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The Butler

Original title: Lee Daniels' the Butler
  • 2013
  • PG-13
  • 2h 12m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
118K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,446
585
Forest Whitaker in 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.
Play trailer2:03
26 Videos
99+ Photos
BiographyDrama

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 Ameri... Read allAs 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.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
  • Stars
    • Forest Whitaker
    • Oprah Winfrey
    • John Cusack
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    118K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    4,446
    585
    • Director
      • Lee Daniels
    • Writers
      • Danny Strong
      • Wil Haygood
    • Stars
      • Forest Whitaker
      • Oprah Winfrey
      • John Cusack
    • 388User reviews
    • 310Critic reviews
    • 65Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 BAFTA Awards
      • 16 wins & 55 nominations total

    Videos26

    Faith Trailer
    Trailer 2:03
    Watch Faith Trailer
    The Butler
    Trailer 2:32
    Watch The Butler
    We Are Martin Luther King Jr. | Supercut
    Clip 1:12
    Watch We Are Martin Luther King Jr. | Supercut
    "70s Dance Scene"
    Clip 1:09
    Watch "70s Dance Scene"
    "The White House Called Him"
    Clip 0:40
    Watch "The White House Called Him"
    Lee Daniels' The Butler: Water Fountain
    Clip 0:46
    Watch Lee Daniels' The Butler: Water Fountain
    Lee Daniels' The Butler: Infidelity
    Clip 0:43
    Watch Lee Daniels' The Butler: Infidelity
    Lee Daniels' The Butler: Dinner Table
    Clip 0:54
    Watch Lee Daniels' The Butler: Dinner Table
    Lee Daniels' The Butler: 70'S Dance
    Clip 1:10
    Watch Lee Daniels' The Butler: 70'S Dance
    Lee Daniels' The Butler: Ignite A Revolution
    Clip 0:45
    Watch Lee Daniels' The Butler: Ignite A Revolution
    Lee Daniels' The Butler: Meeting Carter And Holloway
    Clip 0:36
    Watch Lee Daniels' The Butler: Meeting Carter And Holloway
    Lee Daniels' The Butler: White House Dinner Invitation
    Clip 0:47
    Watch Lee Daniels' The Butler: White House Dinner Invitation

    Photos106

    Oprah Winfrey in The Butler (2013)
    Oprah Winfrey and Terrence Howard in The Butler (2013)
    Oprah Winfrey in The Butler (2013)
    Oprah Winfrey in The Butler (2013)
    Oprah Winfrey in The Butler (2013)
    Dana Gourrier and Oprah Winfrey
    Lenny Kravitz and Dana Gourrier
    John Cusack, Alex Manette, and Colin Walker in The Butler (2013)
    Cuba Gooding Jr., Forest Whitaker, Lenny Kravitz, James Marsden, Colman Domingo, Minka Kelly, and Chloe Barach in The Butler (2013)
    Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, David Oyelowo, Isaac White, and Michael Rainey Jr. in The Butler (2013)
    The Butler (2013)
    Vanessa Redgrave and Michael Rainey Jr. in The Butler (2013)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Forest Whitaker
    Forest Whitaker
    • Cecil Gaines
    Oprah Winfrey
    Oprah Winfrey
    • Gloria Gaines
    John Cusack
    John Cusack
    • Richard Nixon
    Jane Fonda
    Jane Fonda
    • Nancy Reagan
    David Banner
    David Banner
    • Earl Gaines
    Michael Rainey Jr.
    Michael Rainey Jr.
    • Cecil Gaines (8)
    LaJessie Smith
    LaJessie Smith
    • Abraham
    Mariah Carey
    Mariah Carey
    • Hattie Pearl
    Alex Pettyfer
    Alex Pettyfer
    • Thomas Westfall
    Vanessa Redgrave
    Vanessa Redgrave
    • Annabeth Westfall
    Aml Ameen
    Aml Ameen
    • Cecil Gaines (15)
    Clarence Williams III
    Clarence Williams III
    • Maynard
    John P. Fertitta
    John P. Fertitta
    • Mr. Jenkins
    • (as John Fertitta)
    Jim Gleason
    Jim Gleason
    • R.D. Warner
    Isaac White
    Isaac White
    • Charlie Gaines (10)
    David Oyelowo
    David Oyelowo
    • Louis Gaines
    Joe Chrest
    Joe Chrest
    • White Usher
    Colman Domingo
    Colman Domingo
    • Freddie Fallows
    • Director
      • Lee Daniels
    • Writers
      • Danny Strong
      • Wil Haygood
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The character of Cecil Gaines was based on Eugene Allen, who served as White House butler for over 30 years and 8 presidents: Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan. Much of the detail is fictionalized for this movie.
    • Goofs
      When Cecil talks to Louis at the bus station, as Louis leaves for college, they walk through a motion-activated bi-part sliding door. The scene is set between 1957 and 1961. The first automatic sliding doors were invented in 1960, and were activated by stepping on a floor mat. Motion sensors were developed in the late 1980s.
    • Quotes

      Cecil Gaines: America has always turned a blind eye to what we done to our own. We look out to the world and judge. We hear about the concentration camps but these camps went on for two hundred years right here in America.

    • Connections
      Featured in The Butler: An American Story (2013)
    • Soundtracks
      Piano Concerto in A Minor Op. 54-1
      Written by Robert Schumann

      Performed by The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra

      Conducted by Kenneth Klein

      Gerald Robbins, piano

      Courtesy of MSR Classics

      By Arrangement with Fine Gold Music

    User reviews388

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    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.
    helpful•20
    12
    • MovieDude1893
    • Aug 21, 2013

    Top picks

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    FAQ1

    • Why was this movie rated so long by the Oscars. I thought 12 Years a Slave was good but not better than The Butler

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 16, 2013 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Quản Gia Nhà Trắng
    • Filming locations
      • Houma, Louisiana, USA(late-night scene in front of Le Petit Theatre on Main Street)
    • Production companies
      • Follow Through Productions
      • Salamander Pictures
      • Laura Ziskin Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $30,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $116,632,095
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $24,637,312
      • Aug 18, 2013
    • Gross worldwide
      • $177,313,795
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 12 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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