The Help. 2011. USA. Written and directed by Tate Taylor. Based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett. With Cicely Tyson, Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis. DCP. 146 min.
When Skeeter Phelan returns to her affluent Southern town, she realizes something is amiss: All the little white girls are raised by their African American nannies, and the girls love their nannies—until they become housewives themselves and start ordering their staff around, just like their mothers did. Skeeter, who wants no part of this bizarre tradition, decides to write a book from the point of view of the maids, nannies, and housekeepers who have seen much, but said nothing for generations. Octavia Spencer won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Minny Jackson.