Summer Movie Review: The Help

It's been a long time since I was excited about a movie in the way I was excited about seeing The Help.  Since the moment I got on board with the fantastic novel written by Kathryn Stockett, I've been threatening to storm the gates of Hollywood if they messed this one up.  (Like most books to movies.)  Good news--they didn't.  If you don't believe me, read this. Or this.)

I saw the movie twice on opening weekend, but decided that I would wait a while to write my review (the last of my great summer movies) to give the rest of the viewing public some time to catch up.  The Help was everything I hoped it would be, and a few things beyond.  Tate Taylor's screenplay and direction was pitch perfect, and that's saying something for his first time with a major motion picture.  I love that he and Stockett were childhood friends, and it shows in the careful handling of her work of art. 

Taking the three-part narrative of the book down to a single narrative told by Aibileen was a necessary move to make the film work.  The strong and steady Aibileen gave a balance between the seriousness of message and the lighter, more humorous moments.  Of course, you can't please everyone, and there are plenty of people out there who say that this movie is a disgrace to the very African-American women I feel it honors.  (You can read more about that controversy here and all over the rest of the internet.)  But, not even the controversy can dampen the performance of the unmatched Viola Davis.  If she is refused an Academy Award nomination for her work, then there simply is no justice. 

Not that the rest of the cast are a bunch of slouches. This was the summer of Emma Stone, who continues to prove that she will be the Julia Roberts of her generation, comedic and heartbreaking in one swoop.  Octavia Spencer played Minny Jackson exactly as I had imagined her while reading the book, which is a rare feat in and of itself.  The real breakthrough star of the show was Jessica Chastain, who I had heard about but never really seen until her brilliant turn as Celia Foote.  Celia was funnier and more sympathetic in the movie than the book, and I think it was because of the grace Chastain used to portray her. 

It was an interesting experience to watch it twice in one weekend, once with Amber and the next afternoon with my grandma, Mom, and Lulu.  The audiences reacted to things differently, but overall, seemed to really love it.  (And both times I watched it in nearly packed houses!)  There's a reason that this movie has lead the box office for three weeks in a row, and that's precisely why I think you should see it if you haven't already!

Kelly's Show Us Your Life: My Favorite Blogs

It's pretty easy to find out what my favorite blogs are because I list them in the sidebar, but I figured that maybe I could take a few minutes and tell you why I think a few of these blogs are so great. 

Disclaimer:   All of the blogs in my sidebar are great (I promise, click on every last one.  You'll love them!), but I didn't want this post to take me all day so I am taking a random sampling of awesome (Two from my real life and a sampling from my internet peeps)!  If I didn't pick you, it's not because I don't love you just as much as the other kids, I promise.  But my goal, like always, is to try to keep from boring people to death with my incessant droning.

Local Bloggers (My Real-Life Peeps):

A Life In Ordinary:  My friend, Crys, is an amazing writer.  (Seriously, she makes me look bad.)  She's hilarious and honest and all of those things that make a must-read blogger.  She's also a lot of fun to shop with because we have similar taste and she will guard the gates of Sephora if I must be kept out to avoid my own financial destruction.  (A very valuable trait in my friends, trust me!)

cette demoiselle mascarades comme un cusiniere: I am not a chef.  Luckily, Casey is masquerading as one.  Her recipes are easy enough even I could follow them.  (But I would rather just let her work her magic and enjoy the results!)  I think everyone should be reading her, because how else am I going to become a personal assistant for someone with her own show on The Food Network?


My Internet Peeps (We Don't Know Each Other For Real, But God Bless the Internet): 

The Lumberjack's Wife:  When I grow up, I want to be like Taylor (even though we are mere weeks from being the same age), except maybe with less camping and children breaking their glasses.  She is a homeschooling, elk preparing, canning jam superstar!  And she's so very funny, sometimes unintentionally.  (Plus, she was one of the first people I "met" through the interwebs and she has been such an encourager!)

Ministry So Fabulous! :  Minus more recent developments (the foster kids and British boyfriend), there have been many times where I feel like Amy Beth and I are living  parallel lives.  We share of love of big hair and the South, have similar taste in TV and find the same things heartbreaking and/or amusing.  She's a great writer and a better person.


People I Love But Have No Clue Who I Am:

matt, liz, and madeline :  I found Matt's blog not long after he had lost his wife.  I couldn't stop reading about his journey, and have continued to follow him ever since.  Matt's honesty, humor and love of music and the awesome-beyond-her-years Madeline can't help but win your heart.  (Plus he's a pretty great photographer, too!)

Rants From Mommyland :  I am not a mom, nor do I have any real intention of becoming one soon.  But I know funny when I read it.  "Kate" and "Lydia" crack me up, and they have some of the most fantastic guest bloggers around, like this post about teaching kindergarten.  (Plus, I have totally picked up some of their catchphrases, my favorite being "Suck it, fancy!")

Wish You Were Here - Bethany Joy Galeotti has been a major part of my early to mid 20s, as she plays Haley on One Tree Hill, my favorite guilty pleasure.  But this blog shows that she is more than a beautiful face.  She has a mix of tips, interviews, her wardrobe picks and other general blogging goodness.  I'm always willing to read a blog where it makes me want to be friends with the person writing.


I look forward to reading everyone else's favorite blogs too!  Maybe I will find a few more to add to my list!

It's Thursday! Let's Make a List!

• Today's random quote:  "Sometimes you've got to let go of the dream and love life for the yodeling goatherd it is."   Thank you, Kristin Chenoweth, thank you!
• To say that I am excited about the impending three-day weekend seems like a serious understatement.  I am looking forward to sleeping in and doing my laundry in the middle of day.  And movie night with Amber on Sunday (When Harry Met Sally, anyone?)! 
• Speaking of things I am excited about, after most of this week hitting the high 90s, it's not even supposed to get above 80 on Monday!  Fall weather cometh! (and hopefully, stay-eth!)
• I'm still trying to decide how I am going to celebrate my 30th birthday in October.  For a while, I was thinking low key, then big party, then something in the middle.  Now I don't have any idea what I want, other than a good time with my friends.  Thoughts?
• Dinner with friends is definitely the way to right an otherwise crappy day.  I had a headache and was just generally in a yuck mood when I got to BHG, but by the time Amber and I left I was wound up and laughing!   (Of course, I was mostly laughing at Amber, but that's a story for another time...)
• I'm typing this on my lunch break and am pretty sure I just fell asleep sitting up.  I'm really ready for the crazy dreams to stop.  They aren't really nightmares, but they are super realistic and really freaking me out.
• I've decided to become the kind of girl who is up for whatever random adventure presents itself.  I've always wanted to be that kind of girl, but I've never been brave enough.  I think that approaching 30 is giving me that courage.
• I need a new book to read.  Anyone got any suggestions?
• Join me tomorrow when I actually (finally) review The Help movie.
• Tonight, I am going back to exercising every day.  Leslie Sansone, I am not ready to do this.  But if I am going to lose 25 pounds by New Year's, it has to be done.  I will let you know how that goes.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Do you think the world became a more dangerous place on September 11, 2001 or did we just become more aware of the danger? How has your own life changed as a result of that day?

     I don't think that the world was any more dangerous on the 11th than it was on the 10th or any day before.  I just think that when something is on your front steps, you pay more attention to it.  I will never forget being in the Student Center at my university reading a magazine, glancing up to see the second plane hit the towers, and I won't forget the days after.  However, my daily life isn't really that much different (the beauty of the rural life, little ever changes), other than I am more aware that it could always happen, that danger does exist.

 

2. Did you think your parents were too strict when you were growing up? How about in hindsight?

     My parents were pretty awesome.  I didn't grow up in a strict household.  There were some rules that we were always expected to follow.  Once we turned 16, as long as we were honest about where we were going and what we were doing, and we called if things changed, we were allowed to pretty much go wherever we wanted.  If we were ever caught being dishonest, we were in serious trouble, though, and lost those privileges. 

 

3. Share one random but candid fact about yourself.

     I have a fear of ledges.  Heights don't really bother me, but I don't want to have to look over the ledge and see how far there is to fall if something happens.  Edges of balconies really weird me out.

 

4. Would your nearest and dearest describe you as simple or far too complicated?

     Aren't all women complicated?  Haha!  I am high maintenance by my own admission, but I am also pretty easy going about most things.  That probably still makes me complicated.

 

5. What is your favorite stadium or carnival food?

     This is totally a regional thing, but Malone's Salt Water Taffy makes me so happy!  (Just the regular white kind.  The flavored, colored ones are gross.)  I am also a huge fan of those curly fries they cut on a drill bit.

 

6. Tornado, hurricane, earthquake...how many of these natural disasters have you experienced? Which event do you think would be the scariest?

      I live a little too far inland for a hurricane, but I have had hurricane force winds from remnants of a tropical storm take down a tree in my yard.  That wasn't great.  I've experienced small earthquakes too.  But the scariest was definitely the tornado that came in 2003.  I don't remember ever being as scared as I was huddled in the basement with my family in those moments.  My parents weren't at home and I just managed to get my sister, grandma and myself up to my uncle's before the storm took hold.  That storm killed three people, and did a lot of damage in my area.


 

7. Labor Day weekend is approaching so a work related question seems appropriate. Growing up, did your parents assign you regular chores? Were you paid for doing those chores? If you're a parent do you assign chores to your own children? Why or why not?

   My parents did not assign us regular chores.  Maybe if they had I would be better at housework, but probably not.  We didn't get allowances either.  If we needed money, we would ask for it.  I also babysat and had other jobs during the summer once I was a teen to make a little extra money.  I'm not a mom, but I think that I would probably give my kid at least one chore to be responsible for every week.  I don't think that's too much to ask.

(That last question was inspired by a post Mindee wrote on Monday. Everyone go say hi to Mindee-she blogs at Our Front Door and she's funny. )  I totally agree with Joyce on that one!  I have Mindee featured on my sidebar, too!

 

8. My random thought:
     My brain is still having some adjustment issues to school schedule.  I am also having these crazy, vivid dreams right before my alarm goes off in the morning.  At first they were kind of funny, but now that the mythology from the Percy Jackson novels I've been reading with my students is bleeding over into them, they are increasingly less so.

By Request: Advice From A Teacher

A friend from high school, who is a single dad with two daughters, asked me if I might write down some tips/advice for parents from a teacher's perspective weeks ago.  I then went back to work and I have had trouble stringing together two coherent thoughts since.  We know that the media sometimes gets things wrong, but it seems when it comes to education and teachers, in particular, they don't ever get close.  Teaching is not for the faint of heart.  I've seen things over the years that make me laugh upon remembrance, and had situations that can still make me cry.  I know that their are people in the field of education who have no business being there, but that is not the majority of us.  If you have come up against one of these "bad apples,"  I apologize.  But, please know that most of us are hardworking, amazing people who are doing as much as we can with whatever we have, and that seems to be a little less every year (thank you, politicans.  A rant for another time.)  After some consideration, here's what I've come up with.

• Relax! - To become a teacher, you have to pass four years of college and a battery of tests (at least in my state).  Generally, we know what we are doing and we want to do the best for your children.  The more relaxed you are, the more relaxed your child will be.  (Especially in the lower grades.)  And that will help everyone in the long run.
• The easiest thing we do all day is teach.  --  We are nurses, custodians, computer techs, secretaries, librarians, and a million other things during the day.  (Personally, I teach in a middle school setting which means that I don't have one classroom of kids, I have seven.  Sometimes I forget what I'm doing on the trip from my desk to the board.)  Sometimes the nicest thing you can do for a teacher is just a simple word of thanks.  We don't get to hear it nearly enough. 
• Remember that teachers are human, too.  --  We make mistakes.  When this happens, it helps if we can all discuss it calmly.  Chances are, we will be apologetic and do our best to make it right.  In my almost ten years of teaching, I've never been upset by someone correcting an error when it was addressed with an understanding that I am never out to hurt or upset a child. 
• There are two sides to every story.  --  Teachers know that you are the advocate for your children.  We wish more parents wanted to be involved.  But, please remember that your sweetheart could only be sharing a glimpse of the whole story.  Stand up for your child, but at least be open to what everyone has to say. 
• Know that most teachers love what they do. -- Our profession gets a bad reputation because of those who teach for June, July, and August.  But please know that most of us are there because we love it.  And because we love your children.  If you have a question, ask.  If you have a concern, tell us.  I would always rather a parent ask me than wonder.

I know that there are several teachers who read this blog and I would love for you to add your tips to the list.  I love the field of education and firmly believe that barring a lottery win, I will do it for the rest of my years. 
(And probably even if I did win.  We could totally have class on the beach, right?)

Prayer Monday - 8/29

Frustration is one of the key words in this season in my life right now.  I can't begin to explain how badly I wish it weren't.  I'm trying to remember that I can't control most of the situations around me, but I can control my attitude.  Some days are better than others where that's concerned.  But I could certainly use some prayer.  My life is easier than so many, and I feel bad complaining at all.  Sometimes it's just hard to contain.

I also asking for prayers for some of the other people that I love who are moving (Sheena & her Precious), or waiting (just about everyone else), or just trying to figure out what in the world's going happening next. 

I am so thankful that God is in control and I'm not.  I don't know how anyone without that knowledge can bear to get out of bed.

Single Girl Honesty

It's rare that I even think all that much about being a single girl.  It's part of my life, but as far as parts go, it tends to take the back burner a lot.  It's always there, though.  On the best days, I think about how lucky I am to be in the position that I am in, to only have to take care of myself, to do what I want (as Crys might say).  On the worst...well...on the worst, I blame God and myself for being single and almost 30.  Those days used to be unbearable.  I would cry and scream (as if that made one lick of difference).  I would make promises that I couldn't possibly keep.  Inconsolable was the nicest word for it.

These days, that's not how those day go.  Sometimes I do wonder what the plan is.  I wonder if I will honestly be in this position the rest of my life, how that's going to look, how things will work out.  I still wonder sometimes if I only have myself to blame.  I wonder if I had tried harder, been better, done more if someone would have loved me.  I know, deep down, that's not how it works, but it doesn't always stop those feelings.  Because it's hard to be almost 30 years old and know that you have no idea what that kind of love would feel like. 

Today, I tried on the fourth bridesmaids' dress of my adult life.  Unlike the stereotype, I actually love being a bridesmaid. (I mean, outside of proms, how often in life do we have a good excuse for an up-do and a fancy dress?)  I count it a blessing to stand beside a friend and listen to them take their vows to love and honor good and decent men.  And I simply cannot wait to wear that dress this October, to stand beside one of my besties of more than a decade and hear her say those familiar words to the love of her life.  But, I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't wondering if I will ever be the one in white.  And you all know that I don't lie on here. 

I'm pretty good at keeping myself busy.  (School actually does it for me, more often than not.)  Sometimes, it just catches up to me.  It would be nice to walk through this life with a man who loved me.  And to pretend like my mind never went there, that all of this was enough to distract me, would just be foolishness.  Most days are good, some nights, not so much.