May 20, 2026
In 2011, director Tate Taylor adapted Kathryn Stockett’s bestselling novel into a feature film with an all-star cast including Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jessica Chastain, Allison Janney, Cicely Tyson, and Sissy Spacek all getting a piece of the pie. Set among upper-class white families in early 1960s Jackson, Mississippi, aspiring journalist Skeeter (Stone) chronicles the lives of the black maids who play pivotal roles in running households and raising children, against the backdrop of segregation and the struggle for civil rights. The film sliced off a decadent $222 million against its $25 million budget, and scored multiple Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Actress (Davis) and two nods for Best Supporting Actress for Chastain and Spencer, with the latter actress taking home the statue. However, the film left a bad taste in some critics' mouths, who called out “white savior” tropes and the film’s playbook “awards bait” scripting. Now we’re taking out our notebooks, pouring ourselves a glass of sweet tea, and washing down a second helping of dessert for The Help!
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