The Help: Finding Strength In Your Dream

Last updated on July 7th, 2022 at 11:26 am

Dreaming is hard. Dreaming when your world is full of adversity seems impossible. There are strong souls keeping their dreams alive and well, no matter the reality around them.

This is the message I got from “The Help”

The Help stars Emma Stone as Skeeter, Viola Davis as Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as Minny-three very different, extraordinary women in Mississippi during the 1960s, who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk. From their improbable alliance a remarkable sisterhood emerges, instilling all of them with the courage to transcend the lines that define them, and the realization that sometimes those lines are made to be crossed-even if it means bringing everyone in town face-to-face with the changing times.

The strength of their dreams

The main characters’ stories are so beautifully told on screen, you can’t help but be captivated by the moments that are captured on screen. They pull you into their plight, letting you in on the levity of shared laughter in the kitchen, to the pain and tenuous reality of their situation.

This is one of those movies that made me sit up and admit that my life is easy.

Making dreams come alive

While the main character, Skeeter, starts the project with her personal dream of becoming a writer in mind, she quickly realizes what an impact telling these woman’s stories can have on their lives.

When the tales start flowing about how these women are treated, they are both shocking and poignant. Trusted to raise their employer’s children, they are simultaneously treated as second-class citizens.

I know I live in a completely different time and place, but I felt anger and pain watching these stories played out, even as they were told with such grace. Although I can’t even begin to imagine the struggle with adversity these strong women faced daily, I can definitely jump with joy when they realize just how empowered with their dreams they become.

I fell in love with the character Minny, whose sass tends to get her in trouble, while her big heart can’t help but take risks for what she knows is right. Her reluctance at first in helping Skeeter by telling her stories is quickly replaced by her exuberance in being able to finally share them.

The risk of coming together as a group and finding strength in their shared experiences was an amazing aspect of the film. Seeing all the support these women give each other, even if they can only truly open up behind closed doors in secret meetings, is amazing. It makes me even more grateful for the support I have here on 8 Women Dream and from everyone in my life.

I am an avid reader who is admittedly behind in her pile of books, so this wonderful story has moved to the top of the list. If you haven’t picked up “The Help” yet, grab it.

I recommend catching this lovely film in theaters to help you kick-start your dream. It makes for a wonderfully inspirational trip to the movies.

**The Help image is the property of © 2010 DreamWorks Studios and a thumbnail shot is used here for educational purposes only. Click on the image to visit their website and go see the movie, The Help.