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IMDbPro

The Help

  • 2011
  • PG-13
  • 2h 26m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
473K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
350
172
Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer, and Emma Stone in The Help (2011)
Jackson, Mississippi, 1962: aspiring writer Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan (Stone) returns home after college, where unexpected friendships with African-American maids Aibeleen Clark (Davis) and Minny Jackson (Spencer) result in a book that gives a previously unheard voice to a community's suffering.
Play trailer2:31
32 Videos
99+ Photos
Drama

An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work, and th... Read allAn aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.

  • Director
    • Tate Taylor
  • Writers
    • Tate Taylor
    • Kathryn Stockett
  • Stars
    • Viola Davis
    • Emma Stone
    • Octavia Spencer
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    8.1/10
    473K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    350
    172
    • Director
      • Tate Taylor
    • Writers
      • Tate Taylor
      • Kathryn Stockett
    • Stars
      • Viola Davis
      • Emma Stone
      • Octavia Spencer
    • 666User reviews
    • 299Critic reviews
    • 62Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #248
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 79 wins & 121 nominations total

    Videos32

    Trailer #1
    Trailer 2:31
    Watch Trailer #1
    “Shinelator”
    Clip 0:46
    Watch “Shinelator”
    “Minny Comes to Work for Celia”
    Clip 0:41
    Watch “Minny Comes to Work for Celia”
    "Skeeter Needs Aibileen’s Help”
    Clip 0:40
    Watch "Skeeter Needs Aibileen’s Help”
    “Put Mama in a Chair”
    Clip 0:49
    Watch “Put Mama in a Chair”
    “I Got a Job Today”
    Clip 0:50
    Watch “I Got a Job Today”
    The Help: Skeeter Need's Aibileen's Help
    Clip 0:41
    Watch The Help: Skeeter Need's Aibileen's Help
    The Help: Minnie Comes To Work For Celia
    Clip 0:41
    Watch The Help: Minnie Comes To Work For Celia
    The Help: You Should Read The Book, Hilly
    Clip 0:30
    Watch The Help: You Should Read The Book, Hilly
    The Help: I Got A Job Today
    Clip 0:51
    Watch The Help: I Got A Job Today
    The Help: Shinelator
    Clip 0:46
    Watch The Help: Shinelator
    The Help: Put Mama In A Chair
    Clip 0:49
    Watch The Help: Put Mama In A Chair

    Photos137

    Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer in The Help (2011)
    Emma Stone in The Help (2011)
    Emma Stone in The Help (2011)
    Jessica Chastain in The Help (2011)
    Bryce Dallas Howard and Emma Stone in The Help (2011)
    Viola Davis, David Oyelowo, and Octavia Spencer in The Help (2011)
    Allison Janney, Emma Stone, and Roslyn Ruff in The Help (2011)
    Octavia Spencer in The Help (2011)
    Viola Davis and Emma Stone in The Help (2011)
    Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Emma Stone, Ahna O'Reilly, and Anna Camp in The Help (2011)
    Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain in The Help (2011)
    Allison Janney and Emma Stone in The Help (2011)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Viola Davis
    Viola Davis
    • Aibileen Clark
    Emma Stone
    Emma Stone
    • Skeeter Phelan
    Octavia Spencer
    Octavia Spencer
    • Minny Jackson
    Bryce Dallas Howard
    Bryce Dallas Howard
    • Hilly Holbrook
    Jessica Chastain
    Jessica Chastain
    • Celia Foote
    Ahna O'Reilly
    Ahna O'Reilly
    • Elizabeth Leefolt
    Allison Janney
    Allison Janney
    • Charlotte Phelan
    Anna Camp
    Anna Camp
    • Jolene French
    Eleanor Henry
    • Mae Mobley
    Emma Henry
    • Mae Mobley
    Christopher Lowell
    Christopher Lowell
    • Stuart Whitworth
    • (as Chris Lowell)
    Cicely Tyson
    Cicely Tyson
    • Constantine Jefferson
    Mike Vogel
    Mike Vogel
    • Johnny Foote
    Sissy Spacek
    Sissy Spacek
    • Missus Walters
    Brian Kerwin
    Brian Kerwin
    • Robert Phelan
    Wes Chatham
    Wes Chatham
    • Carlton Phelan
    Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
    Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
    • Yule Mae Davis
    • (as Aunjanue Ellis)
    Ted Welch
    Ted Welch
    • William Holbrook
    • Director
      • Tate Taylor
    • Writers
      • Tate Taylor
      • Kathryn Stockett
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Kathryn Stockett's book, on which this film is based, was rejected 60 times before it was eventually published.
    • Goofs
      When Minny burns the chicken, the top is shown burnt. This needed to be done so the viewer knew the chicken was burnt. Leaving the burnt side down would not have worked.
    • Quotes

      Minny Jackson: Eat my shit.

      Hilly Holbrook: What'd you say?

      Minny Jackson: I said eat... my... shit.

      Hilly Holbrook: Have you lost your mind?

      Minny Jackson: No, ma'am but you is about to. 'Cause you just did.

    • Connections
      Featured in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #19.196 (2011)
    • Soundtracks
      Jackson
      Written by Jerry Leiber and Billy Edd Wheeler

      Performed by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash

      Courtesy of Columbia Nashville

      By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

    User reviews666

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Mesmerizing - Pure Oscar Material!
    Oscar Oscar Oscar – Kathryn Stockett's beautiful book is Oscar worthy in this film -- for editing, screenplay, supporting actress (several deserving) – Emma Stone just shines – at just 22 years old, this film proves she is a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood. There are so few roles written for black women and I was thrilled to see such great roles filled by Viola Davis (Abigail) and Octavia Spencer (Minnie) - both should be nominated for supporting roles although in my opinion, along with Emma Stone, all three share top billing.

    The character development in this movie is really outstanding – I hate movies with flat single dimension characters and these from the lowest to those with the most screen time are just remarkably developed – even the newspaper editor, the lines they chose for him to keep gave you enough information that even he is a memorable character with only three scenes, maybe 4 in the entire movie. Same for Stuart, Skeeter's love interest – you actually like him then hate him and he only has maybe 3 minutes of air time. Great great job. Sissy Spacek with so few speaking moments is great as is Cicely Tyson who speaks volumes even in scenes with no words. Admittedly, being based on an amazing book the background story was already set out and tracks the book closely without some of the details but they have done a great job of putting it to film –

    This movie sets out beautifully a terrible time in our history that unfortunately is not over – it is better, but not over by a long shot. Being a child of the south and coming up during that time, being raised by such bigoted grandparents and parents, it leaves me pause to wonder how I avoided this rabid virus of hate and takes me back to long hot lazy days in the deep south before every building was air conditioned – such attention detail right down to the Jesus fans they waved in church – awesome flick. You FEEL the heat, the tension, the pain, the injustice of the time but still you laugh with them even as you cry for them - both races - ignorance is to be wept over.

    However, I think this movie does more, goes further in its exploration of the behavior of the privileged during that time. They were rabid toward blacks but were not that much better toward anyone who did not share their socio-economic status (the way the "Junior League" treated Celia) and the enormous peer pressure they put on one another (the club encouraging Skeeter's mother to make a poor decision). It visits the sins of the parents passed on to their children – the bigotry and injustice that is learned at the knee of our elders. OMG it is just an awesome, poignant, moving, NOT TO BE MISSED film.

    Mesmerizing from start to finish – never once drags – just an easy easy easy 10
    helpful•116
    55
    • deborahjwood
    • Aug 17, 2011

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    FAQ5

    • What is 'The Help' about?
    • Is 'The Help' based on a book?
    • Who is Medgar Evers?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 10, 2011 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • India
    • Official site
      • Official Site (Japan)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Người Giúp Việc
    • Filming locations
      • Greenwood, Mississippi, USA
    • Production companies
      • DreamWorks
      • Dreamworks Pictures
      • Reliance Film & Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $25,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $169,708,112
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $26,044,590
      • Aug 14, 2011
    • Gross worldwide
      • $216,639,112
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 26 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
      • Datasat
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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