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The Help by Kathryn Stockett - Discussion Guide: Home

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Articles, Interviews, and Reviews

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• Q&A: Kathryn Stocket, Author of The Help Time Magazine, November 11, 2009
• 'The Help' Author Says Criticism Makes Her 'Cringe' NPR's All Things Considered, December 23, 2009
• Racial Insults and Quiet Bravery in 1960s Mississippi The New York Times, February 18, 2009
• Mississippi Slow Burning California Literary Review, February 8, 2009
• The Maid's Tale: Kathryn Stockett Examines Slavery and Racism in America's Deep South The Telegraph, July 16, 2009

The South, the Civil Rights Movement, and the 60s

Some books which may contextualize The Help:

Discussion Questions

(From the publisher )

1. Who was your favorite character? Why? 2. What do you think motivated Hilly? On one hand she’s so unpleasant to Aibileen and her own help, as well as to Skeeter once she realizes she can’t control her. But she’s a wonderful mother. Do you think you can be a good mother but at the same time a deeply flawed person? 3. Like Hilly, Skeeter’s mother is a prime example of someone deeply flawed yet somewhat sympathetic. She seems to care for Skeeter – and she also seems to have very real feelings for Constantine. Yet the ultimatum she gives to Constantine is untenable. And most of her interaction with Skeeter is critical. Do you think Skeeter’s mother is a sympathetic or unsympathetic character? Why? 4. How much of a person’s character do you think is shaped by the times in which they live? 5. Did it bother you that Skeeter is willing to overlook so many of Stuart’s faults so that she can get married, and it’s not until he literally gets up and walks away that the engagement falls apart? 6. Do you think Minny was justified in her distrust of white people? 7. Do you think that had Aibileen stayed working for Miss Elizabeth, that Mae Mobley would have grown up to be racist like her mother? Do you think racism is inherent, or taught? 8. From the perspective of a 21st century reader, the hair shellac system that Skeeter undergoes seems ludicrous. Yet women still alter their looks in rather peculiar ways as the definition of “beauty” changes with the times. Looking back on your past, what’s the most ridiculous beauty regimen you ever underwent? 9. The author manages to paint Aibileen with a quiet grace and an aura of wisdom about her. How do you think she does this? 10. Do you think there are still vestiges of racism in relationships where people of color work for people who are white? Have you heard stories of someone who put away their valuable jewelry before their nanny comes – so they trust this person to look after their child, but not their diamond rings? 11. What did you think about Minny’s pie for Miss Hilly? Would you have gone as far as Minny did for revenge?

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• Last Updated: Jan 31, 2023 3:26 PM
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by Kathryn Stockett

The help study guide.

Published in 2009, The Help tells the story of three women who work together to challenge the racial status quo of their day. In Jackson Mississippi in the 1960s, aspiring writer Skeeter Phelan gets a dangerous idea: to write a book about what it's really like to be a black maid working for a white family. She enlists the help of Aibileen Clark (a warm, wise black woman with a tragic past) and Minny Jackson (a sharp-tongued maid with a terrible secret) to assist her in this task.

Author Kathryn Stockett drew inspiration for The Help (which is her first novel) from her close relationship with her childhood maid, Demetrie. Despite the fact that Demetrie spent so much of her time taking care of the children, Stockett knew very little about her personal life and decided to fill that gap by writing in Demetrie's voice. Demetrie eventually became the character of Aibileen, and Stockett slowly developed the plot for the book.

Stockett had a great deal of trouble in bringing her book to print; over sixty literary agents rejected the manuscript. However, The Help has been a resounding commercial success; often described as a "sleeper hit," it has spent two years on the New York Times Bestseller list and sold over five million copies.

Stockett received high praise for her well-developed characters and portrayal of complex social relationships. However, some African-American groups have argued that The Help actually exacerbates racism by making the black female characters subordinate to the white main character, Skeeter. Ablene Cooper, a maid who worked for Stockett's brother, sued Stockett for using her life story without permission. However, a Hinds County judge dismissed the case, arguing that the statute of limitations had already passed.

A film based on the novel, directed by Tate Taylor and starring Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and Emma Stone, was released in 2011. The film garnered a number of Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress.

The Help Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Help is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

What is the conclution of the drama?

In the final chapter, all three of the main characters (Skeeter, Minny, and Aibileen) are poised on the edge of a great change in their lives. Skeeter's new beginning is a bit more promising than that of the others; though she cannot publicly...

What role does mothers and daughters play in the play?

Mothers and daughters have difficult but deeply loving relationships. The Help examines several different types of mother-daughter relationships.

Elizabeth Leefolt has a strained relationship with her mother, who is aloof and demanding; she...

What Page number is this quote on?

Page numbers differ depending on the copy you have.

Study Guide for The Help

The Help study guide contains a biography of Kathryn Stockett, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Help
• The Help Summary
• Character List

Essays for The Help

The Help essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

• Devastation Through Segregation
• Internalized language stereotypes within The Help
• The Problem of Female Identity: Restrictive Gender Constructs in 'The Help' and in Plath's Poetry
• Trauma and Racism: 'The Help' as Understood in Print, in Film, and in Scholarly Sources
• Challenging Behaviors and the Audience

Lesson Plan for The Help

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Help
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Help Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for The Help

• Introduction
• Plot summary
• Film adaptation
• Awards and honors

• International
• Schools directory
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The Help: Worksheets, Tests, and Movie Guide

Subject: Rights and responsibilites

Age range: 11-14

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

18 May 2019

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The Help Book Club Discussion Questions

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Inside: The Help book club discussion questions

The Help by Kathryn Stockett is the official book club selection for January in the Happy Simple Mom Book Club.

This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for YEARS. I watched the movie when it first came out, likely in the theater. I was then gifted the movie one Christmas. However, I never took the time to read it. I was missing out!

Although the book is hefty compared to some other Happy Simple Mom Book Club picks, it was an easy ready, having me flip the pages and consuming it as fast as possible.

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Don’t miss out on any other reads from 2024. You can find those in the 2024 Happy Simple Mom Book Club picks.

January 2024 Pick:   The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This book sat on my shelf for the past several years, begging to be read. I watched the movie, years ago, when it first came out, and I found it touching, hilarious, and a real treat. The book is no different. It’s an easy read, keeping you turning the pages. I figured it’s a great way to start off the new year!

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Length:  544 pages

Audio Length:  18 hours and 6 minutes

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Publisher’s Description:

Aibileen is a black maid in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, who’s always taken orders quietly, but lately she’s unable to hold her bitterness back. Her friend Minny has never held her tongue but now must somehow keep secrets about her employer that leave her speechless. White socialite Skeeter just graduated college. She’s full of ambition, but without a husband, she’s considered a failure. Together, these seemingly different women join together to write a tell-all book about work as a black maid in the South, that could forever alter their destinies and the life of a small town.

SPOILER ALERT!!! The following discussion questions WILL give away things from the book. Read at your own risk.

Question 1:

Did you or did you know any families with a maid or who was a maid in the 1960s? (If you don’t know anyone, ask around! I’m so curious.)

Question 2:

Do you think it would be realistic for someone to make Minny’s revenge pie and the receiver not taste the secret ingredient? (That’s a really, really, really good baker.)

Which character did you enjoy the most? Why?

Which character did you enjoy the least? Why?

What were your thoughts on the ending and how things wrapped up for the characters?

Aibileen used a form of affirmations with Mae Mobley. Have you ever used affirmations? Thoughts on using them?

Have you seen the movie? Did you like it? Do you feel like it closely followed the book?

Why did you think of Skeeter’s mom? Did you think she was a sympathetic or unsympathetic character?

What did you think of Skeeter’s relationship with Stuart? Why do you think Skeeter wouldn’t open up to him? Why do you think she was so willing to look past his character traits that she didn’t like?

Question 10

Do you think Mae Mobley grew up to be like her mother? Did you have anyone influence you as a child on your views in regards to race?

Question 11

Do you feel like this book was an accurate representation of the time period and the setting, specifically for black maids working in the South?

Question 12

What was your favorite quote from the book?

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The Help Reader’s Guide

By kathryn stockett.

Category: Literary Fiction | Historical Fiction

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READERS GUIDE

Questions and topics for discussion.

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen’s best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody’s business, but she can’t mind her tongue, so she’s lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

Kathryn Stockett was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. After graduating from the University of Alabama with a degree in English and Creative Writing, she moved to New York City, where she worked in magazine publishing and marketing for nine years. She currently lives in Atlanta with her husband and daughter. This is her first novel.

Q. What was the genesis of the novel?

Growing up in Mississippi, almost every family I knew had a black woman working in their house—cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the white children. That was life in Mississippi. I was young and assumed that’s how most of America lived.

When I moved to New York, though, I realized my “normal” wasn’t quite the same as the rest of America’s. I knew a lot of Southerners in the city, and every now and then we’d talk about what we missed from the South. Inevitably, somebody would start talking about the maid they grew up with, some little thing that made us all remember—Alice’s good hamburgers or riding in the back seat to take Willy May home. Everybody had a story to tell.

Twenty years later, with a million things to do in New York City, there we were still talking about the women who’d raised us in our mama’s kitchens. It was probably on one of those late nights, homesick, when I realized I wanted to write about those relationships from my childhood.

Q. Tell us about your own family maid and your and your family’s relationship with her.

My grandmother’s maid was named Demetrie. She started working for my grandparents in 1955, when my father and uncle were still boys and she was twenty-eight. When they were grown, she looked after us, the grandchildren. I loved Demetrie dearly, and I felt so loved too. We got the best part of her. She wasn’t our mother, so it wasn’t her job to discipline us or make us sit up straight. She just played with us and fed us, and she liked to make us laugh. When I was little, she told me that I had a tail, and I was always turning around, looking for it. I wasn’t exactly “quick” as a child.

I think another reason my siblings and I had such a close connection with Demetrie is that she never had children of her own. She’d grown up poor and lived with an abusive husband. When a person has that much sadness and kindness wrapped up inside, sometimes it just pours out as gentleness. She was a gentle soul. There haven’t been enough people like her in this world.

Q. Since you weren’t alive in 1962, what research, if any, did you do to make sure the time period and social attitudes of the era were accurate?

It sounds crazy, but I would go to the Eudora Welty Library in Jackson and look at old phone books. The back section of the phone book captures so much about the mundane life in a certain time, which somehow becomes interesting fifty years later. The fancy department stores, the abundance of printing shops, and the fact that there were no female doctors or dentists— all helped me visualize the time. In the residential listings, most families just listed the husband’s name, with no mention of the wife.

I also read The Clarion-Ledger newspapers for facts and dates. Once I?d done my homework, I’d go talk to my Grandaddy Stockett, who, at ninety-eight, still has a remarkable memory. That’s where the real stories came from, like Cat-bite, who’s in the book, and the farmers who sold vegetables and cream from their carts everyday, walking through the Jackson neighborhoods. I found that people don’t seem to remember “social attitudes.” They remember what you could do, what you couldn’t do, and especially those people who went ahead and did both.

Q. You interviewed both African-Americans and whites from this time period. Was there anything surprising in what they told you?

It’s a tricky question to ask. It is hard to approach someone and say, “Excuse me, but what was it like to work for a white family in the South during 1960s?” I guess I felt a lot like Skeeter did in The Help . But I did hear plenty of interesting stories. One black woman from Birmingham told me she and her friends used to hide down in a ditch, waiting for the bus to take them to work. They were that afraid to stand on a street corner because white men would harass them. Still, all of the black women I spoke to were very proud of the jobs they’d had. They wanted to tell me where their white children live today and what they do for a living. I heard it over and over: “They still come to see me” and “They call me every Christmas.”

The surprises actually came with the white women I interviewed. I realize there’s a tendency to idealize the past, but some of the women I spoke to, especially the middle-aged generation, just fell apart before they even started talking. They remembered so many details: She taught me to tell time; She taught me to iron a man’s shirt before I got married; She taught me how to wait for the green light. They’d remember and sigh.

After a while, I started to better understand what they were feeling. I felt it, too. It wasn’t just that they missed these women so deeply. I think they wished that they could tell them, one last time, “Thank you for everything.” There was a sense that they hadn’t thanked them enough.

Q. Were you nervous that some people might take affront that you, a white woman in 2008—and a Southern white woman at that— were writing in the voice of two African-American maids?

At first, I wasn’t nervous writing in the voice of Aibileen and Minny because I didn’t think anybody would ever read the story except me. I wrote it because I wanted to go back to that place with Demetrie. I wanted to hear her voice again.

But when other people started reading it, I was very worried about what I’d written and the line I’d crossed. And the truth is, I’m still nervous. I’ll never know what it really felt like to be in the shoes of those black women who worked in the white homes of the South during the 1960s and I hope that no one thinks I presume to know that. But I had to try. I wanted the story to be told. I hope I got some of it right.

Q. Of the three women—Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter—who is your favorite character? Were they all equally easy or difficult to write? Were any of them based on real people?

Aibileen is my favorite because she shares the gentleness of Demetrie. But Minny was the easiest to write because she’s based on my friend Octavia. I didn’t know Octavia very well at the time I was writing, but I’d watched her mannerisms and listened to her stories at parties. She’s an actress in Los Angeles, and you can just imagine the look on her face when some skinny white girl came up and said to her, “I’ve written a book and you’re one of the main characters.” She kind of chuckled and said, “Well, good for you.” Skeeter was the hardest to write because she was constantly stepping across that line I was taught not to cross. Growing up, there was a hard and firm rule that you did not discuss issues of color. You changed the subject if someone brought it up, and you changed the channel when it was on television. That said, I think I enjoyed writing Skeeter’s memories of Constantine more than any other part of the book.

• Who was your favorite character? Why?  
• What do you think motivated Hilly? On the one hand she is terribly cruel to Aibileen and her own help, as well as to Skeeter once she realizes that she can’t control her. Yet she’s a wonderful mother. Do you think that one can be a good mother but, at the same time, a deeply flawed person?  
• Like Hilly, Skeeter’s mother is a prime example of someone deeply flawed yet somewhat sympathetic. She seems to care for Skeeter— and she also seems to have very real feelings for Constantine. Yet the ultimatum she gives to Constantine is untenable; and most of her interaction with Skeeter is critical. Do you think Skeeter’s mother is a sympathetic or unsympathetic character? Why?  
• How much of a person’s character would you say is shaped by the times in which they live?  
• Did it bother you that Skeeter is willing to overlook so many of Stuart’s faults so that she can get married, and that it’s not until he literally gets up and walks away that the engagement falls apart?  
• Do you believe that Minny was justified in her distrust of white people?  
• Do you think that had Aibileen stayed working for Miss Elizabeth, that Mae Mobley would have grown up to be racist like her mother? Do you think racism is inherent, or taught?  
• From the perspective of a twenty-first century reader, the hairshellac system that Skeeter undergoes seems ludicrous. Yet women still alter their looks in rather peculiar ways as the definition of “beauty” changes with the times. Looking back on your past, what’s the most ridiculous beauty regimen you ever underwent?  
• The author manages to paint Aibileen with a quiet grace and an aura of wisdom about her. How do you think she does this?  
• Do you think there are still vestiges of racism in relationships where people of color work for people who are white?  
• What did you think about Minny’s pie for Miss Hilly? Would you have gone as far as Minny did for revenge?

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Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, the help keep right on helping.

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"The Help" is a safe film about a volatile subject. Presenting itself as the story of how African-American maids in the South viewed their employers during Jim Crow days, it is equally the story of how they empowered a young white woman to write a best-seller about them, and how that book transformed the author's mother. We are happy for the two white women, and a third, but as the film ends it is still Jackson, Mississippi and Ross Barnett is still governor.

Still, this is a good film, involving and wonderfully acted. I was drawn into the characters and quite moved, even though all the while I was aware it was a feel-good fable, a story that deals with pain but doesn't care to be that painful. We don't always go to the movies for searing truth, but more often for reassurance: Yes, racism is vile and cruel, but hey, not all white people are bad.

The story, based on Kathryn Stockett's best-seller, focuses on Skeeter Phelan ( Emma Stone ), a recent college graduate who comes home and finds she doesn't fit in so easily. Stone has top billing, but her character seems a familiar type, and the movie is stolen, one scene at a time, by two other characters: Aibileen Clark ( Viola Davis ) and Minny Jackson ( Octavia Spencer ).

Both are maids. Aibileen has spent her life as a nanny, raising little white girls. She is very good at it, and genuinely gives them her love, although when they grow up they have an inexorable tendency to turn into their mothers. Minny is a maid who is fired by a local social leader, then hired by a white-trash blonde. Davis and Spencer have such luminous qualities that this becomes their stories, perhaps not entirely by design.

The society lady, Hilly Holbrook ( Bryce Dallas Howard ), is a relentless social climber who fires Minny after long years of service. The blonde is Celia Foote ( Jessica Chastain , from " The Tree of Life "), who is married to a well-off businessman, is desperate to please him, and knows never learned anything about being a housewife.

Minny needs a job, and is happy to work for her. Celia wants her only during the days, when her husband is away, so that he'll think he's eating her cooking and enjoying her housekeeping. Minny helps her with these tasks and many more, some heart-breaking, and fills her with realistic advice. Chastain is unaffected and infectious in her performance.

Celia doesn't listen to Minny's counsel, however, when she attends a big local charity event (for, yes, Hungry African Children), and the event provides the movie's comic centerpiece. Celia's comeuppance doesn't have much to do with the main story, but it gets a lot of big laughs. Some details about a pie seem to belong in a different kind of movie.

Skeeter convinces Aibileen and then Minny to speak frankly with her, sharing their stories, and as the book develops so does her insight and anger. A somber subplot involves the mystery of why Skeeter's beloved nanny, who worked for the family for 29 years, disappeared while Skeeter was away at school. Her mother ( Alison Janney ) harbors the secret of the nanny's disappearance, and after revealing it she undergoes a change of heart in a big late scene of redemption.

Two observations, for what they're worth. All the white people in the movie smoke. None of the black people do. There are several white men with important speaking roles, but only two black men, including a preacher, who have much to say.

There was a 1991 movie named " The Long Walk Home " that starred Whoopi Goldberg and Sissy Spacek as a maid and her employer at the time of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. It had sharper edges than "The Help." But I suppose the Stockett novel has many loyal readers, and that this is the movie they imagined while reading it. It's very entertaining. Viola Davis is a force of nature and Octavia Spencer has a wonderfully expressive face and flawless comic timing. Praise, too for Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard and Alison Janney. They would have benefitted from a more fearless screenplay.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

The Help (2011)

Rated PG-13

146 minutes

Ahna O'Reilly as Elizabeth Leefolt

Jessica Chastain as Celia Foote

Mike Vogel as Johnny Foote

Chris Lowell as Stuart Whitworth

Anna Camp as Jolene French

Sissy Spacek as Missus Walters

Viola Davis as Aibileen Clark

Octavia Spencer as Minny Jackson

Bryce Dallas Howard as Hilly Holbrook

Cicely Tyson as Constantine Jefferson

Emma Stone as Skeeter Phelan

Mary Steenburgen as Elaine Stein

Allison Janney as Charlotte Phelan

Written and directed by

• Tate Taylor

Based on the novel by

• Kathryn Stockett

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9 Thought-Provoking Discussion Questions To Spark Meaningful Conversations About Movies In English

by EFL Listening Teacher | understand English movies | 5 comments

• Pinterest 3

“So, did you like the movie?”

“Yes”

“So, shall we go get a drink or something…?”

Have you ever had a conversation like that one after coming out of the cinema?

Movies immerse you into the authentic language and culture of English-speaking countries. But, to get the most from watching films, and to connect in English with others, you need to talk about what you watch.

If you want to have deep discussions, you’ll need some thought-provoking discussion questions, like the ones you’ll discover in this post. No more asking yes-no questions and then running out of things to say.

You can use these questions by yourself. For example, you can write about them in your journal . Or you could record yourself answering them in the dictation app on your smartphone.

Otherwise, you could chat with a teacher or classmate about them to practise your English conversation skills.

You’ll find questions to make you think as well as questions to help you develop your English. So let’s get into it so you can start having meaningful discussions in English about the films you’re watching.

#1 How would you describe the main character and/or your favourite character(s)? And how does this compare with others people’s descriptions?

This is a great question to help you practice using the language of descriptions. But I encourage you to go a lot deeper that a physical description of the character.

You can describe how they move, how they interact with others, their personality, their fears, their deepest desires. Try to describe this person and their motivations in as much detail as possible.

Getting under the character’s skin is a great way to understand them better and develop empathy for them, even if you have a hard time understanding some their behaviour.

You can also compare your description of this character with other people for an insightful discussion.

• Do they see this character in the same way? As a victim, a bully, someone misunderstood, someone complicated etc.
• Or do they have a completely different interpretation of this person?

#2 If you could speak to the screenwriter/director, what would you ask?

What questions do you have about the screenplay, the story, the characters and other choices the screenwriter and director made?

• Are there sections of the movie you would remove? Are there parts you would add?
• Did you not understand a part of the movie, like the ending?
• Are there characters you felt deserved more screen time? Or less?

Think of all the things that bothered you about the movie. And maybe some things you liked. And then decide what questions you would ask.

Even if you probably won’t be able to speak to the screenwriter or director, you could try to imagine their response.

Or, you can turn this into a listening or reading activity. You could look for interviews with the director on YouTube, on podcasts or in movie magazines or websites.

Perhaps you’ll find answers to your questions there. Perhaps journalists and movie fans have also asked similar questions. Or completely different ones. In any case, you’ll get a new perspective on the film this way.

#3 What are the themes of this movie?

So here you’re going deeper than the story of the movie. You want to dig deep into the big themes and also the sub themes of the movie. When you take a step back, ask yourself – what is this movie asking us to explore about the human condition?

As part of Movie Club , we watched the 2009 Clint Eastwood Movie “Gran Torino” . One of the big themes of this movie is racism.

But another thread running through the film is masculinity.

• What does it mean to be a man?
• Which “men” in the movie are considered not masculine enough and why?
• Who defines masculinity in this Detroit neighbourhood where demographics are changing?

It can be interesting to explore the various themes and how they interact with each other. You can also compare this movie with others that explore the same themes. How are they similar or different? What is their particular approach to the theme? Which movie deals with it better? And why?

#4 What’s the message of the movie?

Again, to answer this question, you’ll need to go deeper than summarising the story or describing the movie. What did this movie leave you with? What is the message about the human condition that it touches on?

There is no one right answer to this question and that’s what makes it excellent for sparking discussion.

Other people may have different interpretations and that’s something you can discuss. There may also be multiple messages that this movie sends and people might classify them differently too.

Once again, you can compare movies with a similar message and look at how the approach it in similar or different ways.

#5 How did this movie make you feel?

This can help with some of the other questions as we can’t always explain our analysis with reasoning or logic. Often it comes down to what this movie made us feel – moved, frustrated, humbled, scared, confused, angry, outraged, delighted, surprised and more.

• So how did you feel as you watched it?
• What about afterwards?
• Did you expect to feel a certain way? If so, did your expectations and your actual feelings match up or not?
• How do your feelings compare with those of others? Did they feel them same way? Were you surprised but how the movie made them feel?

#6 What star rating would you give this movie? What review would you write? How does this compare with other published reviews?

This is a great question to play with if you’re working on your own and practising your writing skills. You can decide on your own rating and write a short review and then check out the reviews of fans and critics on sites like IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes .

Were the reviews of the movie generally positive or negative? What about at the time compared to now? Some movies are misunderstood on their release, but then become classics in the years that follow as new audiences discover them.

Here are a couple of examples:

Blade Runner  didn’t do well on its release in 1982 and the critics disagreed about it. But in the years that followed it became a cult classic. And it’s now regarded as one of the greatest science fiction films of all time.

The Princess Bride was well-received by critics on its release, but didn’t do so well in cinemas. Again, over time, it became a cult classic.

#7 Which character did you identify with the most/the least? Why?

This is another great question to ask a group or a partner . It can be interesting to see how people’s background, culture, assumptions, preferences affect their answers.

It’s no doubt easier to identify with a character that resembles you in some way. It might be easier for you to relate to the characters if people from your background have a lot of representation on screen (white, male, young etc).

If the movie is set in a different time and place, then it might be trickier to relate to the characters when we look at them through a modern lens. But some themes, characters, experiences, transcend time and space.

#8 Has this movie aged well? Would it get made today?

We live in rapidly changing times. And our societies are going through a reckoning to do with sexism, racism, ableism, fatphobia, homophobia and transphobia.

You may have noticed that even certain recent movies and TV series are out of step with some of these rapidly changing attitudes.

We watched “Love Actually” as part of the Movie Club and we were shocked by the casual fat-shaming of one of the characters, as well as many other problems. 

The messages of certain movies may be timeless. But even so, the films may be in need of an update. We have watched some beautiful period dramas recently, but these movies are very white.

Now, you may argue that this is an issue of historical accuracy. Yet, Netflix period drama hit Bridgerton is set in the early 1800s, but in an alternate history where London is racially intergrated. That means they were able to cast black actor Regé Jean-Page to play Simon Bassett, Duke of Hastings.

#9 Did anything in this movie remind you of something that has happened in your own life or in the lives of others?

Movie are supposed to be fiction, but sometimes as we say “the truth is stranger than fiction”. Perhaps you relate well to a particular film because you’ve been through something similar in your life. In which case, did the movie do a good job of conveying that experience? Why or why not?

Sometimes though, even if we’ve never experienced the same things as the characters, a good movie draws us in. And good character develop enables us to empathise with them, and feel with them. Which is why we end up experiencing the same emotions as the characters when we watch!

Want to talk about movies and connect with film lovers from around the world?

“Movie Club” is a supportive and friendly community of movie lovers where you can learn and practice your English in a safe space. The club opens for enrolment three times a year. The next round, May to July, will open in April to new members. Find out more and join us. 

Great post Cara! Watching movies and TV shows became one of my favorite things to do during the pandemic. Your post reminded me of my conversations with my wife about the movies we watch. I always like to trigger conversations with one question:

-What would you do if you were [a character from the movie] when [A specific event of the movie] happened?

I know it’s a little lame, but I think it’s fun when you imagine yourself being the hero or the villain of the movie lol.

Besides, it’s amazing to see how a single question can trigger long conversations, we’ve even talked about deep matters after movies.

That’s such a great question Diego, I’ll have to add it to the list. Thanks! Almost all we talk about are deep subjects after watching the movie, even if the movie itself wasn’t necessarily serious. An example – fat shaming in “Love Actually”!

Yep, that’s the way to enjoy a movie, a good conversation afterward, instead of passively watching it and then forget about it.

Absolutely. I watched mamma mia 2 last night, and I felt it hit me harder than it did the first time I watched it. I think being able to discuss a movie after watching it is a good thing rather than just passively watching it.

In the movie Possession starring Sarah Gellar made 2008. Did the brothers have matching tatoos

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Gather Lessons

100 Questions about Movies for the ESL Classroom

Movies are one of the most popular ways to spend a night in with friends or family. They provide an escape from reality for two hours and make us feel like anything is possible.

In addition, there are many types of movies that appeal to different people such as action, romance, comedy and more!

So get your popcorn because this blog post has all questions about movies that you ever need to have a great classroom conversation.

Table of Contents

How to Use These Conversation Questions

Questions about movies, questions about movies: part a, questions about movies: part b, questions about movies: part c, questions about movies: part d, questions about movies: part e, going to the movies : part f, questions about movies: part g, have you watched any of these movies, more conversation questions.

Basically, all you have to do is printing these questions and giving one or two questions to your students.

You don’t have to read and answer every question to feel that you accomplish your goal.

Just ask one student to read the first question and then let the conversation move from there

These are some great discussion questions about movies.

They have been divided in 10-question sets to make it easy for you to go through them

Remember that students can make follow-up question if there is genuine interest to know more about the answer a classmate gave.

This is the first set of questions about movies

• Who is your favorite actor /actress? Can you talk to me a little bit about his /her movies?
• What’s your favorite movie? What’s your favorite movie genre?
• Do you watch movies on Netflix? What do you think about some Netflix Originals?
• How often do you watch movies?
• What’s better for you? Going to the theaters or streaming a movie at home?
• When was the last time you went to the movie theaters?
• Do you usually watch movie in illegal sites?
• Do you think a  movie app subscription is better than a cable subscription?
• Have  you ever watched independent films.

This is the second set of questions about movies

• What do you think about superhero movies?
• Which movies are better, DC or Marvel movies?
• Do you prefer to watch movies alone or with friends and family?
• In your opinion, what’s the scariest film ever?
• What’s the best comedy movie of all time?
• What’s the best horror film of all time?
• Do you watch award ceremonies such as the Oscar?
• Have you ever attended  to a Film Festival? 
• What movie star would you like to meet?
• Have you ever watched a movie more than three times?

This is the third set of questions about movies

• Have you ever watched the Exorcist?
• Have you ever watched any of the Tarantino Films?
• When was the last time you watched a movie? Tell a little about that film?
• Do you ever watch documentaries?
• Have you ever cried during a film?
• Do you buy DVD’s or download movies?
• What kinds of films do you not like to watch?
• Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction films?
• What popular film do you think it is a complete waste of  time?

This is the fourth set of questions about movies

• What do you think about Hollywood Films?
• What’s the most disturbing movie you have ever watched?
• Do you think there is too much violence in movies?
• Would you like to be an actor?  Why / Why not?
• What movie do you really hate? Why do you hate it?
• How much does it cost to see a movie in your country?
• Do you think that films can be educational?
• Who’s your favorite director?
• Can you give us three film recommendations?
• Which do you prefer to watch movies or to read books?

This is the fifth set of questions about movies

Streaming apps are very popular these days, check some interesting questions about movies and streaming apps

• What streaming apps are you currently subscribed to?
• What streaming apps have you used in the past?
• Do you recommend being subscribed to more than one streaming app?
• What streaming platform have the best movies?
• What’s the most expensive streaming app?
• What do you like and dislike about Netflix?
• What do you like and dislike about Amazon video?
• What do you like and dislike about HBOMax?
• Do you think that people are willing to pay for subscriptions?
• What do you think about movie applications such as Netflix?

These are some questions about going to the movies

• Do you usually go to the movies?
• Why do you like going to the movies?
• Why don’t go to the movies that often?
• When was the last time you went to the movies?
• What movie did you watch the last time you went to the movies?
• Do you buy popcorn when you watch a film on a theater?
• Who do you usually go to the movies with?
• What type of movies do you usually watch on the theater?

These are some questions about the best movies of all time

• What’s the scariest movie of all times?
• Who do you consider the best actor is?
• Who do you consider the best actress is?
• What actions movies do you recommend?
• What romantic films do you usually recommend?
• What’s the best trilogy?
• What are the best Netflix originals?
• What are the best HBO originals?
• What’s the worst horror movie that you have ever watched?
• What’s the worst superhero movie that you have ever watched?

These are some of my favorite movies, you can try using this list as a reference or create your own

There are movies for everyone, and I hope you take some time off to watch a good film every now and then. Whether it’s the latest blockbuster or an old favorite from your childhood, there is always something that can be watched on TV or at home when we have some time off.

If you are looking for more conversation topics, check some of these

• 40 Questions about Pollution
• 100 Questions about Music
• 100 Questions about Love: Dating and Marriage
• 40 Questions with Will: Guide & Examples
• 30 Questions with Going to
• 40 Present Perfect Questions
• 30 Present Continuous Questions

I am Jose Manuel, English professor and creator of EnglishPost.org, a blog whose mission is to share lessons for those who want to learn and improve their English

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