The Reel Rejects - THE HELP (2011) MOVIE REVIEW - FIRST TIME WATCHING!

Episode Date: December 28, 2023

A TOUCHING HISTORICAL DRAMA! The Help Full Movie Reaction: https://www.patreon.com/thereelrejects The Help Reaction, Recap, Commentary, Analysis, and movie Review for the Period Piece film starring Viola Davis (The Suicide Squad, How to Get Away with Murder) Emma Stone (Poor Things, The Amazing Spider-Man), Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures), Bryce Dallas Howard (The Mandalorian), Jessica Chastain (Interstellar), David Oyelowo (Selma), Allison Janney (I Tonya, The Creator), & more! John & Roxy Striar watch and react to the best movie clips / most touching scenes including You Is Smart You Is Kind You Is Important, Minny's Chocolate Pie / Eat My Shit! , Get Your Raggedy Ass of My Porch, Minny Meets Johnny, Celia vs. Hilly, & BEYOND!. #TheHelp #ViolaDavis #OctaviaSpencer #EmmaStone #FirstTimeWatching #MovieReaction #FirstTimeWatchingMovieReaction #History #CivilRights #AcademyAwardWinner #BestSupportingActress #Christmas  Follow Roxy Stiar: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheWhirlGirls Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roxystriar/... Twitter: https://twitter.com/roxystriar Support The Channel By Getting Some REEL REJECTS Aparrel! https://www.rejectnationshop.com/ Music Used In Manscaped Ad:  Hat the Jazz by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ POWERED BY @GFUEL Visit https://gfuel.ly/3wD5Ygo and use code REJECTNATION for 20% off select tubs!! Head Editor: https://www.instagram.com/praperhq/?hl=en Co-Editor: Greg Alba Music In Video: Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Ask Us A QUESTION On CAMEO: https://www.cameo.com/thereelrejects Follow TheReelRejects On FACEBOOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM:  FB: https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/thereelrejects Follow GREG On INSTAGRAM & TWITTER: INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thegregalba/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/thegregalba Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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I need somebody. Help. Not just anybody. Help. Yes, we're watching that. Help today, Ron Jaxie in the house, baby. Let's go. I can't believe you picked up what I was putting down.

You know, I've heard a beetle or two. I can't believe that this movie's about the Beatles. It's going to be great. You know, I've been waiting for a biopic of the Fab Four for a long time. Oh, and finally, here it is with Octavia Spencer starring as John Lennon. Oh, perfect casting. It couldn't have chosen better if I was the casting director myself. I'm excited to watch this because I have never seen this and everybody brings it up.

I'm sure that's been happening to you. too. Yes, it's the only people, the movie people talk to me about. Well, that's really good. So like it, comment, subscribe. Let us know how you guys feel. If it's your first time watching along, how, what have you been doing, living under a rock like us? I really don't know. If you are watching along, who's your favorite beetle? Just leave it down below. That's the most important part about the entire thing. And thank you so much to Prepper for helping edit these awesome videos. We appreciate you guys. Also, if you want to be super sexy and you want to be Helpful.

Oh, look at that. Then you can be a patron. Sync up with your own copy over there. That's where the super sexy people are. And if you become a patron, then you are the help. I mean, we like to think that we help you. Oh, we're the help. You know, stay entertained.

Yeah. Yeah, well, that's... But you're also helping us, you know, maintain this whole operation. That's because over there, you and Greg, you guys do several shows, exclusively with highlights and watch-alongs included. So help us help you That's Jerry McGuire Help me help you

I think so A lot of help movies Maybe this will be the best one You ready? I'm ready I would be very I would be very Curious as to the historical context

I mean I'm sure This is I would imagine this is based off Of real experiences And amalgamations of real people Of course we were seeing Real historical events But I just don't know

whether that, like, was there an Emma Stone character? Was there Viola Davis? Yeah. Or is it, it's said based on the novel. So I'm like, yeah, is this... What degree of fiction are we coming out of? Yeah. She's still walking.

Yeah. Keep it going. Keep it pushing. The music was really excellent in this. Yeah. Yeah, it really was. I mean, okay... Oh, it was Sissy Spaceic.

That's right. That's the mom. That's what I was. name is. What is your initial thoughts on this? I mean, I enjoyed it for sure. It's Steenberg. There you go. It's very heartfelt. It's one of those things where I think I think the obvious kind of elephant in the room is that I believe this is a film authored by white folks, or at least in the writing, directing that side of things. So part of me is sitting here going like, well, I can only imagine

what this story as told by black folks might be like in terms of, you know, the real lived in perspective. There is some of that stuff where like, yeah, at the end, it's like, she goes off to New York and has a job as a writer. And, you know, Abilene loses her job. And I don't know really what this means. It has an optimistic note at the end. But, you know, she's been fired and she's just kind of walking off into opportunity. But I don't really know what that means. And I don't know if she's a real person to think that okay so she goes on to some other thing like is she actually walking into opportunity like what is yeah or i mean because the thing is yeah it's one of those things where this is a story about you know a white character taking interest in and doing the

bare minimum of seeing you know these various african americans in these you know service positions as people doing the bare minimum of seeing them as people and treating them with respect But then also, I understand why people believe that it's problematic because not only doing the bare minimum of seeing them, but then using them to advance herself. Yeah. You know, and I don't think that was the purpose of her writing the book, but that was the outcome of her writing the book

is that she gets to take their words and their stories, and she gets to use that to live her dream and move to New York. Yeah, it's a dual thing. It's like she writes about something she believes in, and they draw the character of somebody who genuinely, yeah, that like cares about this and wants to do it for decent reasons, but it is two birds with one stone. It's like, and now she's going to go off and have this big opportunity in New York

and leave Mississippi behind where this publication is probably going to cause trouble for a lot of people, and people are probably going to have to deal with very real, very harsh circumstances because of this. And it's one of those things where you're like, you know, you need the progress. Again, it's like I don't know Let's find out Like I don't know how to discuss this ultimately Because I don't know how true it is Yeah, I know what you mean though

Because it's like in your soul If you're illuminating a problem 2011 it said okay If you're illuminating If you're shining a light on something that's taking place Then you are doing something positive But then you're using it to Okay, tell me

Taylor and Catherine Stockett are white folks Okay, let's see The novel Who are them? They are the writers of the novel? Tate Taylor wrote and directed the movie, and Catherine Stuckett wrote the book. Okay. Let's see. And you're right now we're trying.

Okay. So I guess. Oh, interesting. Okay. Tell me what. Abilene Cooper, a housekeeper who wants work for Stockett's brother, criticized the author for stealing her life's story without her knowledge and basing the character of Abilene on her likeness. Sued Stockett for 75,000 in damages.

Wow. Yeah. I don't know. I mean, I guess this is... Wait, so her brother, Catherine Stockett's brother knew Abilene? Or at least a person who, yeah, became... The spelling of the name here is a bit different, Abilene. But, yeah, I mean, ostensibly, the character who would be Abilene is somebody that she knew. It is so, it's hard because I think that that was a very well-made movie.

And also, like, it did a clear job of showing people who are, you're either on the right side of history or you're not, right? Like, and then there's varying degrees of that. It's not black and white. It's black, white and everywhere in between, of course. I'm talking about, like, your ideology. It is black and white, but it's not. Right, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's very gray. I think that, but it is interesting because when we talk about movies, of course, watching it, I was like, wow, this is really well done.

The performances are great. I love the music. It just seems like a big scope, you know, like the sets were incredible. The costume design was amazing. The hair and makeup was wonderful. Like, even the sound design, we were talking, the food, like, all of the elements. And the story is interesting, and it pulls at your heartstrings. And yet there's also that other element, which is like,

this, like, we're still continuing to monopolize on people's pain without them receiving that finance, you know, like. Yeah, they're not going to earn residuals off this book. Right. Like, it's good of her to take that 600 and split it up against all the people who are, you know, between all the people who contributed their stories. But at the same time, you're going to reap the large scale benefits of this. whereas they're going to get that one-time payment.

And, like, again, it contributes, obviously, in the movie's universe to, oh, everyone's reading the book and people are getting a better idea of what really happens behind other people's closed doors. You know, as you're bringing the secrets out, we all pretend one way, and there is, I mean, the movie deals so much with, like, the toxicity and the poison, the venom of polite society, basically.

the bold-faced kind of horrific, I don't know, just, yeah, I don't know what the word is, but yeah, just the way people, like right in front of their maids or whoever it might be are saying these awful things and then immediately turning back to, you know, like, oh, we're playing bridge or, oh, we're at some kind of charity events and, oh, the decorum. Yeah, that was actually one of my favorite moments in the whole movie because it made the be a little more self-aware when Bryce Dallas Howard's character is like talking to Emma Stone's character and is like your mom can't convince you you're not pretty enough to be with somebody you know because I think when we think of people who are evil or people who are not on the right

side of things we think moo ah ha ha like if you were in a room with them for 30 seconds you would know they were a bad person but the truth is most people who are racist most people who are homophobic most people who are sexist, most people who have extreme prejudice in their heart also have love for their friends and their family and also like say kind things to people sometimes. And so I think that it does get, it's not confusing when you're watching it. But when you meet people in life and you're like, but they're nice to me. How could they possibly be evil to the rest of the world, you know? And I think that they did a good job showing that here where like while Bryce Dallas Howard maybe at first was being a good friend to her friends that, doesn't make her a decent human.

She's an indecent human. Not at all. Yeah. I mean, she's, she is the kind of quintessential, you know, uh, you know, hoity tooty high society. Like, you know, she's the person, you know, she's leading this, uh, what is it? She's got this initiative she's trying to lead and she's trying to do the like the African children's starvation fund and stuff like that. But while posing as a pillar of society while also being wretched as a human being and, and and being inhumane to so many other people, you know, in the process of that. Right.

Like you won't give somebody $75 in advance, and yet you'll throw a gala for children in Africa. It's like... Because it's all for, yeah, it's all for you. It's all for her. It's all for her status. It's all for her errors that she's putting on in, again, polite society. It's all about the image. It's all about the facade.

And, yeah, I think that was a great moment. where she asks at the end, aren't you tired? Like, aren't you tired of creating this, you know, illusion of yourself that is clearly not who you are and is corroding your soul trying to maintain, you know? Just like, at a certain point, I've heard people say, you know, it's just like, don't even try to cover it. Just be who you are.

You know, like, if you're that ugly on the inside, just be that person and then we know. Yeah, totally. It's better to that than a wolf and sheep's clothing, which is what we see all the time. I also really appreciated Allison Janney's character in here because I do think that change is important. And if we don't allow people to change and grow,

then what's the point in having any kind of content that opens your eyes to anything, right? So she doesn't get credit for starting to be a better person, but anybody can wake up any day of their life and decide to do the right thing, even if you've done the wrong thing 80,000 times. the constantine the constantine storyline really really like affected me i thought that that was devastating yeah i was wretched and a good job with that one did you have a character that you

i don't know if the right terminology is like liked best or one that like you felt the most for or just were like when they were on screen you were the most captivated by probably many or abelene i mean those two in their own unique ways just had i mean octavia Spencer and and Viola Davis are just such great actors and they really brought so much life and presence to those characters and the stories

and whatnot. I mean I you know this is it's an interesting movie to process now in a post Green Book world because because yeah like on the one hand I feel like it does

at least do a fair job and again I don't have the perspective to know you know like i haven't grown up with this history in my family or anything like that to be aware of or not like i don't have the black folks perspective you know so i'm sure that there are probably ways in which the accounts may be distorted uh and the representations of what life was actually like may be distorted here um but i don't know i thought they brought those characters to life really vitally and i really appreciated both the the you know obviously there's a depth of sorrow and pain with those characters because of the position that they're in because of the

way people speak to and about them and the way they're regarded, you know, just the way this mindset that is so, there's that one speech happening on the TV at one point where they're like, Mississippi is like at the lowest of the low in terms of like, you know, any kind of humane treatment of our people. And so, you know, that, I don't know, it is a movie that does have a heartfeltness to it. And I think its heart feels like it's in the right place. It is, I don't know, it's a problematic one, but it's like well made. You know what I mean? Like, yeah, part of me does feel like, like does it do more harm than good or good than harm? I guess it does, it, it probably helps. I'm going to go out on a limb and say, and I don't want to be presumptuous, obviously. But, you know,

I guess net positive for like a white audience who needs to see this kind of thing. You know, like, it's that. It's like I've seen Green Book. I didn't hate Green Book. You watch it and you're like, yeah, this is enjoyable. They're good performances. They're good production values. It's heartfelt.

Was this nominated for Oscars? Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was. Probably a number of them, in fact. I wonder what it won. Yeah. Because there were some performances in here. Oh, yeah, yeah. were just unbelievable.

Honestly, probably Octavia Spencer's being my favorite. Yeah. Yeah. Her eyes, man, they just like, you can tell exactly what she's thinking. Sure. Sure. Oh, yeah. No, she's got so much nuance and expression in every thing she does.

The fact that the book came out in 2009 and the movie came out in 2011, that's a very quick turnaround. Yeah. Like the book comes out in 2009 and then immediately it must have done decently well because then they must have started writing the script. they must have shot it a year later you know like that is like oh it just feels it feels a little cash cowie a little bit and i'm curious to know again how much of i mean it says here at least that abelene is based off a person who did work for the author's family at one point so i i don't know exactly how much firsthand experience katherine stockett may have or if she i guess she must have

one of these kids, you know, raised by her nanny or whatever. And, yeah, it's one of those things where I'm sure this does highlight truths, and I understand that there are ways in which, like, you know, a white person probably had a better chance of compiling these stories and getting them published at this moment in time than a black person would have. So, like... You mean at the 1960s moment in time, or do you mean in 2000? Yeah, in the 1960s.

For, like, where the story is set, in context of the... the story. I kind of get that it's a person using what you might call the potential for a platform, you know, for the greater good. But it's making commentary on. Although, ironically, it was written by a white lady in 2009. Exactly. So like, and it's, you know, authored by white folks as a movie in 2011. And so, like, that's the kind of thing where the disconnect comes around where, yeah, it's like, I think it's probably good for, yeah, people who. wouldn't otherwise get these perspectives I don't really know what

black audiences would get out of this as much necessarily and I just don't have the perspective to know that so like you can comment below if you are you know watching this and you know you're a black viewer or whatever yeah I'm with you it is interesting because they are they're just trying to a lot of the movies trying to make a commentary

on how poorly the black workers were paid during this time or how poorly they were treated during this time. And then by actually putting out this movie and putting out this novel, is it doing anything to help that problem in which it's pointing out, you know? Is it doing anything that we didn't already know or confront? I mean, I guess it's indicative of the, you know, resurging, just mindfulness of and discussions around civil rights as they apply to us here and now because for a lot of people it's a lot of people I think

we make jokes but there are people who are like you know yeah the civil rights movement happened and now we're done with that and everything's fine and clearly it's not fine so like there are reasons to go back and revisit these stories Octavia Spencer won for this movie for Best Supporting Actress by the way additionally Viola Davis was nominated Jessica Chastain was nominated it was nominated for Best Picture but yeah

Octavia would have probably gotten my vote as well yeah it's a movie I really enjoyed in the moment and I appreciated it in the moment and I thought you know again it does a decent job at at least you know spotlighting its black characters and their story but it is still

yeah I don't know it's got that very crowd-pleasing quality where it's like the mom comes around and you know Hillie's mom you know is on our side is on the audience's side you know she realizes how terrible her daughter is

and you know the book comes out and you know the truth starts to spread and all that stuff and Emma Stone goes off to New York like there's a lot of stuff that's like satisfying crowd-pleasing heartstring tugging about this but it is a fantasy I guess to me. It does feel more like a fantasy. And not that I even

want to see, like, I understand too that we live in a time where people don't just want to see struggle movies and struggle porn necessarily or like misery porn. Yeah. But yeah, I don't know. It's an interesting one to take in

for sure. I was looking up right now because I remember that when Jessica Chastey and Octavia Spencer were doing press about this, I remember reading something about Jessica Chastey and having to fight for Octavia Spencer to get paid more because they weren't, which is like, again, part of...

Which is, yeah, which is like the irony, which is so wacky and strange. Yeah, I'm just looking right now, because I remember hearing that, it looked up this variety thing, Chastain promised they were going to be tied together, asking for the same pay and receiving the same amount for the film. Yeah. And I mean, like, that's

good of Jessica Chastain. They should have been paid. Yeah, but she shouldn't... It shouldn't have had to have happened in the first place. yeah and there's a lot of that stuff kind of in the air of this to me yeah but well done movie glad we watched it it's referenced all the Evan time and like just couldn't have better caliber actors in it it's really well made like yeah it's got really good acting it's got great production values like you really feel the place I think it could have maybe gone a little I don't know

it might have gone a little bit harder with a couple of its actual historical touchstones. I mean, we get a little bit of the Megger Evers assassination and we get a little bit of JFK. There's not as much of like those historical milestones

in your face, which I can see some people appreciating. I could see maybe tempering this a little bit better as a piece of historical fiction. Because when it ended, I did have this question of I'm sure a lot of these experiences are real. I'm sure a lot of experiences are even more harsh than the ones depicted.

here. I'm sure this is only scratching the surface of reality but I can't tell what degree of fantasy we're in. Yeah, I know what you mean. But the thing that felt like the most out of place in this movie, that was probably my favorite thing they did was having Octavia Spencer poop

in the pie. Because that just was like one of those things. It's like iconic. It's like I, you know, you're just rooting for that so hard and as you can tell what's happening and she says, eat my and you know like she's taking the bite and you just know what's happening. whether that's not based on anything or based on something,

I was like, get them. That's like my favorite. Yeah, that's a very crowd-pleasing moment. And I mean, I'm sure it must have happened somewhere at some point. I mean, that is one of those things where I'm like, is this appropriate for the story that we're telling? I guess it kind of is. I don't know.

Yeah, well, only because of all the toilet stuff. And it's like, that wasn't, yeah. I like that one. She had a, Hilly had a coming for sure. Yeah, I had it coming all along. Certainly. Except we're not watching Chicago right now. Okay.

Those are my thoughts on the help. Are those your thoughts on the help? I think so. I hope we did a decent job of, you know, articulating. Me and you, the two whitey story. That's right. Well, you know, yeah. Well, I'd love to hear what you guys think.

Please give us help by leaving a comment. Let us know. If we miss something, if we got it right, if we got it wrong, if you guys liked this, didn't like this, anywhere in between. I read all of them. I love what the people have to say. And this is definitely a movie. The funny part about reviewing a movie like this is this is a movie that I want

like other people's feedback about. More so than to like extol my own, you know? Completely. I'm with you. So let us know what you think. And we'll see next time. Thanks for you, Jacks. Bye.

You're a pick a name, John. Oh, golly. Let's do Tyler. Hague. Tyler Hague, you're never going to believe this, my friend. so i'm going to give you a genuine shout out because i got really sick over christmas uh the day before christmas eve fell ill traveling from the south trying to make it to the western lands that's right make it a reference to red dead redemption people because i was like you know what

i didn't even finish this game i should start this up and uh i don't want to be here right now i just want to keep playing the game oh i feel like before when i was playing it i was in a rush because it was like it was the hype you got to beat it you got to complete it and now i can just like settle in and take it in and i'm like oh god i've been missing out of this it was the reason that you got me the ps4 to begin with and i when i was really really sick i was for some reason i was just like craving playing red dead yeah i feel like picking it up warm yourself up and you know one man it is an awesome awesome game I don't know if you know this, but it's a great game. And I just want to say thank you, man,

because as I've been recovering, this game is coming handy. Helping past the time. You might start with my voice and still a little bit under the weather. But, man, the last thing I want to do is be here on a camera talking to you. I just want to be looking at a television with a controller because of you. Isn't that erotic? The irony here that I don't want to give quality time with you. but I want to do something in the name of you.

In the name of Hague. That is my life. Anyway, Tyler, I hope you had a great Christmas. I hope Santa or the Hanukkah Bear delivered something to you. Yes. You know, you know. I love the Hanukkah Bear. It's my favorite holiday mascot.

Oh, my God. Yeah, he's always just going through your trash and giving presents for you in the trash. That's right. Hanukkah Bear looks more like a raccoon, but, you know. Santa goes to the chimney. Hanukkah Bear goes to the trash. the trash. No stone left unturned these holidays.

Learned a thing or two. John, if you brought a bother to brother in your, you know, I know, I know. It's all baby Jesus to me. Anyway, Tyler, thank you for being you, my friend. I love you. And I hope you never unpledge because I can constantly give you updates on my progress with finally playing Red Dead Red Redemption too. Yes.

You know what I mean? Every month from now on, I'm just going to give you an update of where I'm at in the game. Good. Um, because I want, day one, I beat one percent. Oh, sick. Day two, I beat two percent. Day three, got to chapter two, did three percent. And I realized, if I just did this for one hundred days, I would beat the game.

Dude, it's perfect. Mathematically sound. All right. So goodbye goals. Hello, Red Dead. Yeah. Let's get to it, guys. Tyler.