BLU-RAY/DVD OF THE MONTH (12/6/11): THE HELP
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Hey everybody! It's a new feature ... Introducing the Blu-Ray/DVD of the month!
THE BASICS: Adapted from the best-selling New York Times novel of the same name written by Kathryn Sockett, The Help tells the story of Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan (Emma Stone), an aspiring young female writer who shakes things up when she decides to detail the lives of the African-American maids (a.k.a. "The help") in her native Mississippi. Apprehensive at first, Skeeter lands a major break when she is able to convince two women - the reserved Aibileen (Viola Davis) and the brash Minnie (Octavia Spencer) - to share their stories about living in the South, working for white families ... And all the secrets they learn in the process.
As those already familiar with the film know, the story Skeeter reveals about these women is one not to be missed.
THE EXTRAS: Featuring a very sharp 1080p transfer, the home version of The Help is available on several formats: a 3-disc, Blu-Ray/DVD/digital copy edition (MSRP $44.99); a 2-disc Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack (MSRP $39.99) and a 1-disc DVD (MSRP $29.99). Both Blu-Ray editions include "The Making of The Help," a pretty standard-issue documentary detailing all of the effort going into the film, five deleted scenes and "In Their Own Words: A Tribute to the Maids of Mississippi," a short documentary featuring interviews with real maids who worked before and during the time period documented in the film. The deleted scenes, which are introduced by The Help director Tate Taylor (a childhood friend of Sockett's) are nice but really don't do much for the overall value of the film or your viewing experience.
Featuring Taylor (who was partially raised by a maid like those featured in the film himself) and co-star Octavia Spencer, the too-short feature is one you wish was longer and went into more detail. One might argue that it might have made for a more fascinating experience than the movie itself, but given the power of the performances of Davis and company, that is arguable ...
Other features included on all three version include the aforementioned deleted scenes (except "Johnny's home," is exclusive to the Blu-Ray edition) and "The Living Proof" music video by Mary J. Blige.
FINAL VALUE: One of the best historically-inspired films of recent memory (and by far one of if not the best of 2011), The Help is a must-see - if not own - Blu-Ray/DVD release.
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