Plot Summary
The #1 New York Times bestseller by Kathryn Stockett comes to vivid life through the powerful performances of a phenomenal ensemble cast. Led by Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and Bryce Dallas Howard, The Help is an inspirational, courageous and empowering story about very different, extraordinary women in the 1960s South who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project — one that breaks society’s rules and puts them all at risk. Filled with poignancy, humor and hope, The Help is a timeless, universal and triumphant story about the ability to create change.
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Movie Reviews from Rotten Tomatoes
TOMATOMETER
76%- Reviews Counted: 197
- Fresh: 150
- Rotten: 47
- Average Rating: 7.0/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Fresh: [The Help] is, in some ways, crude and obvious, but it opens up a broad new swath of experience on the screen, and parts of it are so moving and well acted that any objections to what's second-rate seem to matter less as the movie goes on.
Rotten: "The Help" takes us on a pop-cultural tour that savors the picturesque, and strengthens stereotypes it purports to shatter.
Fresh: Thanks to a talented cast -- starting with leads Emma Stone, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer -- the movie is often entertaining. But The Help should have been challenging too.
Fresh: As hard to dislike as it is to truly admire, this artfully manipulative issue movie knows where its strengths lie... and most of them lie in Viola Davis.
Customer Reviews
A PRAISEWORTHY MOVIE THAT DESERVES TO BE SEEN!
"The Help" may just be, without a doubt, one of the most emotionally enriching and immensely significant movies of the year. I knew it was gonna be an immediate favorite of mine after watching the trailer, but little did I know that it would have the power to move me to tears. Where do I begin? How about the amazing premise, for starters. Based on the novel of the same name, "The Help" follows a young white woman, Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan (Emma Stone), and her relationship with two black maids, Aibileen Clark (Viola Davis) and Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer), during the early 1960s in Jackson, Mississippi. Skeeter is a striving journalist who decides to write a controversial tell-all book from the point of view of the maids, exposing the racism they're faced with as they work for rich white families. Emma Stone really carries the film as the main character. Her quick wit and strong beliefs help make her role as Skeeter all the more charming and relatable. Octavia Spencer also shines as Minny, a smart-mouthed maid who's not afraid to speak her mind. She actually happened to be the person I was rooting for the most throughout the entire movie. Even Bryce Dallas Howard was wickedly convincing as Holly Holbrook, a snotty, racist white woman who goes to great lengths in order to keep discrimination alive in Jackson. Although I must admit that Hilly is somewhat of a clichéd character, she still comes across as genuinely evil in the end. However, the best performance in the film, hands down, has got to be that of Viola Davis, who plays Aibileen, one of the most tragic, honest, and heartfelt characters in any movie I've seen this year. Her emotional backstory and strong-willed sense of purpose are so moving, you'll simply wanna shed a tear. That role alone is definitely worthy of an Oscar. If I were to nitpick a little, I would only say that the "romantic" scenes with Skeeter and a potential young suitor take a lot away from the story and are unnecessary for the most part. Also, some of the melodramatic historical themes are a little too over-glossed and come across as a bit schmaltzy. But what completely made up for those slight missteps were the film's exquisite character development, authentic Southern dialogue, and genuinely important message about the acceptance of others. Not only is "The Help", in my opinion, one of the most well-made and sincerely honest movies of 2011, but it's a flick that everyone needs to see at least once in their life. All in all, if you've read the book or if you just wanna watch a feel-good historical dramedy, this is the perfect film for you.
Great movie
I'm from China and I know very little about America's past and I watched this movie and I cried and smiled at the end of the movie. Great performance, great story, great music, great picture. And most important of all, great souls that have made both the history and this movie possible.
Fabulous Movie
The best movie I've seen in a long time...drug my husband and daughter (16) to it with me....they actually thanked me after....said they thought it was the best thing they'd seen also. LOVED the book and honestly was worried they would butcher it (like most movies made from books) but they didn't...Thank You! Such a powerful story and awesome acting...I see many awards headed their way!
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