I Knew I Was in Trouble!

Who cries during a movie preview? Well, usually I don't, but when the trailer for War Horses came up, I found myself scrambling for the Kleenex. Something struck a nerve, and I had a hard time turning off the waterworks. That's a movie I can't go to! But this should have been a warning to me for what was to come.

When the main attraction came on, I settled in for what I knew would be a good show. I had already read The Help, so I knew what was coming. What I didn't expect was how much I would cry at the end.

The movie was so well done. I loved Aibilene and Minnie, and surprisingly, the director made Cecilia a much more likable person than the book did. Equally, Hillie was much more unpleasant than I had picked up in the book. The Hillie in the movie, I think, was more what Ms. Stockett had in mind - I just hadn't paid enough attention. She was a bully in the worst way - but in sheep's clothing. I was glad the movie made her as awful as it did.

Ms. Stockett's story is one that needed to be told, and she did it well. We can't change history. . . but we can promise never to allow such behavior to continue or return. I hope her book is a good start!