The Help

In 1960s Mississippi, three women's lives intertwine in a complex web of racial tension and exploitation. Aibileen Clark, a middle-aged African-American maid, raises white children and struggles to cope with her own losses; Minny Jackson, another maid, faces the harsh realities of poverty and racism despite her fierce determination; and Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, a young aspiring writer, sets out to expose the secrets of the maids' lives in her bestselling book, The Help. As Skeeter's story unfolds, it becomes clear that life for black domestic workers like Aibileen and Minny is shaped by a system of oppression and racial segregation that seeks to keep them at a distance from their white employers, even as they fight for survival and dignity.