The Help Directed by: Tate Taylor Starring: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Patricia Clarkson Rating: PG-13 Release Date: August 10, 2011

TRAILER SCORE: 6/10

Thoughts by TSR: I so wanted to like this trailer, but it keeps throwing every feel-good movie cliche in my face. The characters are all giving pithy one liners at the beginning, then it changes to a feel good sort of vibe with inspiring music. The effect is kind of icky. I enjoyed the book the film is based on, the whole time I had this pervasive feeling of dread. The consequences for crossing class lines were very real in Mississippi in the 60s, the book made this clear. But the trailer plays it off as a fun nostalgic look back... to a time when black women worked for white women who paid them little and treated them like less than human (sometimes). Basically, the tone for the trailer is totally wrong for anyone's whose read the book. And even if I didn't know the story, I'd stay away because of the feel-good story for women vibe. However, I still hold out hope that it'll end up a good movie. I really hope it's better than it looks.