MovieChat Forums > The Help (2011) Discussion > Two wrongs don't make a right.

Two wrongs don't make a right.

posted 7 years ago by filmcritic-16538
12 replies | jump to latest

SPOILERS.

When Minny put a bit of her s*** into Hilly's pie - that scene wasn't funny at all. It's clear that Hilly is a racist, she's hardcore and extremely harsh and black women couldn't cuss her back or anything like that, but two wrongs don't make a right, Minny lowered herself to Hilly's level pulling a stunt like that, there was no need for it because she was no longer working for Hilly and didn't have any plans to return, Hilly wouldn't be able to verbally abuse her and humiliate her anymore, Minny was free of Hilly, so why go back? Just to get your revenge? And was you satisfied? No she wasn't - as we see clearly in her facial expression that it was wrong and she even admitted that she asked God to forgive her.

As a black British person i say take the high road and let the racists make fools of themselves. You reap what you sow. You don't have to do anything, let their wrong ways come back to them.

[–] Layah-Jhene 7 years ago

It don't make a right but it makes it Even. Hilly better be lucky Minny didn't do worst.

[–] nightswimming80 7 years ago

It wasn't just because Hilly fired her and Minny wasn't exactly free. It was because Hilly claimed that Minny was a thief thus making very hard for Minny to find another job.

[–] nancy-mitrione 7 years ago

While I agree with you, I think Minny is the type of person that has to get the last words in. Remember her reminding herself "not to sass talk". She wanted revenge for everything that Hilly put her through. I think that scene was over the top ...maybe if she put in some laxative or something but that was plain gross.

[–] isaacglover_05 7 years ago

Tbh, as gross as it is, a *beep* pie' would probably be the only revenge that would help Minny. Because even after Minny got fired she was still technically under Hilly's grasp, telling everyone that she was a thief and a liar and whatnot. This pie was what set Minny free, and something that she could use against Hilly. Laxatives would've been fun to see, but I don't see how that would be that big a deal, seeing as Hilly could come up with any excuse for what could have gone wrong with her bowels. But eating a *beep* pie, apie she thought was absolute heaven, there was no way of getting out of that.

I don't know, just my thought.

[–] yooneeque 7 years ago

I agree, and IIRC that incident was the "insurance" for Skeeter's book. Otherwise, the townspeople would have been able to identify themselves in the characters, but this way, Hilly, who had a lot of power, insisted that the book was not about Jackson b/c she didn't want to incriminate herself as the "s--t - eater".

[–] shann-maddox 7 years ago

Exactly. It served two purposes, it allowed Minnie to fully extricate herself from Hilly's deliberate slandering to prevent Minnie from getting another job in town.

And it served as the key piece of insurance for Skeeter's book. Hilly would never want anyone to know that the pie incident was based on her.

[–] snoball-73512 7 years ago

Minnie never wanted to tell anyone. She was just gonna watch her eat it and go home. But, unfortunately that's not what happened, and the truth came out. Keep in mind though Minnie was not proud of what she did, and felt extremely ashamed. We all do things we just never should have done. Period. Minnie just got lucky it was an insurance to keep the book anonymous.

[–] pioneergrrrl (2389) 7 years ago

I either would have kept my mouth shut or told her at the very end

[–] cbee43 7 years ago

As a black brit you had no experience working with racist white folks in the sixties..that heathen deserved to truss in her pie..that was America not friggin great Britain!

[–] creatorof2002 7 years ago

If I wanted that kind of revenge here is what I would do.

I would make the food PERFECTLY SANITARY, I would not even spit in it or do anything else unsanitary, then i would LIE to the person and make them THINK they ate my $hit, that would ruin the person psychologically and to me it would be an even better revenge because I would get to enjoy the irony that they suffered mental ruin UNNECESSARILY. I could watch them totally freak out and get to live with my own secret inside joke, to me that would be a better revenge.

[–] atasteforscarlet 7 years ago

Okay, I'm the physical poster child of a WASP, and I have no problem with it.

Did it turn my stomach? Totally.

Did the Hilly deserve it? Totally. We're talking about an era that man or woman could have been lynched for less. The only protection Minnie had was that admitting what had happened to Hilly would have socially ruined Hilly.

Today, with the laws we have, no way. Still understandable, but a different offense altogether.

[–] pioneergrrrl (2389) 7 years ago

It's extreme---but given how 'gross' Hilly is to Minny, I can see why it was actually justified. I would not have mentioned it though until she had eaten the entire pie. Give it time to digest. A couple of bites were too nice.