Movies: The Help

Great.

I made sure I finished the book first. Then I went tonight with Barbara and John, and Figgy. H. didn't want to see it.

I expected to love it, because I loved the book. What I didn't expect was to be crying so much at the end.

I was also really, really impressed with the work of Bryce Dallas Howard, Ron Howard's daughter, who played Hilly with a dagger edge under that perfect bouffant.

Also lapped up all of those period details--the big, boatlike cars; the clothing; the makeup and nails; the hair; the cooking; the kitchens; the marriages. The story of a young woman who wants to be a writer and starts out on the town newspaper. I did that, too. I loved seeing Skeeter's determination, and her success.

Of course, the flip side is the far more serious period details about segregation, humiliation, servants, poverty vs. wealth, violence against blacks, the Civil Rights era. Life was unthinkably ugly in so many ways back then for people of color and I don't mean to gloss it over with my eye on the scarlet nail polish and Minny's fried chicken. I sit here on an upholstered chair with a pretty shade on my little lamp; I can't truly comprehend the hell people went through, the indignities they suffered. I know that.

Good night.

TCOY

1. Boot camp in the park.
2. Walked Sug around block once.
3. Carved out and preserved work time.
4. Planned healthy dinner--chicken and shrimp fajitas. We all liked it.
5. Good hair and tooth care.
6. Had told myself yesterday that if I started mindlessly eating the leftover potato chips from Fig's BBQ Saturday, that I'd throw the whole big bag out. So I did. Ditto with some cookies and ice cream cake from H.'s bday last week.