Rise of the Planet of the Apes may have won the box office for a second weekend in a row, but The Help was the real story: perfect Cinemascore marks, strong opening weekend earnings, Oscar buzz and some major controversy. As the summer movie season winds to a close, this could be the one film you're still talking about come Thanksgiving. So! Let's talk about it!
Topics up for discussion:
· Did you think The Help was racist -- that it perpetuated the white savior myth in a way that was similar to The Blind Side? Or do you think all the controversy surrounding the Kathryn Stockett novel, and now the film, was overblown?
· Onscreen, do you think that Viola Davis should be nominated for an Oscar for her work as Aibileen? Along those lines, would you like to see her in the Best Actress category or Best Supporting Actress category? What other stars do you think could garner Oscar buzz?
· How much money do you think The Help could wind up earning? Do you think it'll top out at $80 million domestic or push well past $100 million with strong word of mouth and little competition over the next month?
· Now that you've seen her in Friends with Benefits, Crazy, Stupid, Love and The Help, what Emma Stone performance from this summer was your favorite? Has she earned the status of Hollywood's current favorite It-Girl?
And more! Leave your thoughts on those subjects -- and whatever else The Help made you want to talk about -- in the comments section below.
[Photo: DreamWorks, LLC/Dale Robinette]