The Help Movie pre-screening party in San Diego

While I was at BlogHer last week in San Diego, I had a chance to attend a prescreening of the movie The HELP that is based off the best-selling book with the same name.  While it's been on my list for a while to read the book {as is getting rid of maternity clothes, organizing a dinner party, and cleaning out the garage}, I don’t get much time to myself these days and reading a whole book isn’t likely to come to fruition any time soon. 

I did, however, know a little bit of backstory of the plot such as that the story took place in the deep South in the 1960s and that it told the story of the racial inequality in Jackson, Mississippi and the women who set about to document the untold story of “the help”.  I also knew that I was probably going to turn into a big, blubbering mess of mascara and eyeliner, which was confirmed when I arrived at the reception site and saw tables of kleenex set out for after the movie.

The movie started with trailers for some much-anticipated coming attractions for winter and 2012 and then went right into the movie as the sea of bloggers in the audience powered off their phones {aka tweeting lifeline} and relaxed for a few hours in the midst of one of the busiest weekends of the year for bloggers.  As much as I was just excited to sit down for the first time all day, I was also extremely excited to see the film with all my blogging friends as I had been eagerly awaiting its release.   

About the movie:  The Help stars Emma Stone(“Easy A”) as Skeeter, Academy Award®–nominated Viola Davis (“Doubt”) as Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as Minny—three very different women from very different backgrounds living in Mississippi during the 1960s.  Even though by doing so they are breaking many societal rules and laws, these women forge an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that puts them all at risk. 

The film begins with Skeeter returning to her hometown after college, where she lands a job at a Jackson paper as a “housekeeping” help columnist under a pen name. Having never kept her own house, she turns to Aibileen, her friend’s hired “help” to assist her in writing the collumn.  It is during these meetings that Skeeter realizes that she wants to write about something more important than laundry stains and dusting and decides she wants to document the real story about “the help”.  Even through fear and intimidation, the women find the strength to meet in private and record their, and their town's, deepest, darkest secrets. 

The Help is one of those movies that will have you laughing, crying, feeling grateful we live in an age of tolerance and acceptance, as well as thinking about the things that really matter in life.  It is incredibly moving and is filled with outrage, humor, and, above all, hope.  The lesson that anyone has the ability to create change in their community, and possibly change the world, is not one that was lost on me.  While most of us are not blazing new ground or defying rules and laws everyday, we all face adversity and at times feel stifled. 

Reminding yourself that by putting our fear behind us and following our dreams we can achieve some really wonderful things is a fabulous way to spend a Saturday, don’t you think? 

DreamWorks Pictures’ THE HELP opened on Wednesday, August 10th and is now in theatres everywhere.

Find out more at http://www.thehelpmovie.com/ or by following the Twitter hashtag  #TheHelpMovie

A big thank you to DreamWorks for inviting us to a pre-screening party for the movie and for a small goody bag filled with The Help inspired The Republic of Tea Caramel Cake Black Tea {yummmmm!} and a small mirror and file as well as some desserts and drinks from Snake Oil Cocktail Company and Campine Catering.  All opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.