Title: The Help

Date: 2011

Media type: Film

Format: Complete

Category: Ethical Issues and Dilemmas

Keywords: family demographics, family functioning, parent-child relationships, parenting styles, types of parents, work and family

Rating: PG 13 – Parents Strongly Cautioned

Audience(s): High School Age, College Age, Adults, Parents, Couples, Families

Language: English

Film/Episode Summary: The Help takes place in Mississippi in the 1960’s. Skeeter Phelan is a writer that has just returned from college looking to write a book. While she was away at college, most of her friends got married and had children. Now her friends have help to run their homes and take care of their children. Skeeter has noticed how rampant racism is in her hometown and in the South and is on a mission to stop it. She decides to write a book about the help and tell their stories. While it puts all of their lives at risk, they write the book anyway to help eliminate racism and division in the South.

Comments or Recommendations for Teaching: Who does more parenting in the film, the birth parents or the help? How do you think being raised by the help affected Skeeter’s relationship with her own mother?

Places to view: Itunes, Youtube, Amazon Video, Vudu, Google Play

Contributor: Krista Hamann