Help, The

"The Help" stars Emma Stone as the courageous Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, who goes against the beliefs of her family and friends to find her own voice. The critically praised, emotional performance of Viola Davis as Aibileen Clark, a woman who secretly dreams of one day having more than she has been given, offers a deep emotional storyline. The breakthrough performance of Octavia Spencer as Minny Jackson, whose sass and tough exterior disguise the pain and fear she faces every day, brings both drama and humor to the film. Bryce Dallas Howard breathes life into the catty Jackson socialite Hilly Holbrook and Jessica Chastain brings charm and humor as Celia Foote, a kind housewife living outside of town who longs to fit in. "The Help" is an inspirational, courageous, and empowering story about very different, extraordinary women in the 1960s South who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project—one that breaks society's rules and puts them all at risk. Based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett. (Tricia Spears)