Bryce Dallas Howard recommends movies, TV shows to watch instead of 'The Help'
Bryce Dallas Howard knows you love "The Help," but she is encouraging fans to seek out other movies that better address racism and race relations in America.
"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," the 39-year-old began on Facebook. "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."
Howard starred in the Tate Taylor-directed movie in 2011 alongside Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Jessica Chastain and others. It was nominated for four Academy Awards and Spencer won an Oscar for her performance. In 2018, Davis expressed regret for having starred in the movie.
"I just felt that at the end of the day that it wasn’t the voices of the maids that were heard. I know Aibileen. I know Minny. They’re my grandma. They’re my mom," Davis told The New York Times. "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."
To do her part, Howard compiled a list of other movies -- even a few TV shows, too -- that she said better highlights the black experience than "The Help."
"Stories are a gateway to radical empathy and the greatest ones are catalysts for action," Howard said in her social media post. "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."
The movies and TV shows she highlighted are: "13th," "Eyes on the Prize," "I am Not Your Negro," "Just Mercy," "Malcolm X," "Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland," "Selma," "Watchmen" and "When They See Us." Howard acknowledged this wasn't a comprehensive list. "Just Mercy" and "Selma" are currently both free to rent on all digital platforms for the month of June.
For other recommendations, look to organizations like the African American Film Critics Association, which hands out awards each year. Check out its picks for 2019 here. Additionally, the association is currently highlighting new movies and TV shows to watch each month -- one list for adults and one for kids or teens. The June 2020 picks can be found here.
