Pages to the big screen

Specific challenges that a filmmaker would have in adapting The Help into a movie would be to incorporate the character looks as described in the book. In the movie, they did a great job by not leaving out important scenes and details. In the book they described Hilly as chubby and Skeeter as ugly, whereas in the film it was just the opposite. Three specific scenes that are essential to keep and not change in order for the adaption to work is when Hilly first brings up the “bathroom” situation, the first meeting to write the book with Aibileen and Skeeter, and when Skeeter’s mom finally tells her what happened to Constantine. The “bathroom” situation with Hilly was first introduced when they were at a bridge club meeting. Aibileen asks Elizabeth to use their bathroom and Hilly basically says no. She describes that it is unsafe for families with the help because they carry different diseases than they do. She came up with the Home Health Sanitation Act. It gave the help their bathroom outside. This scene is essential to the movie because it is just one of the examples of how during that time white people thought they were so different than the blacks. It also is a reason as to why Skeeter plans on writing her book through the eyes of the help. Another scene that is essential is when Skeeter and Aibileen first meet to discuss the book. It shows how their friendship grew because at first they were uncomfortable, since it wasn’t allowed and different. They were both scared that they were going to get caught so their voices were shaky. During the scene, Skeeter began asking the questions and at first Aibileen takes time to respond. After the first meeting Skeeter only got a little information about how Aibileen was born and forced to be a maid to help pay the bills. However in the book Aibileen cuts the meeting short and to do it another time and it isn’t until a few weeks later that Skeeter hears from her again. In the movie they incorporate how they felt, but eventually the ice broke a little. The third scene that is essential to the movie because Skeeter kept bringing up how she didn’t think Constantine quit without saying goodbye. Her mother explains that the headmaster of some society was over and that Constantine was embarrassing her by being old and slow. After Rachael entered, and the headmaster gave her mother a look she knew that if she wanted to remain a part of the club that she would have to fire Constantine.  Skeeter’s brother went up to Chicago to get her back, but she was already dead. This scene is important because it finally gives Skeeter an answer she didn’t want to hear; the person who was there for her and raised her was gone. In the movie the actors and director showed the same emotion that was brought out in the book. Three specific parts of The Help that I would have to cut if adapting it into a movie would be Skeeter’s whole relationship with Stuart, Skeeter’s trips to the library for book for Aibileen and when Skeeter gets pulled over. Skeeter’s relationship with Stuart isn’t really related to the main theme of the book besides when he dumps her because she told him that she wrote the book. Other than that it doesn’t impact the ending, but shows a relationship destroyed because they have different views. Another part is the trips Skeeter takes the library so she can give books to Aibileen. It shows their friendship, but I think there were enough prime examples in the book that you could easily incorporate into the movie. Also when Skeeter gets pulled over by the police on her way to Aibileen’s house would be cut because even though it describes the danger of that time, there are other ways to show it. Overall for how the flimmakers adapted the book to the movie, was very well described and they choose the right scences, characters and location to flim the movie.