Some movies aimed specifically at a female audience are shunned by men, and rightly so. “Sex and the City” and its sequel come to mind, and if any men saw “Mama Mia,” they were either trying to impress girlfriends or dragged in by wives.
“The Help,” a movie about African American maids in Jackson, Mississippi, set in 1963, will probably appeal to women, but it would be a real shame if the label “chick flick” deterred men from seeing it. Viola Davis, who plays the main character, deserves an Oscar for her performance.
I should warn you that the Association of Black Women Historians has criticized the movie for “stereotyping.” The book, by Kathryn Stockett, has also been attacked as another example of a white person using blacks to advance her own career.
Don’t let the criticism discourage you from seeing the film. It creates empathy for the maids and places the viewers into a period when racial discrimination and racial violence were an everyday part of people’s lives. I saw the movie last weekend at the Mahoning Theater with an all-white audience of mostly middle-aged and older viewers. When the film ended, the audience burst into applause. It’s that kind of movie.
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