PG-13

The Help

Change begins with a whisper.

2011 • 146 min • Drama

Join the Angel Guild Write your review Sign in to rate and review

Synopsis

Aibileen Clark is a middle-aged African-American maid who has spent her life raising white children and has recently lost her only son; Minny Jackson is an African-American maid who has often offended her employers despite her family's struggles with money and her desperate need for jobs; and Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan is a young white woman who has recently moved back home after graduating college to find out her childhood maid has mysteriously disappeared. These three stories intertwine to explain how life in Jackson, Mississippi revolves around "the help"; yet they are always kept at a certain distance because of racial lines.

Our family guide

Best from age 13

Movie Knight Score

9170 reviews

75 Reviewers · 4 · 60%
82 Audience · 9166 · 40%

In 1960s Mississippi, an aspiring writer returns home and decides to write a book from the perspective of African-American maids. This decision challenges the social norms and racial divides of the era, bringing to light their experiences. The story highlights themes of courage and injustice.

Violence & peril: 3/10
Language: 3/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 2/10
Romance & sensuality: 1/10
Scary moments: 2/10

Heads up

Depicts racial discrimination and prejudice that may be upsetting.
Some characters experience emotional abuse and social ostracism.
Brief scenes show characters smoking and drinking socially.

What it models well

Speaking truth to power
Empathy and understanding
Courage in the face of injustice
Friendship and solidarity

Talk about it after

The history of segregation and its impact on people's lives.
How individuals can challenge systemic injustice.
The importance of listening to different perspectives.
The meaning of true courage and allyship.

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for The Help. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

Where to watch

Country

Stream

Peacock Premium
Peacock Premium Plus

Free with ads

Fandango at Home Free

Rent

Buy

Links go straight to each service. Some are affiliate links that support Movie Knight at no cost to you. Availability data by JustWatch via TMDB.

Top billed cast

Director: Tate Taylor • Crew: Tate Taylor

Trailers & clips

Celia Cooks a "Thank You" Dinner for Minny

Minny Makes a Pie

A Social Awakening

The Help -- Accolades

Shinolator

"Put Mama in a Chair"

"You Should Read the Book"

Skeeter's Interview

Reviewer notes

Not recommended
Sound, music, acting, sets, and camera are good in this movie but I do have concerns what the story is saying about african americans.…
iuvavum, TMDB Community

Recommended
I hadn’t quite realised the extent to which racial segregation laws permeated into every day life, especially when a black person couldn't cut a white child’s hair or write anything remotely disparaging about their white brethren. “Skeeter” (Emma Stone) returns from college and decides there might be a way around this.…
CinemaSerf, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
Great watch, probably won't watch again, and can recommend. To be fair, you should watch this prepared for what it is: a racial suffrage movie. That means that it is filled with racism and unfair strife, and stupid jerks of the elite class that are under the impression that they can still buy and sell people because they do.…
Kamurai, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
I just watched The Help, almost immediately after finishing the book. Now, when comparing The Film to The Book it was based on (generally speaking), one major rule of thumb almost always applies: The Book is better. The Help is no exception. Accordingly, with the novel still so fresh in the back of my mind, separating my mind from the book in order to enjoy the film was an almost impossible task.…
DoryDarko, TMDB Community