Set in 1960s Mississippi, the movie adaptation of the best-selling novel The Help looks at the complex relationships between African-American housekeepers and the white women they work for. Food plays a role in the story, but instead of turning to the usual caterers and food stylists for help, the director chose to use real Southern cooks, not professionals, to make nearly all the onscreen food.
Food & Wine's August issue includes a behind-the-scenes story about the food in the film. The Mississippi-born director recruited real-life cooks from the small town of Greenwood, including Southern cookbook author Martha Hall Foose, who made fried chicken based on the recipe in the novel. Other cooks included a newspaper columnist, a cafeteria manager, and a teacher.
The director chose to use home cooks over professionals because he wanted the film's food to be authentic:
"There's a way we cook in the South; vegetables get a certain color to them," he says. "That gets lost a lot of times, unless the right people make the food."
The article has us excited for the film's August 10th release!
• Read the article: The Help: Southern Food at Food & Wine
• Watch the trailer: The Help Official Movie Trailer on YouTube
Do you have any favorite films that feature Southern food?
Related: Cheese Straws: A Sign of Southern Hospitality
(Image: DreamWorks)
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Damn but that lady on the pic looks like Oprah.
@ Christine M.--I thought the same thing! I had to look it up @ imdb.com to make sure.
Ugh. That book/movie combo makes me sick almost as much as "I don't know how she does it"
That maid looks PI$$ED
Skeeter is so disappointingly miscast... (she's supposed to be a really tall, somewhat big-boned, redhead who moves awkwardly... I kept thinking "young Geena Davis").
That said, when I read the book, I had the actress who plays Minny in my head as I was reading.
Shoulda been in casting...
Might as well remove this post because everyone will ignorantly post about the nature of the film or the appearance of the cast vs the food in the film. Sad we had to make a film off of a controversial book and then highlight it in a food blog for people to judge. The "fiction" was stolen from real people and Black actors who chose to work with this screenplay did so because there aren't many other choices in Hollywood. And by the way, not every older and seasoned Black actress looks like Oprah!
Vhision ... the first half of your comment complains about how no one will talk about the food and only talk about the nature of the film. And then the second half of your comment is entirely about how you're sad about how the film was made. Not trying to be rude, but your comment doesn't make much sense to me, I'm sorry.
Anyway, I love the fact that they eschewed food stylists! Nothing against stylists of course, I think it just lends something so authentic to the appearance of the food in the film. I've never read the book, but it sounds like food is a part of the soul of the story. I'm thrilled that the film's creators kept maintained at least that thread of authenticity.
Don't be sorry I'm not sad about the film being made - I'm infuriated about the book that inspired the film to be made - glad you're talking about the food though : )
@ Vhision - I agree. I read the book and hated it for so many reasons. And the actress looks nothing like Oprah except that she's Black. Also, the linked article doesn't say much about the food or the makers of it. Am I missing something?
Yeah, I'm cringing on so many levels right now...
Martha Foose is an incredible cook! Her first cookbook, Screen Doors and Sweet Tea won the James Beard Award in 2009. I've had the pleasure of meeting her several times and I was blown away by the Blue Cheese Pecan Bread she made for a signing at Lemuria Bookstore (check out lemuriabooks.com to order her cookbooks from an incredible independent bookstore!) She also has a delicious recipe for Lemon Ice Box Pie that is incredibly easy and garners compliments upon compliments even when it's prepared by this kitchen rookie... can you ask for anything more???
a) thank god I'm not the only one who was disgusted by the book
b) where are the pics of the food??
Thanks @Fat Kitty for summing up all our posts
Sheesh. All i was going to say was that I think the idea behind the food is great.
Wow, I loved the book. Can't wait for the movie!