by Christine Fugate & Carrie Williams

My writer friend, Carrie, and I attended the press preview for film, The Help, this week. We'd both read Kathryn Stockett's book (which the movie was based on) and loved it, so we had high expectations for the movie - and for our night out together, sans kids! For anyone not currently in a book club (because otherwise you've read the book), The Help is the story of a young woman, Skeeter (Emma Stone), who is coming of age in Jackson, Mississippi at the height of the Civil Rights movement.  Coming back home after college with a journalism degree and liberal viewpoint and inserting herself back into the world of racism, conservatism, bridge games and Junior League meetings is not as easy as she'd hoped. Observing the illicit and not-so-illicit racism among her friends, family and community - in contrast to the warm and nurturing relationships she's had with her African-American caregivers - spurs Skeeter to write an anonymous account (working clandestinely with maids and nannies) of the African-American domestic experience in Jackson. And, from there, the drama unfolds.

I grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, attended Tulane University in New Orleans and have driven through Mississippi countless times.  Carrie grew up in Newport Beach and has never been to the South, unless you count Atlanta...which we're not sure qualifies.

We sat down with our leftover Raisinets to review the film. 

Carrie:  Did you like the movie or the book better?

Christine:  First of all, I loved the movie - thought it was great.  Bryce Dallas Howard was fabulous as Hilly and she looked gorgeous.  I also liked Emma Stone as Skeeter.  The casting was brilliant.  When you make a movie, you only have 90 minutes to tell a story.  I think they pulled the best parts out of the book.  The only things I really missed that weren't in the movie were Skeeter typing at night and when she meets Stuart's parents.  What about you?

Carrie:  I loved the book and loved the movie.  I thought Viola Davis was incredible as Aibileen and agree with you on Bryce and Emma.  It made the South look so beautiful that I want to visit.

Christine:  Well, I never saw Mississippi look that beautiful before.  I never knew they had such lovely, tree-lined, wide streets.  It's not the Mississippi I know, but I haven't been through Jackson. The film wasn't filmed in Jackson, though, it was filmed in Greenwood, Mississippi. 

Carrie:  After the film, another audience member asked you if you felt the film glossed over the Civil Rights issues.  What do you think?

Christine:  It was interesting that we didn't see the shooting of Medgar Evers, and we never saw Leroy's face (Minny's abusive husband).

Carrie:  I agree.  I think they may have done that to focus more on the female relationships that were at the heart of the story, but I'm not sure.  The good thing about them treading lightly on some of the depictions of the Civil Rights clashes is that I can (and will) take my girls (ages 10 and 12) to go and see it. I want them to get the important messages the film has to communicate. 

Christine:  That's a good point.  I would guess that is why the producers did that - to reach a broader audience. Speaking of which, I laughed more than I thought I would, but it is not a comedy.  It's still very much a drama.  What was your favorite part of the film - was it something that made you laugh or made you cry?  I laughed and cried at parts. 

Carrie:  I have to say that I was so enthralled by watching Bryce Dallas Howard play Hilly.  She is so exquisite looking and an amazing actress with great comedic timing and an ability to also play pure drama.  I loved all the scenes with her in them.

Christine:  I agree. I think she made the role more complex with more depth than was even in the book.  Her ignorance was so part of who she was, that it was - in a way - hard to hate her.  Even though what she stood for was awful. The way she walked off in a huff in her cigarette pants made me laugh so hard.

Carrie:  Another of my favorite parts of the film was the relationship between Minny (Octavia Spencer) and Celia (Jessica Chastain) - it was drawn even more richly and played even better than in the book. 

Christine: I loved Jessica Chastain as Celia and I think we're going to be seeing a lot more of her. 

Carrie:  By the way, I read that article you sent me from The Washington Post about how Tate Taylor, who adapted the book and directed the film - has been BFF's with The Help author Kathryn Stockett since they were five years old.  I love that.

Christine:  Yes! I found it really inspiring for other writers to know that Kathryn's book was turned down so many times and that Tate took it on when no one else would.  That says something about faith, hope, tenacity and friendship.

Carrie:  What was your main takeaway from the movie?

Christine: This film's not bubblegum.  It's stayed with me for days.  As I learned from the book and saw in the movie, it takes a lot of courage to be a writer and to stand up for the right things.  That is a lesson I want to keep learning, and one that I want to teach my kids.

Carrie:  I couldn't have said it better.  I encourage everyone to go and see The Help.

Christine:  I agree.  I think it's appropriate for kids in fourth grade and up.  Okay, BFF.  Time for you to go write a book that I can make into a movie!

"The Help" opens August 10th. For more information, visit www.thehelpmovie.com.  Share your own stories of empowerment at www.takepart.com/TheHelp.

Here is my BFF Thelma's review which verifies my intuition:

http://www.ivillage.com/blind-side-salute-do-right-woman/1-c-66940

Check it out!

TITLE:

The Kite Runner [Blu-ray] (2007)

DIRECTOR:

Marc Forster

PRODUCERS:

Bruce Toll, E. Bennett Walsh, Jeff Skoll, Kwame Parker, and Laurie MacDonald

ACTORS: 

Khalid Abdalla, Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada, Atossa Leoni, Shaum Toub, Sayed Jafar Masihullah Gharibzada

WRITERS

David Benioff and Khaled Hosseini

RELEASING COMPANY:

Dreamworks Video

RATING:

PG-13

FORMAT:

AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen

RUN TIME:

128 minutes

SUGGESTED PRICE:

26.99

REVIEWED BY:

Isabella Lucero

Two childhood friends spend their days running, grinning, catching a movie, reading a book in the graveyard, and carving their names into a lone pomegranate tree in the posh Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood of Kabul, Afghanistan.  The boys, Amir and Hassan, have an unequal friendship because Amir is the son of the man of the house and Hassan is an uneducated servant boy. Amir’s father seems to favor the valiant servant boy because Hassan doesn’t mind sticking up for Amir with the neighborhood bullies.  Hassan is honest, brave, and loyal, many of the qualities that you would hope for in a young man.

Of course there are cinematic kite flying sequences to remind the viewer of a brief period of tranquility that precedes the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union.  When the Soviet tanks come rolling in, Amir and his father have to abandon their privileged life and take off in the middle of the night. They eventually make their way to the U.S. and the once wealthy father has to work at a gas station while Amir attends a community college and eventually writes books. Unexpectedly, Amir is summoned back to Afghanistan to help his childhood friend Hassan.  Amir has to go undercover and wear a fake beard to fool the Taliban and finally stand up to neighborhood bullies.  This story asks if it is possible to redeem yourself after you have committed an unforgivable act.

The traveler in me loved to see the story of the boys played out in the streets of Kabul (it was actually shot in China since it remains to be too dangerous to shoot in Afghanistan) and I also always enjoy seeing how brave immigrants deal with new surroundings. 

BLUE RAY Featurettes

The featurettes include commentary with Marc Forster, Khaled Hosseini, and David Benioff, Words and Images from the “Kite Runner,” and a Theatrical Trailer in HD.

7.5 out of 10 binkies

Isabella Lucero is a writer, mother, cook, and gardener living in Tucson, Arizona.  She enjoys riding her bicycle and baking beautiful and tasty birthday cakes. 

Cast:

Number of discs: 3

Studio: Walt Disney Video

DVD Release Date: December 30, 2008

Run Time: 517 minutes

Actors: Michael Gambon, Patrick Malahide, Greta Scacchi, Emma Thompson, Sarah Crowden

Directors: Julian Jarrold

Number of discs: 1

Rating: 

Studio: MIRAMAX

DVD Release Date: January 13, 2009

Run Time: 100 minutes

Price: $19.99 on Amazon

I loved this movie! It took me several days to watch it because it is hard to understand the British accented dialogue while children are screaming and the husband is asking for dinner. This is a perfect laundry fold movie because it transports you to another world and makes you forget your domestic drivel. Emma Thompson is downright delicious as the evil mom who tries to control her children with religion. A must see!

10 out of 10 binkies

From Amazon:

Inspired by the best-selling novel, Brideshead Revisited is a riveting drama of love, power and betrayal, featuring stunning performances by Academy Award(R) winner Emma Thompson (Best Actress, Howards End, 1992) and Matthew Goode (The Lookout). When the charming aristcrat Sebastian invites Charles Ryder to his family's estate, Charles becomes seduced by the opulent lifestyle of the Marchmain family, and by Julia, Sebastian's sister. As their romance deepens, repercussions follow, and Charles discovers that at Brideshead, love, money and power come at a price. It's a spellbinding story you'll want to revisit again and again. 

DIRECTOR: Saul Dibb

PRODUCERS: Alexandra Arlango, Amanda Foreman and Andrew Semans

ACTORS:Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Dominic Cooper, Charlotte Rampling, Hayley Atwell, and others

WRITERS: Saul Dibb, Amanda Foreman, Anders Thomas Jensen, Jeffrey Hatcher

RELEASING COMPANY: Paramount

RATING: PG-13

FORMAT: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen

RUN TIME: 110 minutes

SUGGESTED PRICE: $26.99

REVIEWED BY: Isabella Lucero

THE DUCHESS beautifully illustrates the inside story of an 18th century aristocrat, Georgiana (played by Keira Knightley), as she becomes the Duchess of Devonshire. Georgiana, at the tender age of 17, is married off to an uncaring Duke (played impeccably by Ralph Fiennes). The only concern of the boorish Duke is that Georgiana produce a male heir for him. Finally after having two beautiful daughters, discovering that her husband is an uppity philandering snob, falling in love with a man who cares about her and actually speaks to her, and many other wealthy plot points of intrigue, Georgiana has a male son. This is a film based upon a true story and also shares parallels to the unfortunate drama of our contemporary Princess of Wales, who was also only able to find love from the masses and suitors outside of her royal circle.

Keira Knightley is able to capture the sadness of a woman trapped inside an unhappy marriage. Her only friend, a large breasted brunette beauty named Bess, betrays Georgiana by having loud and passionate sex with the horrible Duke.

I adored the honesty of this film and the intelligence of the female heroine. The Blue Ray DVD is the way to fully see and appreciate the incredible cinematography (really every shot is a delight to take in), landscapes (the green English grass), mansions, estates, costumes, the big teased and curled hair, corsets, and so on. I enjoyed watching every second of this lushly visual film. The use of candles and styled wigs is completely over the top! If you enjoy aristocratic costumed love stories, then this is a must see. It is interesting because I really loved this movie and my b-friend (who is a cinematographer) found it to be a complete bore. Save it for the girls.

BLUE RAY Featurettes

1. How Far She Went: Making of documentary (HD - 22m:49s)

2. Georgiana In Her Own Words (HD - 7m:11s)

3. Costume Diary feature with costume designer (HD - 5m:37s)

4. Theatrical trailers (HD)

9.5 out of 10 binkies

Isabella Lucero is a writer, mother, cook, and gardener living in Tucson, Arizona. She enjoys riding her bicycle and baking beautiful and tasty birthday cakes.

Starring:  Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, Tea Leoni

Director: David Koepp

Run time: 102 minutes

Studio:  Dreamworks Video

Buy at Amazon: $19.99

Plot Summary: (From IMDB)

Bertram Pincus is a man whose people skills leave much to be desired. When Pincus dies unexpectedly, but is miraculously revived after seven minutes, he wakes up to discover that he now has the annoying ability to see ghosts. Even worse, they all want something from him, particularly Frank Herlihy who pesters him into breaking up the impending marriage of his widow Gwen. That puts Pincus squarely in the middle of a triangle with spirited result. Written by Studio Approved Synopsis

I liked this movie a lot. It was just purely entertaining. I always enjoy a movie that makes you laugh and cry a little too. In the story, Ricky Gervais plays Bertram Pincus and his dry wit is perfect for the part. You are annoyed by him but feel for him at the same time. The rest of the cast, Tea Leoni and Greg Kinnear, are well suited for the roles and you end up rooting for things to go their way. The special features include one of the funniest blooper reels i've seen in a long time and because the film deals with "ghosts", the special effects and how they were created is really interesting. It includes a detailed look at how the ghosts interact in the scenes.

The movie would be great for a family with slightly older kids. (The younger ones may not enjoy it so much) One thing that would make it a good family movie night pick is the lesson that one gains through the film. Be kind. Make the most of life. Lighten up.

9 out of 10 binkies!

Starring: Humphrey Bogart , Audrey Hepburn, William Holden, Walter Hampden, John Williams

Directors: Billy Wilder

Run Time: 113 minutes

Studio: Paramount

Buy At Amazon: $17.49

Who doesn't love Audrey Hepburn? I mean she just epitomizes Hollywood glamour. This movie is a great example of that wonderful era of the silver screen. Wonderful clothes. A great love triangle with two brothers. A wonderful twist on the Cinderella story.

Here's what Amazon says:

Audrey Hepburn is the delightful young Sabrina, the daughter of a chauffeur who is hopelessly in love with David Larrabee (William Holden), the playboy younger son in the rich Long Island household her father works for. In order to help her forget her woes, Sabrina is shipped off to cooking school in Paris. While there, she befriends a baron who provides a bit of culture--and the encouragement to snip off her childlike ponytail. Upon her return to New York, Sabrina is transformed into a sophisticated woman, and David is entranced by her. However, his older brother Linus (Humphrey Bogart) has arranged David's marriage to Elizabeth Tyson in order to seal a business merger and thus must steer David away from Sabrina. To do this, Linus takes on the task of wooing her for himself. Full of great dialogue ("A woman happy in love, she burns the soufflé; a woman unhappy in love, she forgets to turn on the oven") and wonderful performances, this film is a romantic masterpiece.

There aren't so many extras but the movie lends itself to a wonderful evening of entertainment. Not so sure the whole family would  enjoy it (although my 16 year old will pretty much watch anything with me) but grab your daughter or girlfriend and you are all set.

10 out of 10 binkies.

The Duchess

Based On The Incredible True Story

Actors: Keira Knightley as Georgiana Spenser Cavendish, The Duchess of Devonshire, Ralph Fiennes as William Cavendish, The Duke of Devonshire, Charlotte Rampling as Lady Spencer, Dominic Cooper as Charles Grey, Hayley Atwell as Bess Foster

 Directors: Saul Dibb

 Rating:

 Studio: Paramount DVD

 Release Date: December 27, 2008

 Run Time: 109 minutes

 List Price: $29.98

Editorial Review from Amazon.com: Swaddled in whalebone and wigs, Keira Knightley steps into the restricted world of the Duchess of Devonshire, a royal lady popular with her subjects but stuck in an unhappy marriage. If this situation recalls Princess Diana (a descendant of the Duchess's family), so much the better for the purposes of director Saul Dibb and company; this film is eager to draw parallels with the unfortunate Lady Di, even if she is never directly mentioned. Knightley's unsuspecting girl is married off to the Duke (Ralph Fiennes), a distracted jerk who craves male sons, and obviously has never thought of women as anything other than a means to achieve an heir. When the Duchess launches her procreative career with a couple of daughters, well, the Duke begins to get nervous--and partners outside the marriage become increasingly appealing. The Duchess serves up lavish portions of Brit-movie staples: costumes (which, in Knightley's case, are nothing short of spectacular), landscapes, and gorgeous music (by Rachel Portman). Charlotte Rampling appears too briefly as Knightley's mother, and Dominic Cooper and Hayley Atwell (from Brideshead Revisited), rising stars both, contribute attractive lures for the principals.

Hayley Atwell had a line (which I will paraphrase) in The Duchess that seems to sum up the life of Georgiana, The Duchess of Devonshire: "The Duke is the only man in all of England NOT in love with his wife." Sound familiar? Seemed to me to be quite similar to the much beloved, late Princess Diana and her husband Prince Charles. In fact, the entire movie seemed to be a re-play of their modern life - ironic then that Georgiana Spenser Cavendish was an actual ancestor to Princess Diana (Lady Diana Spencer). The movie even opens at the Althorp Estate, Diana's ancestral home. Glimpses of her burial site are evident in another scene as well.

The story begins with Georgiana given to the Duke of Devonshire in an arranged marriage - an arrangement she seems to welcome even given that she appears to already be in love with another man (Charles Grey). However, the Duke is only interested in her ability to provide him an heir, leaving her with plenty of time on her hands (even after giving birth to two daughters, much to the Duke's dismay). She involves herself in politics, fashion and gambling, becoming a "darling of English society." Eventually, the restrictions placed on women in her time will cause her to lose all she holds dear as she has to make the worst choice a mother could, at least in my opinion.

Is this movie worth your time and money? Absolutely! Keira Knightley shines as the Duchess, making her tribulations and triumphs all too real even though they occurred centuries ago. It is emotionally wrenching however; at one point, I was crying my eyes out for Georgiana as she went through a terrible ordeal late in the movie. Even though the late 18th century England is nothing like 21st century America, I could relate to her all too well as a mother. Sacrificing yourself for your children is a timeless theme we mothers can understand. I spent a long time after the movie reflecting on it. I highly recommend buying this DVD for yourself; just bring your tissues with you when you watch it! 5 out of 5 binkies.