The Help
Seen it?2011 | 146 min | Drama
Friday Night FlickWhy it’s a Friday Night Flick
Audiences adore it (8.2 out of 10), people are still talking about it, it won an Oscar and it made about 9 times its budget. Make plans for this one.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who loves a strong drama. Audiences love it more than critics do: a crowd-pleaser first.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 26 min.
- What might put you off
- Critics were cooler on it than audiences.
Aibileen Clark is a middle-aged African-American maid who has spent her life raising white children and has recently lost her only son; Minny Jackson is an African-American maid who has often offended her employers despite her family's struggles with money and her desperate need for jobs; and Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan is a young white woman who has recently moved back home after graduating college to find out her childhood maid has mysteriously disappeared. These three stories intertwine to explain how life in Jackson, Mississippi revolves around "the help"; yet they are always kept at a certain distance because of racial lines.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsSolid
76% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesVery strong
8.2 out of 10
- AwardsStrong
Won 1 Oscar: Best Supporting Actress. Also nominated for 2 more Oscars.
- Box office & staying powerStrong
$217 million worldwide on a $25 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactVery strong
About 1.2 million people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Tate Taylor
- Emma StoneSkeeter Phelan
- Viola DavisAibileen Clark
- Bryce Dallas HowardHilly Holbrook
- Octavia SpencerMinny Jackson
- Jessica ChastainCelia Foote
- Ahna O'ReillyElizabeth Leefolt
- Allison JanneyCharlotte Phelan
- Anna CampJolene French
- Eleanor HenryMae Mobley
- Emma HenryMae Mobley