Viola Davis' Mom Reluctant to See 'The Help'
Viola Davis is nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal of a maid in the 1960s film The Help, but she says her mother has yet to see the film because the experience could be "painful."
Davis revealed on today's CBS This Morning that she believes her mother is part of a generation of women who would rather forget some of the film's racial themes. "My mother has yet to see the movie… I think it's just because -- I think it's painful. You have a whole generation of women who don't want to be reminded of the past."
Andre Leon Talley & Viola Davis Share a Special Bond
When asked whether she spoke with her mother about her own experiences in the segregated South while preparing for her role, Viola said her mother provided only "little spurts" of information. "She just said that my grandmother was treated very cruelly by her employers."
In the CBS interview, Viola added: "I think it's a generation that's used to sucking it in, which is why I loved Aibileen (her character). She represented most people in that time period who just had to suck it in -- and their whole lives, dreams, hopes, everything, just took place in their spirit."