'The Help' shows power of storytelling

For many readers, the translation of their favorite book to the big screen is often a big disappointment.

Not so, for Palm Desert resident Jean Barney. When Kathryn Stockett's novel of 1960s small town racism, "The Help," opened at the , she gave it an enthusiastic "Two Thumbs Up."

“It was very good. And I read the book, so I was kind of hesitant. But it was very good,” Barney said.

The story is set in Jackson, Miss., when strictly enforced Jim Crow laws forbade any close contact between different races. An enterprising misfit, Skeeter (Emma Stone), takes an activist pen in hand to interview the local Black housemaids.

Led by Aibileen (Viola Davis in likely another Supporting Oscar role), the maids risk great danger to share their stories and change their circumstances.

Another Palm Desert film goer, Beverly Foster, had a more personal review.

“I thought it was excellent. I know where Jackson, Miss. is – I worked in Jackson as a nurse. It is a very good representation," Foster said.

Foster related the film to the current news from Jackson, where a group of white teens are on trial for murdering a black automobile worker.

“This film can give some sort of understanding,'' she said. "Even though we have different skin colors, or what have you, we are still human. We put so much emphasis on the skin color, and being a nurse, I have worked with many ethnicities and believe me, all blood is red. We are all human.”

Rancho Mirage resident, Kay Devine, enthused about "The Help" and said she remembered witnessing similar things happen in the homes of people she knew.

"In Chicago, where I grew up," she explained, "a lot of the (domestic) help was black and people treated them like they were nothing."

The supporting cast (Octavia Spencer, Allison Janney, Sissy Spacek, Cicely Tyson, Bryce Dallas Howard) brings life to Stockett's characters and director Tate Taylor carefully captures the essence of the novel.

The film's producers, Participant Media, have launched a social action campaign for people to tell their stories and help bring positive change to the lives of others.

The Inspiration to Action campaign is open to the public and prizes will be awarded for the best stories.