The Help Page #13

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SKEETER:

I'll have it in there soon.

Skeeter glances at the initiative tucked in her satchel.

EXT. LEAGUE HEADQUARTERS - PARKING LOT - LATER THAT DAY

Skeeter turns a corner and sees Hilly leaning on her car.

SKEETER:

Hilly? Do you need a ride?

Hilly shakes her head with little emotion.

SKEETER (CONT'D)

I'm sorry about the newsletter.

Hilly nods. A soft smile begins to form.

SKEETER (CONT'D)

With Momma being sick and-

Hilly erupts with excitement.

HILLY:

He's coming! Oh, Skeeter, he's

definitely coming this time. This

Saturday night.

SKEETER:

Oh, Hilly, he's cancelled twice

before. Maybe it's a sign.

HILLY:

Don't you dare say that!

SKEETER:

You know I won't be his type.

Hilly grabs Skeeter by the shoulders.

46.

HILLY:

It's your time, Skeeter. And

damnit, I'm not going to let you

miss this just because your mother

convinced you you're not good

enough for somebody like him.

INT. MINNY'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - MORNING

Minny is again wearing her maid's uniform. She puts two

plates of food down on the kitchen table.

She sits next to her daughter, SUGAR, 15. Sugar wears a

brand-spanking-new maids's uniform.

MINNY:

Eat up, Girl. Miss Woodra's like

to not feed ya on try-out day.

Sugar takes a bite of toast.

MINNY (CONT'D)

I still say you're too young to be

waitin' on white peoples...Now,

Sugar, I want you to listen to me,

and you listen to me good.

Minny grabs Sugar's face and looks her right in the eyes.

MINNY (CONT'D)

These are the rules for working in

a white lady's house.

Sugar jerks her face away and sticks her lip out.

MINNY (CONT'D)

Rule Number One:
Don't you ever let

White Lady find you sittin' on her

toilet.

Sugar nods.

MINNY (CONT'D)

Number Two:
You keep your nose out

of White Lady's problems, and don't

cry to her with yours. White

people ain't your friends.

EXT. RURAL BUS STOP - LATER THAT MORNING

Minny steps off a bus and walks down an old country road.

MINNY (V.O.)

Number Three:
When you're cooking

white food, taste it with a

different spoon. They see you put

the tasting spoon back in the pot,

might as well throw it all out.

Spoon, too.

47.

EXT. FOOTE ESTATE - LATER

Minny approaches the Foote estate. She stops just short of

stairs leading up to the front porch.

MINNY (V.O.)

Four:
You use the same cup, same

fork, same plate every day.

Minny takes her first step on the stairs.

MINNY (V.O.) (CONT'D)

Five:
Don't hit her kids. White

people do they own spanking.

Minny slowly raises her hand to knock on the front door.

MINNY (V.O.) (CONT'D)

Six:
No sass-mouthing!

Minny knocks.

MINNY (CONT'D)

(TO HERSELF)

Number six, Minny. Number six.

The door flies open. Celia Foote answers. She's covered in

tight pink clothes. Flour covers her face and hair.

CELIA:

Hey there! I'm Celia Rae Foote.

Aibileen said you'd be on time.

Minny looks down disapprovingly to Celia's bare feet.

CELIA (CONT'D)

Can I get you a cold Coca-Cola?

MINNY:

No, thank you. I'm Minny

Jackson... You...cooking

something?

CELIA:

One of those upsidedown cakes from

the magazine. It ain't workin' out

too good. Come on in.

INT. FOOTE ESTATE - KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER

Minny enters behind Celia gawking at the flour massacre.

MINNY:

What in the hell-

Minny catches herself.

MINNY (CONT'D)

(TO HERSELF)

Tuck it in, Minny. Tuck it in.

48.

CELIA:

I guess I have some learnin' to do.

MINNY:

(STUPID SMILE)

You sure do.

INT. FOOTE ESTATE - DINING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Minny and Celia enter a huge dining room. Minny gawks at a

dusty mahogany table surrounded by twelve chairs.

CELIA:

Johnny's momma wouldn't let me

decorate a thing. If I had my way,

this house would have wall to wall

white carpet with gold trim and

none of this old stuff.

Minny spies a framed battle-worn Confederate flag complete

with bullet holes.

MINNY:

Where you from?

Celia lowers her head in shame...

CELIA:

Sugar Ditch. It's near Memphis.

MINNY:

I know Sugar Ditch. My cousin live

there.

Celia changes the subject.

CELIA:

Let's go meet Oscar!

Celia grabs Minny's hand. Annoyed, Minny pulls it away.

INT. FOOTE ESTATE - LIVING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Minny stands at the base of a massive, stuffed Grizzly bear.

It clears the twelve-foot ceiling by an inch.

CELIA:

Johnny's granddaddy shot him up in

Montana back in 1910 with Teddy

Roosevelt.

Celia points to fifteen guns mounted behind Oscar.

CELIA (CONT'D)

We got five bedrooms and bathrooms

here in the main house. The pool

house has two more beds and baths.

49.

MINNY:

When you gone have some chillins,

start fillin' up all these beds?

Celia swallows hard. She places her hand on her stomach.

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