- I'm OK.
- The bullet hit him in the back,
crashed through his body
through a window, into the house.
He died within an hour
at a Jackson hospital.
City detectives believe the fatal shot
was fired from...
KKK shot him. An hour ago.
Right in front of his children,
Aibileen.
We're gonna pray for the Evers.
We're gonna pray for Myrlie.
We living in hell. Trapped.
Our kids, trapped.
Sugar, take your brothers and sisters
and y'all go on to bed.
Good night.
Good night. Good night.
Oh. Good night, baby.
What they gonna do if they catch us
with Miss Skeeter?
We're gonna be careful.
Hitch us to a pickup? Drag us behind?
Shoot me in front of my children?
We ain't doing civil rights.
We're just telling stories
like they really happened.
You're a fool, old woman.
A fool.
Miss Phelan, the presses are heating up.
We needed Miss Myrna 30 minutes ago.
Yes, Sir.
Chop-chop.
Good Lord.
Miss Celia?
Miss Celia?
Go home.
I'll see you tomorrow.
You mess up your hair coloring again?
I helped you ix it last time.
We got it back to butter batch.
Was real pretty, remember?
Miss Celia.
I told you, go home!
I said get out!
Why is there so much blood?
Next one's gonna catch, Miss Celia.
You just wait and see.
We got married 'cause I was pregnant.
Then I lost it a month later.
Johnny wants kids now.
What's he gonna do with me?
Well...
Mr. Johnny just gonna have
to get over it.
He doesn't know about the baby.
Or the two before.
Yule Mae Davis?
- What do you want me to do?
- You're under arrest.
Just call my husband.
Just call my husband.
- Wait a minute. I want my purse.
- No, you're under arrest.
I want to get my purse.
I want to get my purse! Aibee!
- Don't fight, Yule Mae!
- Aibee!
Aibee, I want my purse! I want my purse!
Just let me go!
Yule Mae, don't fight.
I knew she was a thief
the day she started.
A nigra walks into a pawn shop
with a ring of such size and color.
It took them all of ten minutes
to find out where she worked.
I am desperate for
a grilled cheese sandwich.
Are you? Are you?
Do you want a grilled cheese sandwich?
Oh, yes.
Just go sit down over there.
Miss Skeeter, you best head on over
to Miss Aibileen's house.
Now.
I'm gonna help with your stories.
I'm gonna help, too. Mm-hm.
We all are.
- That's right.
- I'll help you.
I used to take
a shortcut every day
when I went to work
at Dr. Dixon's house.
Cut through that farmer's lower 40
to get there.
One day this farmer
was waiting for me with a gun.
Said he'd shoot me dead
if I walked on his land again.
Dr. Dixon went and paid that farmer
double for two of those acres.
Told him he was gonna
start farming, too.
But he bought that just for me,
so I could get to work easy.
He did.
I worked for Miss Jolene's mother
till the day she died.
Then her daughter, Miss Nancy,
asked me to come and work for her.
Miss Nancy is a real sweet lady.
But Miss Jolene's ma done put it in her
will I got to work for Miss Jolene.
Miss Jolene's a mean woman.
Mean for sport.
Lord, I tried to find another job.
But in everybody's mind
the French family
and Miss Jolene owned me.
Owned me.
I leave early
this week for Thanksgiving.
Our last editors' meeting
is December 17th,
so if you want a prayer
of this getting read,
- I'd better have it by then.
- That's in three weeks, Miss Stein.
Well, otherwise it goes in the pile.
You do not want it in the pile.
Yes, ma'am.
And put something personal in there.
Write about the maid who raised you.
I understand.
Well, we have a lot of work to do
before the benefit, don't we?
I know, but I think We're on track.
We're doing quite well.
- it's so good.
- Mm-hm.
- Who's there?
- I don't know.
Aibileen?
Hey, Elizabeth!
It's me, Celia Foote.
I was in the neighborhood.
Thought I'd drop by.
Everybody hide.
Everybody get down, get down.
Get down! Get down! Get down!
- Turn off the music.
- Who are we hiding from?
Shh!
Hey!
Shh!
I brought a chocolate pie!
My maid, Minny, made it.
She's in the bushes.
Don't be taking those women
any more pies, you understand?
They made me stand there like I was
the vacuum salesman.
Why, Minny?
Because they know about you getting
knocked up by Mr. Johnny.
Mad you married one of their mens.
And especially since Miss Hilly and
Mr. Johnny had just broke up, too.
Hilly probably thinks that I was
fooling around with Johnny
when they were still going steady.
Mm-hm.
And Missus Walters always said Miss
Hilly still sweet on Mr. Johnny, too.
No wonder!
They don't hate me.
They hate what they think I did.
They hate you 'cause they think
you white trash.
I'm just going to have to tell Hilly
I ain't no boyfriend stealer.
In fact, I'll tell her Friday night
at the benefit.
You don't need to be going
to that benefit, Miss Celia.
Did you hear me? You just stay home.
That looks bad.
Let me take a look.
I got to get these peas on.
I know you didn't fall
in no tub, Minny.
You know what I'd do if I were you?
I'd give it right back to him.
I'd hit him over the head
with a skillet,
and I'd tell him, "Go straight to hell. "
From here, the members of the family...
...visitors from foreign countries
and others
will walk to St. Matthew's Cathedral.
Senator Edward Kennedy
getting out of the car.
Mrs. Kennedy.
Robert Kennedy, Attorney General.
Sweetheart, I gotta
get down to the coast.
I'll be back in time for the benefit.
The world done gone crazy,
Miss Skeeter, and I'm scared.
What if people ind out what we writing,
figure out Niceville really Jackson,
figure out who who?
Maybe we need us some insurance.
I told God I'd never speak of it again.
But we ain't got no choice.
Sorry.
I need to tell y'all about the terrible
awful I done to Miss Hilly.
It might be the only thing
that keep us safe.
Mmm.
Mm-mm-mm.
So...
Nobody wanted to hire a sass-mouthing,
thieving nigra.
Did they?
Oh. Pie's as good as always, Minny.
I'm glad you like it.
Mmm.
Oh.
If I take you back, I'll have to cut
your pay five dollars a week.
Take me back?
What do you put in here
that makes it taste so good?
That good vanilla from Mexico...
...and something else real special.
Mmm.
No, no, no, Missus Walters.
That's Miss Hilly's special pie.
Mama can have a piece.
Cut her one.
Go get a plate.
Eat my shit.
What'd you say?
I said, "Eat... my... shit. "
Have you lost your mind?
No, ma'am, but you about to,
'cause you just did.
Did what?
And you didn't eat just one.
You had two slices!
Run, Minny, run!
You trying to get yourself killed?
No! I wasn't planning on telling.
I just wanted to see her take a bite.
Then I was gonna leave.
Be done with her forever.
Before I knew it, I had done
told that woman what was in that pie!
I done ask God to forgive me.
But more for what happened
to poor Miss Walters.
Miss Hilly threw her in that
nursing home... just for laughing.
We can't put that story in the book.
We ain't got no choice.
Hilly Holbrook can't let nobody know
that pie story about her.
Exactly. If people find out
the terrible awful
was you and Miss Hilly
we in trouble there ain't words for.
Right! But don't you see?
She gonna go to her grave convincing
folks this book ain't about Jackson.
Now, that keeps us safe. Insured.
No.
No, that's too dangerous.
Y'all two brought me into this,
but I'm gonna finish it.
Either put it in, or pull my parts
out altogether. Y'all pick!
Thank you, Tommy. I should be out
by 10:00. See you then.
This is Jolene French, reporting from
the African Children's Benefit Ball,
and I'm here with League President,
Miss Hilly Holbrook.
Thanks, Jolene. And I'm just so excited
for the auction tonight, aren't you?
I'm absolutely thrilled.
Scandalous!
Thank you.
Hi!
Did you see what Miss Celia got on?
Lord, have mercy. Women better hold onto
their husbands tonight.
Miss Leefolt been working on that dress
for four weeks
and that's what she came up with?
Here.
Kiss me.
Everybody enjoying the evening?
Let's give a nice round of applause
for the help.
For all the men and women who have
helped make tonight possible.
A cause I'm sure is dear
to their hearts as well.
- Your cocktail.
- Thank you.
Honey, don't you think
you've had enough to drink?
I wish you'd try and eat something.
I'm not having my stomach poke out.
OK, OK, everybody, quiet down.
I got the list of the winners!
OK.
The winner of the beautiful
mink car coat is...
...Charlotte Phelan!
Congrats, Miss Phelan.
Ladies, I hope
your husbands take note of that.
Now it's time for the baked goods.
Ooh, yummy, yummy!
The highest bid
in baked goods goes to
Minny Jackson's chocolate pie.
Congratulations...
...Hilly Holbrook!
- Oh! Hilly.
- That's funny.
I didn't bid on anything.
All right. And now it's time
for Danica's strawberry jam.
Shh!
Congratulations, Hilly!
I didn't know you were a fan
of Minny's pies.
I've been wanting to talk to you
all night.
Minny said why you won't be my friend.
It's 'cause you think me and Johnny
went behind your back.
Wait. I want to talk...
Oh, no.
I'm so sorry.
Come here, sweetheart.
Let me bring you back to your table.
- I'm really sorry.
- It's all right. Don't worry about it.
What are you trying to do to me?
What are you and that nigra up to?
I don't know what you're talking about.
You liar! Who did you tell?
Hilly, I got pregnant
after you and Johnny broke up!
- Oh, shit!
- Shut up, Mother!
Johnny never cheated on you.
At least not with me.
Oh, Johnny would never cheat on me.
I'm so sorry! I thought you'd be tickled
you won that pie!
You tell that nigra, if she tells
anybody, I will make her suffer!
Hey, that is enough.
Celia.
Hey, baby, what's the matter?
- Oh!
- Cel?
Oh!
Oh, shit. What a mess. Napkins.
Why don't we get back to the auction?
- Next up, Debby's peppermint bark.
- Celia!
It goes great with hot cocoa.
Oh, just come on home with us
tonight, Mother.
No, thanks. I've got a pie to eat.
You throw that pie away right now.
I spent good money on this pie.
I won it just for you.
You signed me up?
I may have trouble remembering my own
name, or what country I live in,
but there are two things
I can't seem to forget:
that my own daughter
threw me into a nursing home,
and that she ate Minny's shit.
Good night.
- Hey, how about a nightcap?
- Let's go.
I'm not right for this
kind of life, Minny.
I don't need a dining room table
for 12 people.
I couldn't get two people
over here if I begged.
I can't do this to Johnny any more.
That's why I've gotta go back
to Sugar Ditch.
You can't move back to Sugar Ditch.
Lord.
I reckon it's time you knew.
Sit down.
So Miss Hilly thought you knew about
the terrible awful.
That you was making fun of her.
It's my fault she pounced on you.
If you leave Mr. Johnny...
...then Miss Hilly done won
the whole ball game.
Then she done beaten me...
...and she done beat you.
Thank you for telling me that.
Lord, look at all these pages. 266.
Mm-mm!
So we just send it off?
Just wait and see?
Hope Miss Stein gonna publish it?
Well, I have one more story to type
before I put it in the mail,
but other than that, we're done.
Which one you got left?
Uh, mine.
I need to talk to you about Constantine.
Oh, Eugenia, that was so long ago.
What happened?
Oh.
What happened?
She didn't give me a choice.
The Daughters of America had just
appointed me state regent.
Grace Higginbotham, our esteemed
president, came all the way down
from Washington, D.C.,
to our house for the ceremony.
That's just beautiful. Look at that.
She'd gotten so old and slow, Skeeter.
Yes, ma'am.
It's such an honor
that you came all this way.
That's all right.
- Hello, Miss Charlotte.
- Rachel.
We were expecting you next week.
I decided to come early
and surprise Mama.
Oh.
I'm entertaining.
Why don't you go around back.
Wait in the kitchen.
Go on now.
I am sorry.
Rachel, what are you doing?
I'm just doing as I was told,
Miss Charlotte.
Going to the kitchen.
But I'm going to see my mama first.
Hello, Mama.
Go on to the kitchen, baby.
I'll be there directly.
You may put up with this kind
of nonsense, but I do not.
Get out of this house, Rachel.
You heard her. Go on, girl.
Miss Charlotte, let me take her to
the kitchen. Come on, baby. Let's go.
Charlotte.
Both of you.
Leave. Now.
Come on, Mama.
Come on now.
Constantine didn't do anything wrong.
And you love Rachel. I know you do.
She was our president.
What was I supposed to do?
She did you the biggest favor of
your life. She taught me everything.
Well, you idolized her too much.
You always have.
I needed someone to look up to.
Well, I...
I went to her house the next day,
but she had already gone.
How could you not tell me all this?
Because I didn't want to upset you
during your final exams.
I knew you'd blame me,
and it wasn't my fault!
I have to go find her. She needs me.
- Eugenia.
- What?
We sent your brother up to Chicago
to bring Constantine home.
When he got there...
...she had died.
You broke her heart.
I'm...
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!
I'm sorry.
They printed a few thousand copies
with the worst advance Miss Stein
had ever seen.
Baby, what you doing with Alicia book?
You can't read.
They sent Miss Skeeter $600. She broke
that money up and gave it to each of us.
Divided 13 ways,
that came to about $46 each.
Y'all finish your homework.
Aibileen. Aibileen!
We just got this from Miss Skeeter.
Look at it.
Look at it.
Look at it!
Minny, we're rich!
"She fired me
for using her inside toilet.
Put me out in a storm and told me never
to come back. But I did come back.
I came back with a pie I had baked
to say I'm sorry.
I watched her eat... "
Well, it's a wonderful book, Hilly.
Filled with gripping testimonials
from Mississippi's housekeepers.
OK, Mama. I need to run.
Well. You should read the book, Hilly.
It's quite scandalous.
Sounds like... Jackson, if you ask me.
Quite scandalous.
What book?
What's it called again?
Uh...
The Help. H-E-L-P.
There it is.
You told me to write something good.
- Something I believed in.
- It's not what I believe in.
That joke you pulled with Hilly
with the toilets, that's funny.
Why would you do this to us?
I don't even know why you care.
- What?
- Things are fine around here.
Why go stir up trouble?
Trouble's already here, Stuart.
I had to tell you this.
You needed to know.
Goddamn right I needed to know. You
should have told me this from the start.
You're a selfish woman, Skeeter.
Stuart.
I think you're better off being alone.
Yeah.
Did you get to that part yet
that I was telling you about?
Don't read ahead, whatever you do.
"What you done put up in this?"
"She Said, 'My Shit. "'
What's the matter, Hilly?
- Get off of me! Get off!
- Ouch! Stop hitting me!
I heard that Betty character
might be Mary Elizabeth.
It's not Jackson.
And that book is garbage. I bet the
whole thing is made up by some nigra.
And Jolene, didn't your mama
leave Cora to you in her will?
Yes, but that's not odd, is it?
Happens all the time, right?
The book is not about Jackson.
What the hell?
What are you doing here?
I've contacted my lawyer.
Hibbie Goodman? He's the best
libel attorney in the state.
Oh, Missy, you're going to jail.
You can't prove anything.
Oh, I 100 percent know you wrote it.
Nobody else in town is as tacky as you.
You don't know anything, Hilly.
Oh, I don't, do I?
You tell Aibileen the next time
she wants to write
about my dear friend Elizabeth...
Uh-huh.
Remember her? Had you in her wedding.
Let's just say Aibileen ought to have
been a little bit smarter
before putting in about that
L- shaped scratch
in poor Elizabeth's dining table.
And that nigger Minny,
do I have plans for her.
Careful, Hilly. That's chapter 12.
Don't give yourself away now.
That was not me!
I've come to tell your mother
what a hippie you've become.
She's going to be disgusted by you.
Why, Hilly. Is everything OK, you two?
Oh, Mrs. Phelan.
Hilly, you're a sweaty mess.
Are you ill?
No, ma'am.
Darling, oh, no husband wants
to come home and see that.
Oh.
I didn't have time to get fixed up.
You know, Hilly, if I didn't
know any better,
I'd say you've been eating too much pie.
Mrs. Phelan, I came here...
In fact, I'm sure of it.
Now you get your raggedy ass
off my porch.
Go on.
Get off my property. Now!
Before we all get one of those
disgusting things on our lips!
Eugenia. Take me inside, please.
Yes, ma'am.
Skeeter, do you have plans tomorrow?
- No, ma'am.
- Good.
Because we are going shopping.
No single daughter of mine is
going to New York City
representing the great state
of Mississippi
without a proper cosmopolitan wardrobe.
How do you know about New York?
Oh, well, Miss Stein called last night.
Courage sometimes skips a generation.
Thank you for bringing it back
to our family.
I can't leave you like this.
Eugenia, I have made a decision.
My health's been on the uptick
these last few weeks,
and I know the doctor says it's
some kind of last strength nonsense,
but I have decided not to die.
Oh, Mama.
It's too late.
I tried calling Fanny Mae's
to make all your hair appointments
for the next 20 years,
but they wouldn't allow it.
I have never been more proud of you.
Thank you.
Mama.
Need some help with those?
Minny.
- Miss Celia!
- Minny, hey, stop! Minny!
- Miss Celia!
- Minny!
- Stay back!
- I'm not here to hurt you! Girl...
You gonna put the stick down?
Uh-uh.
Listen, Celia finally told me
about the babies.
All of them.
But I also know, the minute
you started working here,
she started getting better.
So, you saved her life.
You knew I was here the whole time?
Fried chicken and okra
on the first night?
Y'all could have at least put
some cornpone on the table.
No.
I couldn't let you eat no more cornpone,
Mr. Johnny.
Thanks to you, now I've had to let out
every pair of pants I own.
You just leave that.
Here you go.
Let's head on up the house.
What's this?
I cooked it all by myself.
Yes, she did.
She was up all night.
I wanted to do something special.
I wanted to say thank you.
So...
...I ain't losing my job?
No, you got a job here
for the rest of your life.
If you want it.
That's a mile-high meringue, Miss Celia.
- Please.
- Thank you.
Ooh.
You remember to check the thighs?
- Mm-hm. Cooked clean through.
- Ain't pink in the middle?
Uh-uh. Just the way you taught me.
Looky here.
That table of food
gave Minny the strength she needed.
She took her babies out from under Leroy
and never went back.
What are all these cars
doing out here? Are we late?
No, we ain't late.
Why ain't you singing?
We got to worry about getting
in there and getting our seats.
Come on now, we late!
- Who we clapping for?
- Honey, we clapping for you!
Come on down, Sister Clark!
Come on.
Come on.
All right, all right.
Now, uh... this is an important time
in our community.
And we have to thank you
for what you have done.
Now...
We know you couldn't put
your name in here,
so we all signed our own.
Thank you.
Come on, now. Come on.
Churches over two counties
signed our books. All for you and me.
It's beautiful.
What's wrong?
I got a job offer from Harper and Row
in New York.
Congratulations!
- I'm not taking it.
- What you mean you're not taking it?
I can't just leave you two here
when things are getting bad
from the mess that I created.
No. If bad things happen,
ain't nothing you can do about it.
And now it's for a reason
we can be proud of.
I don't mean to rub salt in your wound,
but you ain't got a good life here
in Jackson.
Plus, your mama's getting better.
You ain't got nothing left here
but enemies in the Junior League.
You done burned every bridge there is.
And you ain't never gonna
get another man in this town.
Everybody know that.
So don't walk your white butt
to New York, run it!
Looky here, Miss Skeeter.
I'm gonna take care of Aibileen.
And she's gonna take care of me.
Go find your life, Miss Skeeter.
Aibileen, can you come in here, please?
Good morning.
Aibileen, the silver
I lent Elizabeth last week.
It not polished good?
Humidity been fighting me
on polishing day.
When you returned it, three pieces
were missing from the felt wrapper.
A fork and two spoons.
Let me... Let me go check in the
kitchen. Maybe I left some behind.
You know as well as I do that silver's
not in the kitchen.
You check in Mae Mobley's bed?
Since the Lil Man was born,
she been putting things...
Do you hear her, Elizabeth?
She's trying to blame it on a toddler.
I ain't got no silver.
She says she doesn't have them.
Then it behooves me to inform you
that you are Tired, Aibileen.
And I'll be calling the police.
Aibee, my throat hurts.
I'll go get some syrup, Miss Leefolt.
Elizabeth can take care
of her own children.
- I'll go get the cough syrup.
- Come here, Lil Man.
I'm OK.
I didn't steal no silver.
Maybe I can't send you to jail
for what you wrote,
but I can send you for being a thief.
I know something about you.
Don't you forget that.
From what Yule Mae says, there's a lot
of time to write letters in jail.
Plenty of time to write the truth
about you. And the paper is free.
- Nobody will believe what you wrote!
- I don't know!
I been told I'm a pretty good writer.
Already sold a lot of books.
Call the police, Elizabeth.
All you do is scare and lie
to try to get what you want.
Aibileen, stop!
You a godless woman.
Ain't you tired, Miss Hilly?
Ain't you tired?
Aibileen, you have to go now.
Don't go, Aibee.
Baby, you need to get back to bed.
- Please don't leave.
- I gots to, baby. I am so sorry.
Are you going to take care
of another little girl?
No, that's not the reason.
I don't want to leave you,
but it's time for me to retire.
- You're my last little girl.
- No!
Baby. Baby.
I need you to remember everything
I told you, OK?
- OK.
- You remember what I told you?
You is kind. You is smart.
You is important.
That's right, Baby Girl.
Don't go, Aibee.
I gots to, baby.
You give my sweet girl a chance.
Mae Mobley was my last baby.
In just ten minutes,
the only life I knew was done.
Aibee!
God says we need to love our enemies.
No!
It hard to do.
But it can start by telling the truth.
No one had ever asked me
what it felt like to be me.
Once I told the truth about that...
...I felt free.
And I got to thinking
about all the people I know.
And the things I seen and done.
My boy, Treelore, always said we going
to have a writer in the family one day.
I guess it's gonna be me.