MarieClaire
  • News
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Lifestyle
  • Career
  • Bridal
  • Podcasts
  • Beyond Beauty
  • Video
MarieClaire
  • News
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Lifestyle
  • Career
  • Bridal
  • Podcasts
  • Beyond Beauty
  • Video
MAFS' Aleks and Ivan exchange wedding vows
Watch 4:43

MAFS' Aleks and Ivan exchange wedding vows

{headline}

{headline}

Dr Trisha Admits That Working On 'MAFS' Made Her "Feel Sick" For Compromising Others Mental Health

Dr Trisha Admits That Working On 'MAFS' Made Her "Feel Sick" For Compromising Others Mental Health

The Best Accessory At The 2021 Golden Globes? Sarah Paulson's Custom Prada Cast, Of Course

The Best Accessory At The 2021 Golden Globes? Sarah Paulson's Custom Prada Cast, Of Course

The 'Behind Her Eyes' Filming Locations Are Just as Mesmerising As The Netflix Thriller

The 'Behind Her Eyes' Filming Locations Are Just as Mesmerising As The Netflix Thriller

‘MAFS’ No-Boyfriend Belinda Has Apparently Been Not So Honest About Her Single Past

‘MAFS’ No-Boyfriend Belinda Has Apparently Been Not So Honest About Her Single Past

{headline}

{headline}

Meghan Markle Paid Tribute To Princess Diana In Her Interview With Oprah Winfrey

Meghan Markle Paid Tribute To Princess Diana In Her Interview With Oprah Winfrey

Elyse Knowles And Josh Barker Have Welcomed Their First Child

Elyse Knowles And Josh Barker Have Welcomed Their First Child

The Best Tweets And Memes From The 2021 Golden Globes

The Best Tweets And Memes From The 2021 Golden Globes

{headline}

{headline}

Kate Middleton Stylishly Mastered Another Zoom-Friendly Look, Stuns In Sleek Green Blazer

Kate Middleton Stylishly Mastered Another Zoom-Friendly Look, Stuns In Sleek Green Blazer

A Historic Win For Female Directors! Here, The Full List Of 2021 Golden Globes Winners

A Historic Win For Female Directors! Here, The Full List Of 2021 Golden Globes Winners

Rumour Has It, ‘MAFS’ Jake Edwards And ‘The Bachelor’s’ Jess Brody Are An Item, And No, We’re Not Surprised

Rumour Has It, ‘MAFS’ Jake Edwards And ‘The Bachelor’s’ Jess Brody Are An Item, And No, We’re Not Surprised

7 Soothing, Smoothing Eye Serums To Send Puffiness Packing

7 Soothing, Smoothing Eye Serums To Send Puffiness Packing

Meghan Markle Wore A $40 Dress During A FaceTime Call With Prince Harry

Meghan Markle Wore A $40 Dress During A FaceTime Call With Prince Harry

The Most Awe-Inspiring Beauty Looks From The 2021 Golden Globes

The Most Awe-Inspiring Beauty Looks From The 2021 Golden Globes

Here's Everything Coming To Netflix This March

Here's Everything Coming To Netflix This March

  1. Home
  2. Lifestyle

The Cast Of ‘The Help’ Speak Out Against The Film As It Becomes Most-Watched On Netflix

And why the film does more harm than good - by Diandra Malivindi
  • 16 Jul 2020
The Cast Of ‘The Help’ Speak Out Against The Film As It Becomes Most-Watched On Netflix

As support of the Black Lives Matter movement continues, many have been taking to films and television shows, to self-educate on the history of racism and how prominent it still is today.

However, it's important to remember that not every movie featuring Black lead characters comes from Black storytellers. In particular, Netflix announced that the 2011 film, The Help, has skyrocketed to the most-watched film on the streaming platform.

And while many consider a film like The Help to be a form of self-education, the stars of the controversial film have come forward to say otherwise. 

While she earned an Academy Award nomination for her performance in the film, Viola Davis has consistently expressed her regret over her taking the role, and has recently shared her thoughts on how detrimental the film is to ending racial injustice.

In an interview with Vanity Fair on July 15, Davis acknowledged the film's entertaining qualities but revealed how it took a personal toll on her, saying:

"There's no one who's not entertained by The Help. But there's a part of me that feels like I betrayed myself, and my people, because I was in a movie that wasn't ready to [tell the whole truth]".

vanityfair View Profile
View Post on Instagram
"Not a lot of narratives are also invested in our humanity," says @ViolaDavis, who's set to star as Michelle Obama and blues legend Ma Rainey in upcoming projects. "They're invested in the idea of what it means to be Black, but...it's catering to the white audience. The white audience at the most can sit and get an academic lesson into how we are. Then they leave the movie theater and they talk about what it meant. They're not moved by who we were." At the link in bio, the Academy Award winner speaks to @soniasaraiya about championing Black stories, her journey to Hollywood, and what she hopes her company, JuVee Productions, will provide to young non-white actors. Story by @soniasaraiya Photographed by @dario.studio Styled by @elizabethstewart1 Gown: @alexandermcqueen Earrings: @jenniferfisherjewelry Cuff: @celine Makeup: @lorealparis

She also added that the film, and other films similar to it, were "created in the filter and the cesspool of systemic racism."

In 2018, Viola Davis–who played maid Aibileen Clark–spoke of how she regretted starring in the movie, in an interview with The New York Times.

“I just felt like at the end of the day that it wasn’t the voices of the maids that were heard,” Davis stated. “I know Aibileen. I know Minny. They’re my grandma. They’re my mum. And I know that if you do a movie where the whole premise is, I want to know what it feels like to work for white people and to bring up children in 1963, I want to hear how you really feel about it. I never heard that in the course of the movie.”

violadavis View Profile
likes - View Post on Instagram
The above was my elixir. My rage and pain, like many Black Americans is rooted in the depth of my soul. Too many years of being asked to numb it, has caused it to implode. But standing with these beautiful souls in protest and the reception of love and being seen was like a vaccine. We will no longer be silent when we are being erased. We will no longer work overtime to make you comfortable in the midst of microagressions and hate. We will no longer justify or excuse you for murdering us, suppressing us. We want what you want. We will no longer put up with you reducing our hopes and dreams. We will NOT excuse our failures because it is our right to fail and get back up. What we will do, what we've always done is give and receive love when we are shown it. We will sit at the table beside you. But this time...from now on....we will no longer beg for a seat. Because....by God, we deserve to be there. 🙏🏿🙏🏿❤❤

Most recently, Davis posted about her participation in the protests, along with fellow co-star Octavia Spencer. The actress also included a lengthy caption that highlighted her passion for standing up for people of colour, while The Help, in which they play black women serving white families, surges in views and gains criticism. 

In her caption, Davis spoke of why she's protesting, saying: "My rage and pain, like many Black Americans is rooted in the depth of my soul. Too many years of being asked to numb it, has caused it to implode. But standing with these beautiful souls in protest and the reception of love and being seen was like a vaccine. "

When it comes to films like The Help, many have addressed that while it covers racism, it doesn't make white people accountable for their actions, or offer any indication that the problem continues to exist today. In a post on OprahMag.com, film critic Candice Frederick wrote:

"The Help paints racism in very broad strokes, presenting it all in a vacuum, like an old-time disease that has long since been remedied". From there, she continues to explain how the film doesn't make its white viewers feel guilt, which in result, fails to make them realise how complicit they are in the problem.

"So of course white viewers are going to flock to it, because it doesn't force them to face anything real in the present day in the way that a film like I Am Not Your Negro does."

In an Instagram post on June 7, actress Bryce Dallas Howard spoke out about the film, referring to it as a "story told through the perspective of a white character," that "was created by predominantly white storytellers". 

brycedhoward View Profile
likes - View Post on Instagram
I've heard that #TheHelp is the most viewed film on @netflix right now! I'm so grateful for the exquisite friendships that came from that film -- our bond is something I treasure deeply and will last a lifetime. This being said, The Help is a fictional story told through the perspective of a white character and was created by predominantly white storytellers. We can all go further.⁣ ⁣ Stories are a gateway to radical empathy and the greatest ones are catalysts for action. If you are seeking ways to learn about the Civil Rights Movement, lynchings, segregation, Jim Crow, and all the ways in which those have an impact on us today, here are a handful of powerful, essential, masterful films and shows that center Black lives, stories, creators, and / or performers: ⁣ ⁣ 13th ⁣ Eyes on the Prize⁣ I am Not Your Negro⁣ Just Mercy⁣ Malcom X⁣ Say Her Name: The Life And Death Of Sandra Bland⁣ Selma⁣ Watchmen⁣ When They See Us ⁣ ⁣ This is not a comprehensive list so please add to it in the comments below!

In the film, Howard played racist housewife, Hillary "Hilly" Holbrook, which ultimately scored Octavia Spencer an Academy Award for her performance, and secured Viola Davis a nomination. But while the film was relatively well-received by the Academy, The Help continues to cop criticism since its release, nine years ago.

The film itself was directed by a white man, based on a book by a white woman and focused on a white woman's decision to write about the lives of black maids. Criticised for glorifying a white saviour narrative, there's no wonder why the film's top-spot on Netflix, especially during the protests, has caused a stir. 

So rather than watching The Help, Howard and many others online have suggested other films and television shows to watch for those looking to understand and eliminate white privilege. On Howard's list, she mentions films such as: 13th, Eyes on the Prize⁣, I am Not Your Negro⁣, Just Mercy⁣, Selma⁣ and more that will educate audiences more accurately. 

⁣Ending her post, she amplified how “stories are a gateway to radical empathy and the greatest ones are catalysts for action.”

  • News
  • Lifestyle
  • Celebrity

6 issues for $35 -

Subscribe to marie claire

Subscribe Now
6 issues for $35

6 issues for $35 -

Subscribe to marie claire

Subscribe Now
6 issues for $35

Recommended to you

MAFS' Aleks and Ivan exchange wedding vows
Watch 4:43

MAFS' Aleks and Ivan exchange wedding vows

{headline}

{headline}

Dr Trisha Admits That Working On 'MAFS' Made Her "Feel Sick" For Compromising Others Mental Health

Dr Trisha Admits That Working On 'MAFS' Made Her "Feel Sick" For Compromising Others Mental Health

The Best Accessory At The 2021 Golden Globes? Sarah Paulson's Custom Prada Cast, Of Course

The Best Accessory At The 2021 Golden Globes? Sarah Paulson's Custom Prada Cast, Of Course

The 'Behind Her Eyes' Filming Locations Are Just as Mesmerising As The Netflix Thriller

The 'Behind Her Eyes' Filming Locations Are Just as Mesmerising As The Netflix Thriller

‘MAFS’ No-Boyfriend Belinda Has Apparently Been Not So Honest About Her Single Past

‘MAFS’ No-Boyfriend Belinda Has Apparently Been Not So Honest About Her Single Past

{headline}

{headline}

Meghan Markle Paid Tribute To Princess Diana In Her Interview With Oprah Winfrey

Meghan Markle Paid Tribute To Princess Diana In Her Interview With Oprah Winfrey

Elyse Knowles And Josh Barker Have Welcomed Their First Child

Elyse Knowles And Josh Barker Have Welcomed Their First Child

The Best Tweets And Memes From The 2021 Golden Globes

The Best Tweets And Memes From The 2021 Golden Globes

{headline}

{headline}

Kate Middleton Stylishly Mastered Another Zoom-Friendly Look, Stuns In Sleek Green Blazer

Kate Middleton Stylishly Mastered Another Zoom-Friendly Look, Stuns In Sleek Green Blazer

A Historic Win For Female Directors! Here, The Full List Of 2021 Golden Globes Winners

A Historic Win For Female Directors! Here, The Full List Of 2021 Golden Globes Winners

Rumour Has It, ‘MAFS’ Jake Edwards And ‘The Bachelor’s’ Jess Brody Are An Item, And No, We’re Not Surprised

Rumour Has It, ‘MAFS’ Jake Edwards And ‘The Bachelor’s’ Jess Brody Are An Item, And No, We’re Not Surprised

7 Soothing, Smoothing Eye Serums To Send Puffiness Packing

7 Soothing, Smoothing Eye Serums To Send Puffiness Packing

Meghan Markle Wore A $40 Dress During A FaceTime Call With Prince Harry

Meghan Markle Wore A $40 Dress During A FaceTime Call With Prince Harry

The Most Awe-Inspiring Beauty Looks From The 2021 Golden Globes

The Most Awe-Inspiring Beauty Looks From The 2021 Golden Globes

Here's Everything Coming To Netflix This March

Here's Everything Coming To Netflix This March

MarieClaire
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

Brands

  • Beauty Crew
  • Home Beautiful
  • Who

Our Network

  • Better Homes and Gardens
  • BHG Shop
  • New Idea food
  • New Idea
  • Girlfriend
  • That’s Life
  • Practical Parenting
  • All Recipes
  • Perth Now
  • The West Australian
  • 7Plus
  • Airtasker
  • 7NEWS
  • SocietyOne
  • Health Engine
  • Starts at 60
© 2021 Are Media PTY LTD
Get more from Marie Claire

Magazine Subscription Offer

6 issues for $35 -

Shop This Offer
6 issues for $35