Set in Mississippi during the 1960s, this thought-provoking and radical drama delves into the twists and turns in the life of a bold young woman, Skeeter (Stone). She is a southern society girl who returns from college determined to become a writer, but turns her friends' lives -- and a Mississippi town -- upside down when she decides to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent southern families.
Aibileen (Davis), Skeeter's best friend's housekeeper, is the first to open up -- to the dismay of her friends in the tight-knit black community. Despite Skeeter's life-long friendships hanging in the balance, she and Aibileen continue their collaboration and soon more women come forward to tell their stories -- and as it turns out, they have a lot to say.
Along the way, unlikely friendships are forged and a new sisterhood emerges, but not before everyone in town has a thing or two to say, when they find themselves becoming unwittingly -- and unwillingly -- caught up in the changing times.
Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis
Crew: Tate Taylor (Director), Stephen Goldblatt (Director of Photography), Thomas Newman (Music Director)
Rating: 12A (United Kingdom)
Genres: Drama
Release Dates: 10 Aug 2011 (India)
Tagline: Change begins with a whisper.
English Name: The Help
Did you know? Director Tate Taylor and the author of the book, Kathryn Stockett, were childhood friends in Jackson, Mississippi. Read More
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as Hilly Holbrook
as Skeeter Phelan
as Minny Jackson
as Aibileen Clark
as Elizabeth Leefolt
as Charlotte Phelan
as Bridge Club
as Jolene French
as Bridge Club
as Mary Beth Caldwell
as Yule Mae Davis
as Woman in Grocery Store
as Robert Phelan
as Pearly
as Cora
as Tire Winner @ Ballroom #1
as Stuart Whitworth
as Constantine Jefferson
as Donna The Receptionist (as Cleta E. Ellington)
as Party Guest #3
as Gracie Higginbotham
as Preacher Green
as Tire Winner @ Ballroom #2
as White Bus Passenger
as Mae Mobley
as Mae Mobley
as Maid #1
as Jameso
as Celia Foote
as Missus Walters' Date
as Bridge Club
as Sugar Jackson (as Kelsey Scott)
as Rachel (as La Chanze)
as Bridge Club
as Mr. Blackly
as Elain Stein
as Bridge Club
as Johnny Foote
as Callie
as Henry The Waiter
as Bus Driver
as Pascagoula
as Raleigh Leefolt
as Maid #2
as Missus Walters
as Bridge Club
as Bridge Club
as Gretchen
as William Holbrook
as Rebecca
as Lead Singer of Band
as Carlton Phelan
Direction
Director
First Assistant Director
Second Assistant Director
Production
Producer
Production Company
Co-Producer
Writers
Novelist
Camera and Electrical
Director of Photography
Still Photographer
Electrician
Music
Music Director
Music Editor
Music Coordinator
Sound
Foley Artist
Sound Editor
Sound Re-recording Mixer
Boom Operator
Art
Art Director
Production Designer
Set Decorator
Assistant Props Master
Storyboard Artist
Casting
Casting Director
Casting Associate
Casting Assistant
Costume and Wardrobe
Costume Designer
Costume Supervisor
Assistant Costume Designer
Post Production
Post Production Supervisor
Special Effects
Special Effects Technician
Film Type:
Feature
Language:
English
Colour Info:
Color
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio:
1.85:1 (Flat)
Taglines:
Change begins with a whisper.
Filming Locations:
Goofs:
Miscellaneous
At the fund raiser, Celia rips some of Miss Hilly's dress off. Later when Miss Hilly is outside with her mother, it appears to be fixed again. However, upon closer inspection, the sleeve is clearly pushed up against the rest of the dress to make the damage less conspicuous - a gap can be seen where her skin is showing through.
Audio/Video Mismatch
In the first church scene, during which the preacher speaks of loving one's enemy, the choir and congregation go into a song with rhythmic clapping. The video and audio of this clapping are quite noticeably mismatched.
Character Error
When Skeeter is writing the newsletter, she types "the Holbrook's house" rather than "the Holbrooks' house."
Continuity
When Minnie agrees to work for Celia, Celia shakes her Coke and almost all of the Coke comes out. Later, when they walk into the house, her Coke is nearly full again.
Continuity
When Hilly and Elizabeth are eating at the restaurant/coffee house, Elizabeth's earrings appear and disappear.
Continuity
When Aibileen is walking away from Elizabeth's house, her uniform is stained with sweat from under her arms, but as she walks further, you can see her uniform is clean again
Continuity
At the beginning of the film when Skeeter drives into town for her interview, it shows her driving down a dirt road. Yet when she pulls into town, her car is sparkling clean.
Miscellaneous
Skeeter is shown using liquid paper, which in 1963 was still being sold out of its inventor's house and was not yet widely available. People used hard, round "typewriter erasers" and brushes to correct typing errors.
Miscellaneous
When Minnie is showing how to make fried chicken, the can of Crisco is a modern can with the current color scheme and logo. '60s cans were not as colorful.
Miscellaneous
Features a Model 1205 Electrolux cannister vacuum cleaner, the first rectangular cannister, which wasn't available until about 1970.
Miscellaneous
The red Corvette roadster driving past the station wagon in the beginning of the film is a 1965. Later in the film Medgar Evers is shot (1963).
Miscellaneous
The check received by Hilly in the mail from Celia Foote has an endorsement line on the back of the check. That line didn't exist on checks prior to 1987 when it was required by the federal government.
At the fund raiser, Celia rips some of Miss Hilly's dress off. Later when Miss Hilly is outside with her mother, it appears to be fixed again. However, upon closer inspection, the sleeve is clearly pushed up against the rest of the dress to make the damage less conspicuous - a gap can be seen where her skin is showing through.
Audio/Video Mismatch
In the first church scene, during which the preacher speaks of loving one's enemy, the choir and congregation go into a song with rhythmic clapping. The video and audio of this clapping are quite noticeably mismatched.
Character Error
When Skeeter is writing the newsletter, she types "the Holbrook's house" rather than "the Holbrooks' house."
Continuity
When Minnie agrees to work for Celia, Celia shakes her Coke and almost all of the Coke comes out. Later, when they walk into the house, her Coke is nearly full again.
Continuity
When Hilly and Elizabeth are eating at the restaurant/coffee house, Elizabeth's earrings appear and disappear.
Continuity
When Aibileen is walking away from Elizabeth's house, her uniform is stained with sweat from under her arms, but as she walks further, you can see her uniform is clean again
Continuity
At the beginning of the film when Skeeter drives into town for her interview, it shows her driving down a dirt road. Yet when she pulls into town, her car is sparkling clean.
Miscellaneous
Skeeter is shown using liquid paper, which in 1963 was still being sold out of its inventor's house and was not yet widely available. People used hard, round "typewriter erasers" and brushes to correct typing errors.
Miscellaneous
When Minnie is showing how to make fried chicken, the can of Crisco is a modern can with the current color scheme and logo. '60s cans were not as colorful.
Miscellaneous
Features a Model 1205 Electrolux cannister vacuum cleaner, the first rectangular cannister, which wasn't available until about 1970.
Miscellaneous
The red Corvette roadster driving past the station wagon in the beginning of the film is a 1965. Later in the film Medgar Evers is shot (1963).
Miscellaneous
The check received by Hilly in the mail from Celia Foote has an endorsement line on the back of the check. That line didn't exist on checks prior to 1987 when it was required by the federal government.
Trivia:
This film's cast includes three Oscar winners: Octavia Spencer, Mary Steenburgen and Sissy Spacek; and four Oscar nominees: Viola Davis, Jessica Chastain, Cicely Tyson and Emma Stone.
Minny Jackson is played by Octavia Spencer. In the novel, Minny's sister is called Octavia.
Hilly's house is actually a residential property and the featured cream couch was already part of it.
Katy Perry was almost cast in "a small role" but had to turn the role down due to scheduling conflicts with the release of her album "Teenage Dream."
Skeeter's bookshelf contains the following books: Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, and Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind. All three of these books are discussed many times in the original novel.
Minny was played by Octavia Spencer, who also provided narration for the audiobook adaptation.
Jessica Chastain, a vegan, ate soy ice cream melted in the microwave to gain weight for the role of Celia Foote.
The painting above Celia's fireplace was found in the basement of a hospital, while the two armchairs from that scene were found in a second-hand store.
When Skeeter is writing at her desk, one of the books on her shelf is Richard Wright's novel "Native Son." Towards the beginning of the movie, Skeeter's naiveté is exhibited through her well-intended but potentially harmful acts of kindness towards and interactions with black people in her community. This is very reminiscent of Mary Dalton's treatment towards Bigger Thomas in Wright's novel.
Although it's never mentioned in the movie how Eugenia got the nickname "Skeeter," it's revealed in the book that when she was born, her thin, leggy appearance caused her older brother to remark that she looked like a "skeeter" (mosquito).
Viola Davis appeared in two movies that were both nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award (Oscar) in 2012. Davis starred in both this movie and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011). Jessica Chastain also appeared in two movies that were both nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award (Oscar) in 2012. Chastain also starred in both this movie and The Tree of Life (2011).
Allison Janney watched Eyes on the Prize (1987) to prepare for her role.
Director Tate Taylor and the author of the book, Kathryn Stockett, were childhood friends in Jackson, Mississippi.
The book store in the film, Avent & Clark Booksellers, was named after Avent Clark, a production assistant on the film from Greenwood, MS.
Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard and Emma Stone have all been in Spider-Man movies. Spencer played the Check-In Girl in Spider-Man (2002) while Howard and Stone both played Gwen Stacey in Spider-Man 3 (2007) and The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
Kathryn Stockett's book on which this film is based was rejected 60 times before it was eventually published.
Allison Janney and Brian Kerwin are married in this film. In The West Wing (1999) Janney's character dated a park ranger played by Kerwin.
Minny Jackson is played by Octavia Spencer. In the novel, Minny's sister is called Octavia.
Hilly's house is actually a residential property and the featured cream couch was already part of it.
Katy Perry was almost cast in "a small role" but had to turn the role down due to scheduling conflicts with the release of her album "Teenage Dream."
Skeeter's bookshelf contains the following books: Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, and Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind. All three of these books are discussed many times in the original novel.
Minny was played by Octavia Spencer, who also provided narration for the audiobook adaptation.
Jessica Chastain, a vegan, ate soy ice cream melted in the microwave to gain weight for the role of Celia Foote.
The painting above Celia's fireplace was found in the basement of a hospital, while the two armchairs from that scene were found in a second-hand store.
When Skeeter is writing at her desk, one of the books on her shelf is Richard Wright's novel "Native Son." Towards the beginning of the movie, Skeeter's naiveté is exhibited through her well-intended but potentially harmful acts of kindness towards and interactions with black people in her community. This is very reminiscent of Mary Dalton's treatment towards Bigger Thomas in Wright's novel.
Although it's never mentioned in the movie how Eugenia got the nickname "Skeeter," it's revealed in the book that when she was born, her thin, leggy appearance caused her older brother to remark that she looked like a "skeeter" (mosquito).
Viola Davis appeared in two movies that were both nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award (Oscar) in 2012. Davis starred in both this movie and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011). Jessica Chastain also appeared in two movies that were both nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award (Oscar) in 2012. Chastain also starred in both this movie and The Tree of Life (2011).
Allison Janney watched Eyes on the Prize (1987) to prepare for her role.
Director Tate Taylor and the author of the book, Kathryn Stockett, were childhood friends in Jackson, Mississippi.
The book store in the film, Avent & Clark Booksellers, was named after Avent Clark, a production assistant on the film from Greenwood, MS.
Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard and Emma Stone have all been in Spider-Man movies. Spencer played the Check-In Girl in Spider-Man (2002) while Howard and Stone both played Gwen Stacey in Spider-Man 3 (2007) and The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
Kathryn Stockett's book on which this film is based was rejected 60 times before it was eventually published.
Allison Janney and Brian Kerwin are married in this film. In The West Wing (1999) Janney's character dated a park ranger played by Kerwin.
