This is the first time in my life I have ever liked the movie version better than the book. I finished the book the night before seeing the movie. The book left a lot of unanswered story lines, and it also left Hilly on top, with no one really telling her what a piece of trash she really is. The film does an excellent job of incorporating a majority of the book, while adding two scenes where Hilly finally has someone tell her what an a$$hole she really is. I rank the movie a 9 out of 10 because it really is almost perfect. It has Emma Stone as Skeeter trying to break out as a writer by tackling the hot button topic of segregation from the view point of the help. Both supporting characters-Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer-carry the wisdom and truly make you question how racist morons in the south as high up as the governor were able to reign supreme for so long. Skeeter's mother-Allison Janney-lit up the screen. She is the souther belle that has also been dealt a pretty harsh case of cancer that has left her losing her hair and her speed, but she still pushes for the best for her little girl, and in the end proves to be proud of her daughter for being such a courageous writer and human being. Now we have Hilly Holbrook-Bryce Dallas Howard-the villain of the film. I LOVED her in this role. The very sight of her on screen turned my stomach every time. She is a self proclaimed Christian southern belle, but is in reality an ignorant racist that enjoys controlling all her friends and pretty much everything in her life and everyone else's life. She enjoys treating the help terribly, it appears to genuinely make her happy. This is where the book failed terribly. The book had Hilly come out on top, with no one ever really giving it to her. The movie is redeeming, and I cried numerous times throughout. I see numerous Oscar nominations in its future.
