CLOSED-The Help Movie Out Soon and A #GIVEAWAY FOR YOU!

Hey All!

Coming to a theater near you on August 10, 2011 is the new film by DreamWorks, The Help. The Help is based on the phenomenal New York Times best-selling book by Kathryn Stockett. With 3 million copies in print, “The Help” remained on the NYT best-seller list for 103 weeks, six of which were at No. 1. a provocative and inspiring look at what happens in a southern town when the unspoken code of rules and behavior is challenged by three courageous women who strike up an unlikely friendship.

I’ve read the book and I will be seeing the film soon at BlogHer for an advanced screening and I can’t wait to see some of my favorite characters from this amazing book come to life on the big screen.

The Help stars Emma Stone (who will also play Gwen Stacy in the new Spider Man movie!) as Skeeter, Academy Award–nominated Viola Davis as Aibileen, Bryce Dallas Howard, Oscar winner Sissy Spacek, Academy Award nominee Cicely Tyson, and Octavia Spencer as Minny.

This movie is about extraordinary women in Mississippi during the 1960’s, who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk. From their improbable alliance a remarkable sisterhood emerges, instilling all of them with the courage to transcend the lines that define them, and the realization that sometimes those lines are made to be crossed even if it means bringing everyone in town face-to-face with the changing times.

Here are some fun facts about the film:
•The film was shot on location in and around Greenwood, Miss., and the citizens of Greenwood willingly pitched in to find period props for the film by digging around in their attics and basements, and many played extras in “The Help” as well. Even producer Brunson Green’s grandmother’s dress wound up in wardrobe.

•Octavia Spencer, who plays Minny in the film, is a longtime friend of director Tate Taylor, having met him when they both worked on a film. The two eventually became roommates in LA for four years. In addition, producer Brunson Green (also from Jackson, Miss.) is also a longtime friend of both Taylor and Spencer and the three used to hang out together, occasionally with Kathryn Stockett, author of “The Help.”

•While growing up in Jackson, Miss., Tate Taylor, Kathryn Stockett and Brunson Green would regularly be treated to milkshakes and grilled cheese sandwiches at Brent’s Pharmacy soda fountain. The production was able to recreate the real Brent’s Pharmacy as it was back when they were children.

•Local chefs were brought in to make sure foods used in the scenes, from fried chicken to congealed salads, were regionally correct and also correct for the times, and a conscious effort was made to make it all look homemade—not fancy or store-bought—to add to the authenticity of the film.

•Cast members spent a whole day in a ballroom learning how to do period dances, including the bunny hop—taught by Sissy Spacek.

•A dialect coach, hired to make sure everyone’s southern accent was perfect, flew into Jackson, Miss., to record accents for the actors. Even the real southerners in the cast were coached in the proper way of speaking specifically for the Mississippi Delta. Allison Janney picked Producer Brunson Green’s mother’s accent to emulate for her character, Charlotte. In 1963, Mrs. Green was the same age as the character Skeeter, played by Emma Stone.

•The mothers of Tate Taylor, Kathryn Stockett and Brunson Green all have appearances in “The Help.”

•Due to the intense summer heat in Mississippi, the filmmakers adjusted the schedule to shoot only indoors in the middle of the day. Exteriors were shot in the early morning and late afternoon.

•Director Tate Taylor grew up visiting Greenwood, Miss., as a child and would later spend nights in the home used for the interior of Skeeter Phelan’s house. Taylor was college buddies with the homeowner’s son.

•The Mayflower Café, a Jackson, Miss. landmark, where Stuart and Skeeter eat oysters in the movie, is one of Director Tate Taylor’s favorite restaurants. It is the place where Taylor ate his first raw oyster as a child.

•The movie theater that Skeeter observes in the beginning of THE HELP while getting gas was the theater Director Tate Taylor went to as a child. It closed down in the 1980s and was brought back to life by the production crew. The gas station is a yoga studio today, but was transformed back into a gas station for the shoot.

Take a look at trailer below:

You can also CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD The Help Book Club Kit .PDF file that that contains delicious recipes, unique drink mixes, activity ideas and more! I love it and you will too. It’s great for getting together with your girlfriends and having a night to bond.

You can learn more about the movie by visiting the official website, www.TheHelpMovie.com.
Here is the movie’s trailer to get your excited about the film. The Help is considered a dram and is rated PG-13.

THE HELP opens in theaters everywhere on Wednesday, August 10th.  I can’t wait to see it and I highly recommend you see it too! And you know how me and Disney Celebrate movie releases…With a Giveaway of course!

GIVEAWAY!

One of my Fabulous readers will win a THE HELP prize-pack!

It will consist of one of each of the following:

– THE HELP t-shirt in adult female sizes of S, M, L, XL

– THE HELP pocket jotter & pen

– THE HELP fan

– THE HELP nail file/mirror

TO ENTER:

MANDATORY ENTRY:

LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW WITH AN ANSWER TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:

If you could start your own book club with your friends which book would you pick to start the club and why?

That’s all you have to do to enter…but if you’d like additional entries:

For Additional Entries after the main entry is completed, do ANY or ALL of the following and PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELLOW FOR EACH ADDITIONAL ENTRY YOU DO:

-“Like” THE HELP on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/thehelpmovie

– Follow The Help on Twitter, http://twitter.com/helpmovie.

– SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG BY EMAIL OR VIA READER! SCROLL DOWN THE RIGHT SIDE BAR OF MY BLOG WHERE IT SAYS “SUBSCRIBE TO ME”

– “Like” The Queen of Swag! on Facebook at Facebook.com/thequeenofswag (or click on the Facebook Like button found on the right side bar).

– Follow The Queen of Swag on Twitter @queenofswag4u or by clicking on the twitter buttons that say follow me on the right side bar.

-Tweet this Giveaway! Feel free to make up a Tweet about this Giveaway with @queenofswag4u and #TheHelpMovie and http://thequeenofswag.blogspot.com/ or this shortened link http://bit.ly/ahoOgH

#Giveaway! WIN A #TheHelpMovie GIFT PACK From @Disneypictures & @queenofswag4u-http://bit.ly/ahoOgH -ENDS 08/14/11

(This is limited to 4 tweets per day, spaced apart not one right after the other PLEASE. I don’t want anyone to be called spammers or blocked by twitter.)

– Connect with me on NETWORKED BLOGS found also on the (right side bar of the blog)

– Enter any of my other giveaways (leave one comment for each giveaway you enter)

– Blog about this giveaway and leave a link to post.

– Add my BLOG BUTTONS to your blog and leave a link to show me you did.

– Use any of the social networking buttons found at the bottom of this post underneath my NAME/Signature to promote this giveaway. Be sure to tell me what you did and if possible provide a name and/or URL so that I can check it out.

-On any future Wednesdays, Participate in my Wednesday Hump Day Slump Day events by Posting a comment and leave a comment here saying you participated.

-GIVEAWAY WILL END AUGUST 14h, 2011 at 11:59pm pacific time! Winners will be notified by email, twitter, or facebook and winners will be announced on this blog, on twitter, and on facebook.

-This GIVEAWAY is open to USA ONLY! SORRY.
 
PRIZE WILL BE FULFILLED TO THE WINNER BY DISNEY PICTURES AND DREAMWORKS PR TEAM.

**PLEASE SEE RULES AND DISCLAIMER FOR MORE PRIZE INFO. AGAIN WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN AT RANDOM USING RANDOM.ORG FROM ELIGIBLE ENTRIES.**

Good luck to All who enter! And THANK YOU so much for following my blog!

***Disclosure: I was not compensated or paid in any way for this post. I WILL attend a free screening of it and I am sharing this for the benefit of my readers. All opinions are my own.***

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