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 17 wins & 51 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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Laura Ziskin's final film. She died of breast cancer on June 12, 2011 before it was completed.

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Goofs

When his fellow butler clears Cecil's empty plate at the state dinner, he clears it from Cecil's left. Proper etiquette calls for dishes to be cleared from the diner's right side.

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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

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Overrated Movies (2014)

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Soundtracks

Function At The Junction
Written by Eddie Holland and Shorty Long (as Frederick Long)
Performed by Shorty Long
Courtesy of Motown Records Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

If you have the guts

Go see this movie..It shook me to my core..As a white person I've never been more ashamed in my life..And saddened.. We are in the midst of racial struggle for equal rights right now..I sat in a packed theater with all white old people and you could've heard a pin drop.. It felt like a Forest Gump movie but with the racial history of our country as the topic.. and it was NOT a pretty picture. Thank you for doing this movie Lee, it is something we all need to see as Americans and we all have to face that we still have MAJOR racial bigotry. It must NOT be tolerated! I am white, 63 yrs old, born in Miami Fl and living in LA. Please go see this and then go about being an agent of change..we need to move on to better things and stamp out racism in America..it has NO place here..and we should all be ashamed of it's existence and allowing it to persist.. The cameos were priceless and OPRAH, (tho I am not a fan) was incredible!

Details

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

Gross USA:

$116,632,095

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$177,313,795

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