Thursday, August 1, 2024

Part 2 - The Help (2011) Script

(Previous Here)

 HILLY: Is that true, Yule May?


YULE MAY: Yes, Ma'am.


Skeeter notices that Hilly is holding the booklet of Jim Crow laws in her hand.


HILLY: Did you also ask Miss Skeeter if you could borrow money?


SKEETER: Of course not, Hilly!


Hilly approaches Skeeter.


HILLY: Skeeter, I'm starting to think you're intentionally not putting my initiative in the newsletter.


Eyes down, Yule May hurries out of the kitchen.


72.


SKEETER: Not at all. I'm just so busy right now with Mom.


HILLY: Skeeter...I'm sorry about your   mother. And I know you must be so worried.


Hilly holds up the Jim Crow booklet.


HILLY : But I'm worried about you. All this carrying on lately and now you're reading this stuff?


SKEETER: My dad had me get that for him.


HILLY: I mean, around your friends is one thing...But, believe it or not, there are real racists in this town! If the wrong person caught you with this...you'd be in serious trouble.


Skeeter snatches the booklet from Hilly.


SKEETER: Thanks, Hilly! And thanks for   going through my things.


INT. PHELAN PLANTATION - SKEETER'S BEDROOM - NEXT DAY


Skeeter types feverishly while smoking a cigarette. Keys type out:

"Home Help Sanitation Initiative."


Skeeter picks up Hilly's document and shakes her head. She types:

Don't risk your children's and family's health!


INT. HOLBROOK HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY


Yule May vacuums. She pulls the sofa away from the wall to clean beneath it.


Noticing something on the floor, Yule May leans over.


She rises holding a SMALL RUBY RING. Years of dust and hair blanket the pitiful gem set in ten karat gold.


The vacuum seems to roar louder now. Yule May breathes heavily. She shoves the ring into her uniform pocket.


INT. PHELEN PLANTATION - SKEETER'S BEDROOM - THAT AFTERNOON


As Skeeter bangs away on her typewriter, Charlotte bursts into the room, stuck somewhere between panic and joy.


73.


CHARLOTTE: Skeeter!


SKEETER: What?!


CHARLOTTE: Don't panic, but there's a very tall man named Stuart here for you.


SKEETER: He's a drunken a**hole, Mother. You wouldn't like him.


Charlotte pulls a sun dress out of Skeeter's closet.


CHARLOTTE:


Skeeter, love and hate are two


horns on the same goat. And, you


need a goat!


INT. PHELAN PLANTATION - LIVING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER


Skeeter, Charlotte and Stuart sit in the living room.


Pascagoula serves finger sandwiches.


Stuart looks nice in khaki pants, a blue blazer and a red


tie. His nose is pink from working in the sun.


No one says a word. Finally...


CHARLOTTE:


Stuart, would you like a cocktail?


Skeeter shoots her mother a "What the..." look.


STUART:


No, Ma'am. Little too early.


SKEETER:


Ha!


Charlotte moves on.


CHARLOTTE:


What's your last name, Stuart?


STUART:


Whitworth.


CHARLOTTE:


Hmm...Where are you from?


STUART:


Natchez.


CHARLOTTE:


Really? Well, I know a Whitworth


from Natchez...But he's a Senator


up in Washington.


74.


STUART:


Yes, Ma'am. That's my daddy.


CHARLOTTE:


Who is?


STUART:


Senator Whitworth. That's my


father.


Charlotte's jaw drops to her string of pearls.


CHARLOTTE:


Really?


Stuart nods. Charlotte stands, flustered yet joyful.


CHARLOTTE (CONT'D)


Well...tell him I said


"Hello"...I'm going to go see if


Pascagoula needs some help in the


kitchen.


Charlotte backs away behind Stuart's chair. She points at


Skeeter violently, as if to say, DON'T MESS THIS UP!


EXT. PHELAN PLANTATION - BACK YARD - MOMENTS LATER


Skeeter and Stuart stand beneath an old Cypress tree as


Charlotte peeps from an upstairs window.


STUART:


Look. I know it was a few weeks


back, but I came here to say I'm


sorry for the way I acted.


SKEETER:


Who sent you? William or Hilly?


STUART:


Neither. I was rude, and I've been


thinking about it a lot.


SKEETER:


Well, I haven't. So, just go.


STUART:


Now, look. I told Hilly I wasn't


ready to go out on any date. I


wasn't even close to ready.


Stuart shoves his hands in his pockets like a boy.


STUART (CONT'D)


I was engaged last year. She ended


it.


Skeeter refuses to pity him.


75.


STUART (CONT'D)


We'd been dating since we were


fifteen. You know how it is.


SKEETER:


Actually, I don't. I've never


dated anyone before.


Stuart looks up and starts laughing loudly.


STUART:


Well! That must be it then.


SKEETER:


What?


STUART:


I've never met a woman that said


exactly what she was thinking.


SKEETER:


I've got plenty to say...


STUART:


Would you like to...come downtown


with me and have dinner? We could


talk... We could listen to each


other this time.




HILLY:




Is that true, Yule May?




YULE MAY:




Yes, Ma'am.




Skeeter notices that Hilly is holding the booklet of Jim Crow




laws in her hand.




HILLY:




Did you also ask Miss Skeeter if




you could borrow money?




SKEETER:




Of course not, Hilly!




Hilly approaches Skeeter.




HILLY:




Skeeter, I'm starting to think




you're intentionally not putting my




initiative in the newsletter.




Eyes down, Yule May hurries out of the kitchen.




72.




SKEETER:




Not at all. I'm just so busy right




now with Mom.




HILLY:




Skeeter...I'm sorry about your




mother. And I know you must be so




worried.




Hilly holds up the Jim Crow booklet.


HILLY : But I'm worried about you. All this carrying on lately and now you're reading this stuff?

SKEETER: My dad had me get that for him.


HILLY: I mean, around your friends is one thing...But, believe it or not, there are real racists in this town! If the wrong person caught you with this...you'd be in serious trouble.


Skeeter snatches the booklet from Hilly.


SKEETER: Thanks, Hilly! And thanks for going through my things.


INT. PHELAN PLANTATION - SKEETER'S BEDROOM - NEXT DAY


Skeeter types feverishly while smoking a cigarette. Keys type out: "Home Help Sanitation Initiative."


Skeeter picks up Hilly's document and shakes her head. She types:

Don't risk your children's and family's health!


INT. HOLBROOK HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY


Yule May vacuums. She pulls the sofa away from the wall to clean beneath it.


Noticing something on the floor, Yule May leans over.


She rises holding a SMALL RUBY RING. Years of dust and hair blanket the pitiful gem set in ten karat gold.


The vacuum seems to roar louder now. Yule May breathes heavily. She shoves the ring into her uniform pocket.


INT. PHELEN PLANTATION - SKEETER'S BEDROOM - THAT AFTERNOON


As Skeeter bangs away on her typewriter, Charlotte bursts into the room, stuck somewhere between panic and joy.


73.


CHARLOTTE: Skeeter!

SKEETER:What?!

CHARLOTTE: Don't panic, but there's a very tall man named Stuart here for you.

SKEETER: He's a drunken a**hole, Mother. You wouldn't like him.

Charlotte pulls a sun dress out of Skeeter's closet.

CHARLOTTE: Skeeter, love and hate are two horns on the same goat. And, you need a goat!


INT. PHELAN PLANTATION - LIVING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER


Skeeter, Charlotte and Stuart sit in the living room.


Pascagoula serves finger sandwiches.


Stuart looks nice in khaki pants, a blue blazer and a red tie. His nose is pink from working in the sun.


No one says a word. Finally...


CHARLOTTE: Stuart, would you like a cocktail?

Skeeter shoots her mother a "What the..." look.

STUART: No, Ma'am. Little too early.


SKEETER: Ha!

Charlotte moves on.


CHARLOTTE: What's your last name, Stuart?

STUART: Whitworth.


CHARLOTTE: Hmm...Where are you from?

STUART: Natchez.

CHARLOTTE: Really? Well, I know a Whitworth from Natchez...But he's a Senator up in Washington.

74.

STUART: Yes, Ma'am. That's my daddy.

CHARLOTTE: Who is?

STUART: Senator Whitworth. That's my

father.

Charlotte's jaw drops to her string of pearls.

CHARLOTTE: Really?


Stuart nods. Charlotte stands, flustered yet joyful.

CHARLOTTE : Well...tell him I said

"Hello" ... I'm going to go see if   Pascagoula needs some help in the   kitchen.


Charlotte backs away behind Stuart's chair. She points at Skeeter violently, as if to say, DON'T MESS THIS UP!


EXT. PHELAN PLANTATION - BACK YARD - MOMENTS LATER


Skeeter and Stuart stand beneath an old Cypress tree as Charlotte peeps from an upstairs window.


STUART: Look. I know it was a few weeks back, but I came here to say I'm sorry for the way I acted.


SKEETER: Who sent you? William or Hilly?


STUART: Neither. I was rude, and I've been thinking about it a lot.

SKEETER: Well, I haven't. So, just go.

STUART: Now, look. I told Hilly I wasn't ready to go out on any date. I wasn't even close to ready.

Stuart shoves his hands in his pockets like a boy.

STUART : I was engaged last year. She ended it.


Skeeter refuses to pity him.


75.

STUART : We'd been dating since we were fifteen. You know how it is.


SKEETER: Actually, I don't. I've never dated anyone before.


Stuart looks up and starts laughing loudly.


STUART: Well! That must be it then.


SKEETER: What?

STUART: I've never met a woman that said exactly what she was thinking.


SKEETER: I've got plenty to say...


STUART: Would you like to...come downtown with me and have dinner? We could

talk... We could listen to each other this time.

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