On Tuesday, I had the great privilege and pleasure of moderating a Q&A with four of the stars of The Help – Viola Davis, Jessica Chastain, Octavia Spencer, and Ahna O’Reilly – following a packed SAG screening of the film in New York near Lincoln Center. They, along with their co-stars in the film, received the best ensemble award at the National Board of Review Awards later that night and at the Critics’ Choice Awards on Thursday night (where, additionally, Davis won best actress and Spencer won best supporting actress). Those victories, as well as pending nominations from the Screen Actors Guild of America, Producers Guild of America, Art Directors Guild, American Society of Cinematographers, and Hollywood Foreign Press Association (the film, Davis, and Spencer are all nominated), plus the rare nature of the film (its cast is dominated by women of all ages and races), lead me to believe that it is probably the strongest threat to upend the presumptive frontrunner The Artist at the Oscars next month. Therefore, I’d encourage you to take a few minutes to check out the video of our conversation and learn about these remarkable women and the unlikely way in which they came together to bring to the screen one of the most popular novels of our time.
Among the things we discussed…
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Last night, thanks to a very kind gesture on the part of my editor, I was able to realize a lifelong dream and sit in the audience at the Academy Awards. I covered the Oscars from the backstage press room three years ago, which was a thrill in and of itself, but, as someone who has spent a huge chunk of my life researching, writing, and talking about the Oscars, you can imagine how much more excited I was to have the chance to watch the ceremony unfold with my own two eyes. And, I’m pleased to report, the experience did not disappoint.
