'Melissa Harris-Perry Revisits Everything She Hates About The Help In Oscar Preview'

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35. there were many good performances in "The Help"

including viola davis and octavia spenser. i read the book before i saw the movie, and there were some changes made in the movie that were telling. scotter's mother was made a more sympathetic character in the movie than she was in the book. one could say the movie character was white-washed. hilly was also white-washed a bit. and there were changes to minnie's interactions to mr. foote. and there was never any big dinner served to minnie by the footes. i found the changes from the book as interesting. all of the changes made the white people more sympathetic and human characters than they actually were. although in spirit, the footes were the most sympathetic of the white characters, mainly because celia was "poor white trash," and considered an outsider by the rest of the junior leaguers. is it plausible that a "poor white trash" women would be kinder than the others? not so sure about that, but it was interesting that the author touched on the subject of class issues in the south.

i think MHP's analysis is mostly spot on, however i do believe both abileen and minnie grew as characters. abileen found a way to make some meaning from her son's death, and realized she was a writer. minnie got out of an abusive relationship, and really did develop a friendship with celia, and a truce with mr. foote.

as for who should have won the oscar: viola davis, without a doubt. the minnie character was closer to a stereotypical "strong, black woman" stereotype...which is why she won, imho. they both were up against some stiff competition, but i think viola's performance was a hands down winner.