The Help (2011): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
The Help is a 2011 drama directed by Tate Taylor, starring Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and Emma Stone. It is based on The Help by Kathryn Stockett. It runs 2 hours 17 minutes and earned $221.8 million worldwide on a $25 million budget. It won 1 Oscar, including Actress in a Supporting Role, and 10 awards in all. Critics gave it 76% on Rotten Tomatoes and 62 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 8.1/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 17m (137 min)
- Director
- Tate Taylor
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
English - Budget
- $25M
- Based on
- The Help by Kathryn Stockett
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Help About?
The premise of The Help without spoilers, adapted from The Help by Kathryn Stockett. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
In 1960s Mississippi, a young aspiring writer named Skeeter begins to question the societal norms of the South. She decides to write a book chronicling the experiences of black women employed as domestic servants for white families. As Skeeter interviews these women and their stories emerge, unexpected friendships develop, revealing the struggles and resilience of a marginalized community. The project sparks controversy, challenges the existing power structure, and ultimately contributes to a changing era of empowerment and racial understanding.
The Help Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- chocolate pie
- writer
- first job
- expectant mother
- pregnancy
- aging
- racial hatred
- dying from cancer
- writing a novel
- baking
- husband wife relationship
- mother daughter relationship
+38 more Show fewer
- reference to martin luther king jr.
- university education
- newspaper columnist
- exploitation
- based on novel
- 1960s
- maid
- jackson mississippi
- black servant
- two word title
- pie
- rich parents
- bus
- miscarriage
- daughters of the american revolution
- title appears in writing
- moral courage
- emotional manipulation
- ressentiment
- title spoken by character
- pregnant wife
- racism
- friend
- mississippi
- friendship
- african american
- strong female character
- racial segregation
- female protagonist
- bechdel test passed
- trophy wife
- southern belle
- class divide
- racial issues
- black maid
- civil rights
- civil rights movement
- writing a book
The Help Cast
Viola Davis leads the cast, with Octavia Spencer and Emma Stone. Directed by Tate Taylor.
-
Director Tate Taylor
More from Tate Taylor
More films directed by Tate Taylor, best-rated first: Get On Up, Ma, The Girl on the Train and Ava.
The Help Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave The Help 76% on Rotten Tomatoes and 62 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 8.1/10.
-
IMDb 8.1 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 76% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 89%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 62 Metascore
User score 7.9
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 82% User score
See on TMDB -
Letterboxd 3.9 /5
5.9K ratings
See on Letterboxd -
Movie Insider 4.3 /5
See on Movie Insider
The Help Plot Summary
What happens in The Help from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Aibileen Clark, portrayed by Viola Davis, is a resilient middle-aged African American maid who has dedicated her life to raising white children, a profession that has become her sanctuary. Recently, however, she has faced the heart-wrenching loss of her only son, a tragedy that adds a layer of depth to her nurturing spirit. Her closest ally in this world is Minny Jackson, played by the talented Octavia Spencer, another African American maid known for her spunk and impressive culinary skills. Though Minny has earned a reputation for being a challenging employee due to her candid nature, her remarkable cooking compensates for her fiery temperament, and the duo’s friendship is a bright spot amidst societal challenges.
Full summary
The whole story of The Help, scene by scene
The Help Box Office & Budget
The Help grossed $221.8 million worldwide on a $25 million budget, 8.9 times what it cost. $169.7 million came from the US and Canada and $52.1 million (23%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$221.8M
8.9× its budget
- US & Canada
- $169.7M
- International
- $52.1M
- Budget
- $25M
The Help Awards & Nominations
The Help won 1 Oscar, including Actress in a Supporting Role, and 10 awards in all. Its biggest night was the Critics' Choice 2012, with 3 wins from 7 nominations.
10 wins26 nominations6 ceremonies
-
Critics' Choice 2012 3 wins · 7 nominations- Won Best Acting Ensemble
- Won Best Actress – Viola Davis
- Won Best Supporting Actress – Octavia Spencer
- Nominated Best Adapted Screenplay – Tate Taylor
- Nominated Best Costume Design
-
Actor Awards (SAG) 2012 3 wins · 4 nominations- Won Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
- Won Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role – Viola Davis
- Won Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role – Octavia Spencer
- Nominated Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role – Jessica Chastain
-
BAFTA 2012 1 win · 5 nominations- Won Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Octavia Spencer
- Nominated Best Actress in a Leading Role – Viola Davis
- Nominated Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Jessica Chastain
- Nominated Best Adapted Screenplay – Tate Taylor
- Nominated Best Film
-
Golden Globes 2012 1 win · 5 nominations- Won Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, Musical or Comedy – Octavia Spencer
- Nominated Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama – Viola Davis
- Nominated Best Motion Picture – Drama
- Nominated Best Original Song
- Nominated Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, Musical or Comedy – Jessica Chastain
Show all 6 ceremonies Show fewer ceremonies
-
Oscars 2012 1 win · 4 nominations- Won Actress in a Supporting Role – Octavia Spencer
- Nominated Actress in a Leading Role – Viola Davis
- Nominated Actress in a Supporting Role – Jessica Chastain
- Nominated Best Picture
-
Artios Awards 2012 1 win · 1 nomination- Won Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Big Budget Feature - Drama
The Help Trailers & Videos
10 videos: 1 trailer, 1 teaser, 7 clips and 1 featurette.
- Teaser The Help -- Accolades
- Clip Skeeter Needs Aibileen's Help
- Clip Skeeter's Interview
- Clip "You Should Read the Book"
How Well Do You Know The Help?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who is the first maid to share her story with Skeeter?
Cars in The Help
32 cars on screen, including the 1962 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible and the 1963 Ford Fairlane Custom Ranch Wagon.
-
1962 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Important role -
1963 Ford Fairlane Custom Ranch Wagon Important role -
1957 GMC TDH 5106 Important role -
1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Minor role
The Help Also Known As
46 alternative titles, including “La couleur des sentiments” and “Niceville”.
- Also known as
-
- La couleur des sentiments
- Niceville
- A segítség
- Proti pravidlum
- Histórias Cruzadas
- Criadas y señoras
- Służące
- Υπηρέτριες
- העזרה
- 帮助
- Tarnaitė
- Duyguların Rengi
+34 more Show fewer
- 姐妹
- 헬프
- Historias cruzadas
- Южнячки
- Tajni život kućnih pomoćnica
- Černobílý svět
- Piiat
- Barnapían
- Ha'ezra
- ヘルプ 心がつなぐストーリー
- Kalpone
- Barnepiken
- As Serviçais
- Culoarea sentimentelor
- Прислуга
- Служавке
- Služkinje
- Oqsoch
- خدمتکار
- Người Giúp Việc
- Čiernobiely svet
- Օգնականը
- 相助
- ヘルプ 〜心がつなぐストーリー〜
- Farba citov
- 姊妹
- 寫出友共鳴
- Historias Cruzadas, მოსამსახურე
- คุณนายตัวดี สาวใช้ตัวดำ
- الخادمة
- خدمتکاران
- Criades i Senyores
- Qulluqçu
- Koduabiline
Seen The Help?
Movies Like The Help
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Waitress, The Long Walk Home and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.
The Help FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, the book behind it and awards of The Help, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Help?
The Help runs 2 hours 17 minutes (137 minutes).
When was The Help released?
The Help was released on August 10, 2011.
Who directed The Help?
The Help was directed by Tate Taylor.
More films by Tate Taylor Who is in the cast of The Help?
The Help stars Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and Emma Stone.
How much did The Help make at the box office?
The Help grossed $221.8 million worldwide ($169.7 million domestic, $52.1 million international) on a budget of $25 million.
How is The Help rated?
The Help has 8.1/10 on IMDb, 76% on Rotten Tomatoes, 62 on Metacritic and 82% on TMDB.
Is The Help based on a book?
Yes. The Help is adapted from The Help by Kathryn Stockett.
What awards did The Help win?
The Help won 10 awards from 26 nominations, including Best Acting Ensemble at the Critics' Choice 2012.
Coming soon to your phone
The Plot Explained Movie Summary App
From blockbusters to hidden gems: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Save your favorites and never miss a twist again.
Be the first to know when it launches. Your email stays private, always. Learn more about the app
