The Help
Based on the New York Times bestselling novel, starring Emma Stone (Zombieland, Superbad) as a young woman who creates a stir in 1960s Mississippi by writing a book that interviews the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent, white southern families.
Skeeter (Stone) is a southern society girl who returns from college determined to become a writer. Uncomfortable with attitudes toward "the help" - especially with Hilly Holbrooks (Bryce Dallas Howard, Spider-Man 3) and her 'Sanitation Initiative' which proposes a bill to provide separate bathrooms for black maids - Skeeter decides to write a book about the black women who have spent their lives raising white children. Afraid of losing their jobs (or worse), the maids are reluctant to talk. But the floodgates open when Aibileen (Viola Davis, Doubt) opens up, and when the powerful Civil Rights movement spreads to Mississippi.
- Director:
- Tate Taylor ('Pretty Ugly People')
- Writer:
- Tate Taylor
- Cast:
- Emma StoneBryce Dallas HowardSissy SpacekAllison JanneyMike VogelDavid OyelowoAhna O'ReillyViola DavisOctavia Spencer
Reviews & comments
Variety
pressThe film emphasizes hankie-tugging sisterhood over pricklier issues that continue to divide the races today.
Time Out
pressThe tone lashes excruciatingly between lip-quivering solemnity and crowd-pleasing sass.
Time Magazine
pressTaylor's adaptation is a finely crafted distillation of the book; even at two and a half hours it never lags.
The New York Times
pressIf the movie’s director, Tate Taylor, had his way, your tear ducts would be sucked dry by that big finish...
Sunday Star-Times
pressThere is humour, drop dead gorgeous costuming, and plenty of great acting to recommend The Help.
Rolling Stone
pressShort on style and flashy technique, The Help on film compensates with genuine emotional force.
Los Angeles Times
pressThe movie exists within an emotionally charged landscape sometimes too starkly black and white — there is no room for ambiguity at this table.
Hollywood Reporter
pressThis self-conscious and self-congratulatory portrait of the Jim Crow South does at least contain two magnificent, award-worthy performances.
A.V. Club
pressShot like an inductee in the Hallmark Hall Of Fame, The Help covers an ugly era in superficial gloss...
This moving film deals with the reality of racism in Mississippi in the 1960s. Being in the South of the US, Mississippi was one of the states where a clear separation between white and black was very strong for many years - unfortunately way after the Black Civil Rights Movie happened. Sure, the film is fairly predictable, but in the great emancipatory...
This film is very moving, it really shows you how much society has changed and grown to this present day. Had some very funny moments also, and the casting was perfect. Fantastic movie.
a small piece of the American history as dark as it was, yet a fresh approach of both sides of the white & black community of yesteryear. a good solid cast worth watching
This is a great film about a subject matter that is tough to tangle with, dealing with racism head on. There are some great female performances here. Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Viola Davis,Jessica Chastain.. basically the whole cast is amazing. The film can having in tears one minute and laughing the next. I highly recommend it
Certainly worth a watch. Gorgeous characters, characters you wanna throttle. A different take on the whole civil rights movement. Though some have criticised The Help for glossing over the real feel of the time, or not showing horror of what was going, it would have been out of character for this book/ film to do so. And it shows a different type of horror-...
I think the whole theatre was laughing and crying at the same time at this film. Well worth the watch, I only wish I had read the book before hand.
I dont love Emma Stone as much as Jim Carrey but she is getting very good roles and plays to her strengths. This well written novel adaptation on the big screen warms the heart. Its not so much a "good-night-out" flick, but more a "good-night-in" so you and friends you share it with can discuss it afterwards. Far from movie trash, more...
Variety
pressThe film emphasizes hankie-tugging sisterhood over pricklier issues that continue to divide the races today.
Time Out
pressThe tone lashes excruciatingly between lip-quivering solemnity and crowd-pleasing sass.
Time Magazine
pressTaylor's adaptation is a finely crafted distillation of the book; even at two and a half hours it never lags.
The New York Times
pressIf the movie’s director, Tate Taylor, had his way, your tear ducts would be sucked dry by that big finish...
Sunday Star-Times
pressThere is humour, drop dead gorgeous costuming, and plenty of great acting to recommend The Help.
Rolling Stone
pressShort on style and flashy technique, The Help on film compensates with genuine emotional force.
Los Angeles Times
pressThe movie exists within an emotionally charged landscape sometimes too starkly black and white — there is no room for ambiguity at this table.
Hollywood Reporter
pressThis self-conscious and self-congratulatory portrait of the Jim Crow South does at least contain two magnificent, award-worthy performances.
A.V. Club
pressShot like an inductee in the Hallmark Hall Of Fame, The Help covers an ugly era in superficial gloss...
This moving film deals with the reality of racism in Mississippi in the 1960s. Being in the South of the US, Mississippi was one of the states where a clear separation between white and black was very strong for many years - unfortunately way after the Black Civil Rights Movie happened. Sure, the film is fairly predictable, but in the great emancipatory...
This film is very moving, it really shows you how much society has changed and grown to this present day. Had some very funny moments also, and the casting was perfect. Fantastic movie.
a small piece of the American history as dark as it was, yet a fresh approach of both sides of the white & black community of yesteryear. a good solid cast worth watching
This is a great film about a subject matter that is tough to tangle with, dealing with racism head on. There are some great female performances here. Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Viola Davis,Jessica Chastain.. basically the whole cast is amazing. The film can having in tears one minute and laughing the next. I highly recommend it
Certainly worth a watch. Gorgeous characters, characters you wanna throttle. A different take on the whole civil rights movement. Though some have criticised The Help for glossing over the real feel of the time, or not showing horror of what was going, it would have been out of character for this book/ film to do so. And it shows a different type of...
I think the whole theatre was laughing and crying at the same time at this film. Well worth the watch, I only wish I had read the book before hand.
I dont love Emma Stone as much as Jim Carrey but she is getting very good roles and plays to her strengths. This well written novel adaptation on the big screen warms the heart. Its not so much a "good-night-out" flick, but more a "good-night-in" so you and friends you share it with can discuss it afterwards. Far from movie trash, more...
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