The Help

2011

In 1960s Mississippi, Southern society girl Skeeter (Emma Stone) returns from college with dreams of being a writer. She turns her small town on its ear by choosing to interview the Black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent white families. Only Aibileen (Viola Davis), the housekeeper of Skeeter's best friend, will talk at first. But as the pair continue the collaboration, more women decide to come forward, and as it turns out, they have quite a lot to say. Allison played Skeeter’s mother Charlotte, a woman suffering from cancer and struggling with her notions of race.

The film was directed by Tate Taylor and is based on the Kathryn Stockett novel of the same name. Stockett, who grew up with Tate Taylor, gave the director the rights to direct the film when the novel was published. The Help was shot for a $25 million dollar budget in Greenwood, Mississippi and the surrounding areas from July to October 2010. It was released by Touchstone Pictures on August 10, 2011. The film garnered positive reviews and ultimately earned $216 million dollars. The film received four Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and earned one win for Octavia Spencer.