civil rights movement or slavery. We need to see where we come from. Because if it were not for women like this. We would still be “The Help” I know some people think it’s old and we have over come. What this generation needs to know is although we have come along way we have a long way to go!! And they need to see this!!
I just finished this book…it was wonderful. The movie trailer seems a little bit more lighter than the book but nonetheless I would definitely go see it.
Another “woe is me” black film. I mean at this point I’ll take anything a black inception, star wars, blue valentine, eternal sunshine anything that’s not beating a dead horse constantly. Black writers suck!!!! It’s not Hollywood because plenty of actors have come out and said we have the funds and opportunities. We have got to start enrolling in USC film school or something darn it
This is our history….
be thankful we have a voice to show it.
Don’t make this negative.
Black people and your lazy, complaining a*sses. How many teenagers today know what “The Help” means? they are busy listening to derogatory rap lyrics and reading urban blogs. The whole concept of “The Help” is huge part of southern legacy and I am happy that Hollywood is bringing the story of the big screen. It is not a story of poor, little ole maid. It is a story about black maids in the South breaking the cycle of silent oppression and finding a voice with the help of a white writer who gave them a platform to tell their stories.
DO YOUR D*MN RESEARCH BEFORE COMPLAINING!!!!!
History is not necessarily demeaning. I rather watch something with substance. Just by watching the trailer, I can tell that there are more dimensions to these characters. We are quick to judge movies that feature us as maids or slaves, but flock to movies that feature us as one dimensional modern-day characters if they can garner a laugh. Viola Davis is a fantastic actor and we should give this movie a opportunity.
This is gonna be awesome! The book is the bomb.com!
OM f’ing G! really people? Whats wrong with this or Madea, or a Black love story, or Black Sci-fi movie. So quick to jump to negativity, wheres the support?! Why in the world is ” we need better roles for our Black Actors..” the caption for this post. That lends all comments to be about tearing work we’ve done apart instead of constructive criticism on whether on not, based on the trailer its a movie you think you’ll be going to see. If this movie does better than Madea at the box office I bet its going to be because white people and Black people went to see it. All Black people don’t have the same experiences. And all Black people aren’t making movies. The issue is that there are plenty of Black movies out there, they are at Black film festivals and other film festivals alike but as long as Black people don’t support black people and we rely on Whitey to put our movies in theatres, whitey is going to select what he thinks will make the most money. Posting “I will follow ” and “Night Catches us” is a good step in helping support other Black films, now do more real reporting and post other Black films, a few of which just got deals at Sundance and other festivals. You make a movie, and let me know when its coming to a theatre near me.
. . . and the Church says “AMEN”!!!! Agree with you 100%. Angel’s negative comment was so disappointing.
You said EVERYTHING i wanted to say (and then some) – COSIGN !
this looks well worth $15 to go see it in theaters…im def. gonna be seeing this 1! it looks so good and funny but touching all at the same time! and the cast is ridiculous. so much talent! ive never read the book but im bout to..sounds like a good one
I don’t understand the gripe. Why would Hollywood give roles to black actors and actresses that they can give to white ones smh? Hollywood is run by white people. Not only is “The Help” indicative of the black female movie role archetype, in the modern day that archetype has been updated from playing “the maid” to playing the “office assistant” or the “secretary”. If the black female is not playing that role, she is playing the femme fatale archetype. The two are inter-related because during slavery and Jim Crow, the black woman acted as both the “help” and the concubine to her master. Movies are used for mind control. Why would they depict images of black people too far outside of the archetype? Even actors like Denzel are intermittently relegated to archetypal roles in which he must save a white person (Man on Fire), white people (Crimson Tide, Unstoppable, etc.) , or be broken down into loving them (The Hurricane, Philadelphia, etc.). Will Smith also plays these roles (I Am Legend). It is unfortunate but a basic aspect of being in captivity.
The WHAT?!
quite frankly I’m tired of seeing black women playing the role of the victim in EVERY movie and NEEDING white women and men to help pull them up by the bootstraps and speak out for them! That is not our history! We are more than that and if black actresses can’t find any other roles or take the initiative to create their own I’d honestly prefer if they just stayed off screen. These roles are a continued perpetuation of the helplessness that others believe we possess we actually we are and have always been a strong people!
Let’s not be ignorant to the history of our people…many African-American women were “The Help”, and it’s great that Hollywood can at least tell the story. Now hopefully they don’t sensationalize it, and hopefully they are true to what really happened. More movies will come for better roles for black actors and actresses when we being supporting more independent filmmakers. Think about that for a second.
I need to read the book. The movie looks real enlighting. Viola Davis is such as great actress.
i sware cant win with u guys. put a movie out about history something that happen then u say why black ppl gota be in another movie like that. let it be a all white movie in the same roll or the same time then u say why aint no black movies out there. or not enough black movies like that. a crying shame.
Looks good, I’ll watch. Angel, maybe you should become a writer or director since you are so concerned. Be the change you want to see in the world!
Why I understand the white person stepping outside the box and helping the poor negras has been done to death I haven’t read the book so I am not going to throw shade. We have this aversion to seeing black people in these type of roles because there is no balance in film. However, I would much rather see this though then the slew of bad black women behaving badly characters that exists in reality tv. The black woman and white women in the workplace is a very touchy subject especially when the white woman is the boss. So if it isn’t done right it can be a mess.
This was an ok book. As is often the case, the premise was better than the finished product. I might wait for this to go to dvd, as movies based on books always pale in comparison.
It should be clear to everyone by now that if hollywood has its druthers, black people are depicted in a few categories: the buddy to a white actor, black person in need of a white savior (A Time to Kil), Tyler Perry-esque movies (heavy on the drama and silly. includes Big Mama and The Fighting Temptations type movies), rapper-turned-actor/drug/cop thriller (See: Training Day,Takers,Brooklyn’s Finest, Saving Isaiah) or comedy (any Wayans brother flick). I don’t mean that any film that falls into these catergories is automatically bad.
Angel, I think the better question is where are the black screenwriters producing quality screenplays, and where are the black people who should be financing these movies?
My grandmother and aunt were domestics in the south back in “the day” so this story has special meaning for me. It’s our history and I think it’s a story that needs to be told as opposed to pretending like every thing is gravy now that “we’ve made it.”
I just finished this book last week, and while I understand that we should have better roles for our black actors/actresses, this particular book is about how one can make a change. It was an amazing book by Kathryn Stockett and I’m so excited to see it as a film! I will definitely go to see it!
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As long as Black actors and actresses keep taking these roles, Hollywood will keep dishing them out. African-American actors and actresses need to step up to the plate and fight for more progressive roles, roles that were “made” for a white person. Short of films that need to be historically accurate, we can do anything.
As for the trailer I have never read the book but I will now. I’ll be sure to check out the movie as well. Looks good.
Sorry to tell you this but, why wouldn’t a black person take this role? Should we hire white actresses and paint their bodies black or brown. These people are not only actresses or actors, they are workers and workers need jobs. Sooo… a job opening comes up for a black person and they do what they are suspossed to do: they audition and if they get the part, they get paid green money!!!
This movie is based on a true historical account of something that happened in the past and if you cant face that in the past “the help” was black then don’t comment. Cause it seems like you’d be the same person complaining if there was a movie set in the 60s and they put a white person in as the maid instead of a black person.
Personally I think it looks like it will be an excellent movie. I think that the only way we will ever see ourselves in better roles is to support ourselves now. We have black producers, writers and actors whose projects are not being supported. Then we have those who have made it fighting with themselves (Spike vs TP).
Another story about white people helping and motivating blacks. I am so tired of these type movies. We need more inspirational movies of positive black movies within our history or the REAL truth about the Eygptians. And all the things we have accomplished on our!!
actually if you really look at the film, Blacks are the “subject” of the film. Sort of like “the fugue” in classical music. Where you have varying melodies/voices that get highlighted but there’s always a “base” or a “subject” that’s recurring. The “base” let’s you know what to look for. Blacks in this film are the “base’ and the Whites in the film are the varying melodic lines that get highlighted.
THIS IS POSITIVE…
Oh wooooooowwwwwww! I just got censored!!! Hahahahaha. Angel asked a stupid question and I answered it intelligently but my comment got booted. Smh. I guess it’s the American way. Ignorance triumphs over intellegence nowadays. Perhaps that’s why so many people hate Obama and Love Palin.
Guess it will be a disgrace 40 years from now when black male actors are playing the role of Obama. Maybe society will consider that demeaning too one day.
Feel free to delete again, Angel. I didn’t realize that I was going to hurt your feelings that bad. I thought you were encouraging our opinions. Didn’t realize that meant only those that co-signed yours. How naive of me.
FAIL!
looks great, can’t wait to see it.
I swear some of you black really need to stop being so damn sensitive. The oNLY reason films like these bother a lot of people is because these same people are worried about what “Whites” think…
Like someone else mentioned, history isn’t always demeaning. It’s just that history and it needs to be told…
I read the book and I am so excited that it is being made into a film. I can hardly wait until I can see it in August.
Really?!! Make up your mind, if a white woman spray painted themselves and played this role would you be happy?! come one these are stories that need to be told it is what it the reality is in the 60s blacks were maids. and for the record this story was written by a white woman so how is it a “black movie” ppl complain black ppl portrayed bad on reality tv (although they behaving the same as white ppl) complain about tyler perry movies, enough already black ppl are multi dimensional with many stories to tell so if that is the case you need to be writing directing and being apart of the soulution in stead of the problem!
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If some of us would take the time to read instead of watching a television or movies we would know that the book “The Help” isn’t a book of a white woman coming to save the day, but instead it’s about black folks helping themselves. Something many more of us today need to try and do. These woman actually help the white woman because without them what would she actually know about being a black women in Mississippi during Jim Crow? Educate yourselves before you speak. Thanks!!
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History is just that – we can not change it but what we can do is learn from it and improve ourselves. Stop being ashame.
Truth be told we were enslaved long before the white man got us and I for one am proud to be an “American”. The story shows the strength that our forefathers had and we should be grateful and proud. Proud enough to get an education that would make them proud and happy that all they went through was not for waste.
Strong people from strong and courageous people is how I see my race and being from the south I live this and knew women that did this job for a living to keep their families alive, so stop hating and learn. Knowledge is the way out.
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