Best of 2011: Steph's No. 1 movie

By now it's probably not a big secret what my best movie of 2011 is, however first let's recap the list.

10. "Larry Crowne"
9. "Paul"
8. "In Time"
7. "Bridesmaids"
6. "The Muppets"
5. "Captain America: The First Avenger"
4. "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol"
3. "The Artist"
2. "The Descendants"

1. "The Help" - No movie touched me more and effected me on a personal level more than "The Help." I remember seeing this film on its opening day and telling Tim that the film, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer would all get Oscar nominations. In actuality I think I was already engraving Davis' name on her statue.

Her performance was so raw and real, you felt Abilene's pain and pride. It was a role that you could imagine no one else in. Davis gave us everything.

Spencer was equally powerful in what will no doubt become the role of a lifetime for her. Minnie could have easily been a caricature, but Spencer gave her such depth that she became much more than the showiness of the character.

In a cast that included Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain, Alison Janney, Sissy Spacek and Cecily Tyson there was not a single misstep.

The actors and directors had to walk such a cultural tightrope to tell this story and they did so respectfully and beautifully.

For black women, this is a part of our history that's always there, but never talked about. "The Help" not only told that story, it told it with class.