Oscar winner Viola Davis has some regrets about appearing in “The Help,” which has found an unfortunate resurgence in popularity.
While millions took to the streets in support of the Black Lives Matter movement last month, just as many (mostly white) people stayed home and watched The Help. The 2011 film, set during Mississippi in the 1960s, shot to the top of Netflix’s most-watched list, despite being widely criticized for embracing the white savior trope.
For that reason, the cast of The Help, which made $216 million worldwide and was nominated for Best Picture (Octavia Spencer won for Best Supporting Actress), has been disassociating themselves from the historical drama. Bryce Dallas Howard recommended “a handful of powerful, essential, masterful films and shows that center Black lives, stories, creators, and/or performers” instead of a movie about racism written and directed by a white dude (based on a book from a white woman), while Viola Davis feels like she “betrayed myself, and my people” for appearing in the proto-Green Book.
