The Help and other southern chick lit

First off: I am OBSESSED with any kind of southern literature...whether it be chick lit or a grand novel such as Gone with the Wind, I will devour it voraciously.  If it is set in Louisiana I am especially drawn to it, THANK YOU Rebecca Wells for the addiction.  Give me Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia or Alabama and I'll buy into that too.

Side Note: I can't discuss or listen to how much someone loves the Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood until they've read the book.  The movie was God awful!  Sorry Sandy Bullock.  Go read the book and pretend you never saw the mockery of a movie.  

So anyways, I realize I am way late...I just read the book The Help after seeing the movie.  To be fair- I did buy the book not this past holiday season...but the past holiday season...I guess holidays 2010.  I was up ahead on the trend but then never read it for one reason or another.

I cannot imagine a different cast of characters but perhaps this is my fault as I saw the movie before reading the book. This movie made me fall in platonic love with Emma Stone.  I can't picture a better Minny or Aibeleen either.  I'm also quite a fan of Celia Foote aka Jessica Chastian who is up for an Oscar I believe.

Skeeter- Emma Stone

Celia Foote- Jessica Chastian

Hilly Holbrook, the character, makes me want to vomit.  And bitch slap her.  That being said, Bryce Dallas Howard as Hilly makes me cringe (after reading the book especially) since she is just so awful.  She apparently did a good job because I HATED her!

Hilly Holbrook- Bryce Dallas Howard ughhhhhh!

On a related note....these women (BOTH of them) deserve an Oscar. 

Aibeleen and Minny - Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer

I obviously wish the movie would have followed the book more...like The Phelans going over to the Senator and Mrs. Wentworth's home, Mrs. Phelan's illness and followed Skeeter and Staurt's relationship better.  Overall, phenomenal casting and movie.  It's hard to recreate a book and transform it into a movie but I think it was done excellently in this case.  And a tear-jerker...get some kleenex.

Linzo says: Need some more southern chick lit?  I'm a huge fan of Michael Lee West...go buy Mad Girls in Love.

Marilyn

I have a thing for Marilyn.  The way she looked in particular but also her fascinating life and her marriages.  Did you know that Joe DiMaggio sent red roses to her grave every week for 20 years after she died?

Photo Shoot with my sis with one of the original camera phones...circa 2003?  Yep- that's me!

I'm not talking the neon Andy Warhol-esque Marilyn but just classic black and white.  She is the original bombshell...what's not to love?! 

Drinking and dancing in the living room?  Hmmm...I've been channeling her all along...

So speaking of Marilyn, I am dying to see this...I'm sure it's not even in the theater anymore.  Red box it is!

My Week With Marilyn

I honestly cannot believe I haven't seen this.  I've seen most of the Marilyn Monroe made for TV movies...the ones with Poppy Montgomery and Ashley Judd seem to stick out.  Also- I didn't always like Michelle Williams...but once she started dating Heath Ledger I warmed up to her.  Jen Lindley NO THANKS!  Plus Julia Ormond as Vivien Leigh?! Her expression in the pic below is PERFECT.  It's Vivien's "Scarlett" face...with the one eyebrow slightly raised.  Need to see ASAP.



Linzo says:  "If you ever want to go places, you've got to be a blonde" -Emmeline Snively, Marilyn's first agent who convinced her to bleach her hair

Something Borrowed/Something Blue...thoughts?

Something Old- a friendship
Something New- a man
Something Borrowed- a fiance
Something Blue- ummm...your mood?

You're blue because you either just blindsided your bestie and stole her finace or you are the bestie that got blindsided.


Something Borrowed was ehhhhh.  Middle of the road.  I wasn't expecting much to be honest because the books were phenomenal (both Something Borrowed and Something Blue - Emily Giffin you're my favorite).  Usually phenomenal books (Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood) turn into disappointing movies.  PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't make a Bergedorf Blondes movie.  Please, Plum Sykes don't let it happen!  For the most part, I thought it was a poor choice of actresses (not the actors, just the ladies) when it comes to Something Borrowed. 

Dex is as handsome and dapper as I pictured- Hi Colin Egglesfield where'd YOU come from?

and HELLOOOOO...Jim from the office (John Krasinski) as Ethan makes my heart melt.

So as far as the ladies go...here's my beef-

Darcy is described as olive skinned with dark glossy hair.  Kate Hudson is adorable and cute but a dark haired, olive skinned beauty she is not.  Also, I don't like the way she portrayed Darcy.  I get it that in the first book (Something Borrowed) she is supposed to be the bitch.  The one who steals the spotlight/thunder away from her not as gorge and outgoing BFF.  Darcy was too reminiscent of Liv, Kate's Bride Wars character.  I just think they made her toooooo bitchy.  I am normally a big fat sucker for Kate...I  think she is adorable (although she miiiiiight want to invest in a lil botox?), funny and duhhhhhh Goldie's daughter.  I love her boho, beachy, blondes have more fun, California girl look.  But this movie - not so much.

Rather than Kate, I would have chosen someone along the lines of Rachel Bilson or Jessica Alba maybe.  A striking brunette for sure.  I actually pictured her exactly how I pictured Lila Fowler from the Sweet Valley books.  Lila was always my favorite, apparently I have always loved the mean girls.



Rachel Bilson...stunning and has the sass-factor down pat from playing bitch-tastic Summer Roberts on the OC.


Now for Rachel....I am really reeeeeeeally sick of seeing Ginnifer Goodwin playing these unlucky in love, plain-jane, almost pitiful characters.  Really.  I mean Gigi from He's Just Not That Into You and Vivian Cash from Walk The Line are characters that almost make me cringe for them.  Give the girl a new role!  I just don't see her as Rachel who snags a looker such as Dex.  Go ahead and call me shallow.  Also - her bangs bugged me the whole movie.

Rather than Ginnifer Goodwin playing the same character yet again, how about Kristen Bell?  Not a typical bombshell blonde but obvi still pretty.  I actually picture someone with more mousy brown hair as Rachel like she is described in the books. 



Maybe make her a little dowdy? Frump-ify the girl a little? Up the plain factor some?




I actually like the character Darcy and feel for her more so than Rachel after reading Something Blue.  Darcy's story struck something with me.  Maybe it was the betrayal of both BFF and fiance.  Rachel- YOU DON'T DO THAT TO YOUR BFF!  I know, I know, she slept with Marcus and is prego but still...BFF and fiance betrayed you!  Double whammy! 

Linzo says: Read the books...duhhhh.