On the Trail of The Help: The Iconic Locations of the Oscar-Winning Film

Tate Taylor , adapting Kathryn Stockett's best-selling novel of the same name, created The Help (2011), a tense drama set in 1960s Mississippi , where the winds of racial segregation were still blowing strongly. The film, which won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Octavia Spencer , is known not only for its extraordinary performances, but also for the careful choice of locations, capable of vividly conveying an era of strong social contrasts .

What is The Help about?

In 1960s Mississippi, Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan returns home after college with a dream: to become a writer. She discovers a world still marked by racism and decides to tell the stories of African-American maids who have always raised the children of white families.

With the help of Aibileen and Minny, she collects testimonies of discrimination and courage. The resulting book shakes Jackson's society, giving a voice to those who never had one. A tale of rebellion, solidarity, and truth, it marks a turning point in the collective consciousness of the segregated South.

Where was it filmed?

Although the story is set in Jackson, the capital of Mississippi , much of the filming took place about 90 miles north, in the town of Greenwood, along the Yazoo River. This choice was dictated by the greater architectural authenticity of the area, which has remained partly intact since the 1960s.

Greenwood: the (real) heart of the narrative

The tree-lined avenue of Grand Boulevard represents the white elite of the South: here is the mansion of Hilly Holbrook ( Bryce Dallas Howard ), at number 413, the scene of one of the most iconic revenge scenes in modern cinema . Not far away, at 1101 Poplar Street, is the house of Elizabeth Leefolt , where women gather to play bridge.

Going south towards Little Red Park, we find the area where the maids gather to catch the bus, a visual symbol of the social and economic divisions of the time.

Historic homes and symbolic places

The tacky but sensitive Celia Foote's ( Jessica Chastain ) home, nestled in the countryside, is the beautiful Cotesworth House near Carrollton. The Phelan farm, where Skeeter (Emma Stone) lives, is Whittington Farm at 7300 County Road 518, although the interior scenes were filmed at 613 River Road. The home of the unjustly fired housekeeper Constantine ( Cicely Tyson ) is at 1080 County Road 150.

Jackson between reality and fiction

Some sequences were actually filmed in Jackson, such as the one in which Skeeter discovers the existence of Jim Crow laws at the Mississippi State Capitol . Jackson also features two significant locations for her romantic storyline: Brent's Drugs (655 Duling Avenue), a typical pharmacy and retro diner, and the Mayflower Café (123 West Capitol Street), where an oyster dinner is served.

The church scenes where Aibileen finds strength and dignity are set at the Little Zion MB Church on County Road, which also houses the grave of legendary bluesman Robert Johnson . The charity ball held at the fictional “Robert E. Lee Hotel” was filmed between the neoclassical facade of the Leflore County Courthouse and the interior of the Elks Lodge in Greenwood.

The Avent and Clark bookstore , where the book The Help by Anonymous is displayed, is actually the gift shop A Pocket Full of Posies , at 309 Howard Street. Finally, the supermarket where Minny and Aibileen discover the book's effect on the community is Wong's Foodland, in Clarksdale (520 Anderson Blvd).

A new beginning on Grand Boulevard

In the touching finale, Aibileen (Viola Davis) walks down Grand Boulevard toward an uncertain but finally free future. Her modest home, a symbol of quiet dignity, is located at 203 West Taft Street.

Many of these places are still open to visitors today, even though they are private residences. Therefore, discretion and respect for the residents' privacy are advised. Greenwood has successfully preserved the atmosphere of its past, making it a fascinating destination for those who love cinema, history, and the culture of the American South.