Lee Daniels' The Butler (2013)

As Cecil Gaines serves eight presidents during his tenure as a butler at the White House, the civil rights movement, Vietnam, and other major events affect this man's life, family, and American society.

Director:

Lee Daniels

Writers:

Danny Strong, Wil Haygood (article)

Stars:

Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, John Cusack

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 18 wins & 50 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Forest Whitaker	...	Cecil Gaines
David Banner	...	Earl Gaines
Michael Rainey Jr.	...	Cecil Gaines (8)
LaJessie Smith	...	Abraham
Mariah Carey	...	Hattie Pearl
Alex Pettyfer	...	Thomas Westfall
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Annabeth Westfall
Aml Ameen	...	Cecil Gaines (15)
Clarence Williams III	...	Maynard
John P. Fertitta	...	Mr. Jenkins (as John Fertitta)
Jim Gleason	...	R.D. Warner
Oprah Winfrey	...	Gloria Gaines
Isaac White	...	Charlie Gaines (10)
David Oyelowo	...	Louis Gaines
Joe Chrest	...	White Usher

Storyline

Cecil Gaines was a sharecropper's son who grew up in the 1920s as a domestic servant for the white family who casually destroyed his. Eventually striking out on his own, Cecil becomes a hotel valet of such efficiency and discreteness in the 1950s that he becomes a butler in the White House itself. There, Cecil would serve numerous US Presidents over the decades as a passive witness of history with the American Civil Rights Movement gaining momentum even as his family has troubles of its own. As his wife, Gloria, struggles with her addictions and his defiant eldest son, Louis, strives for a just world, Cecil must decide whether he should take action in his own way.

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Plot Keywords:

butler | president | hotel | civil rights | domestic servant | 

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Taglines:

One quiet voice can ignite a revolution

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violence and disturbing images, language, sexual material, thematic elements and smoking

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 August 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Lee Daniels' The Butler

Filming Locations:

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$24,637,312, 18 August 2013, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$116,632,095

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$176,598,908

Company Credits

Production Co:

Follow Through Productions, Salamander Pictures, Laura Ziskin Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

132 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Though they don't appear in a scene together, this is the first film Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave have made together since Julia (1977).

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Goofs

In fine dining, it is custom to set drinks from the right with your right hand, clear from the right with your right hand, and serve food from the left with your left hand. Several times throughout the film these customs were neglected, which seems strange for a staff of professional servers to do.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Cecil Gaines: The only thing I ever knew was cotton. It was hard work.

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Connections

Referenced in Chelsea Lately: Episode #7.189 (2013)

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Soundtracks

Hurts Me To My Heart
Written by Rose Marie McCoy and Charles Singleton
Performed by Faye Adams
Courtesy of Cleopatra Records
By Arrangement with The Orchard

User Reviews

In a timid year, this film is a flawed, but essential, jolt to the system

The Butler (Daniels, 2013, B+)

This should have been a punchline. At least, that's what I was walking in expecting. From the overblown marketing to the downright bizarre cast, it had all the trimmings of a pure turkey. Here's the thing, though... It's not. The film is not a facsimile of historical events, it is an invigoration of them and despite the relatively classical style on display, Lee Daniels brings a real brio to the proceedings. It helps that he has Whitaker to make it all stick as the film's unfailingly warm and engaging center. Even in the first 20-30 minutes when the film is struggling to find its legs, his performance is an unmannered beauty. The rest of the actors are also galvanized into action, proving that verisimilitude is not the highest criteria for historical fiction. This is a film as powerful, as beautiful, as unlikely, and as raggedly imperfect as the country it chronicles.