The Butler (2013)
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An African American man serves as a White House butler for over three decades, witnessing the monumental shifts of 20th-century American history.
The story
In 2009, an elderly Cecil Gaines recounts his life story while waiting at the White House to meet the newly inaugurated president. Born and raised on a cotton plantation in Macon, Georgia, Cecil's early life is marked by the harsh realities of Jim Crow laws. After being taken in by the estate's matron, he is trained to be a house servant. In 1937, he leaves the plantation and eventually finds work in a Washington, D.C. hotel. By 1957, he is hired by the White House during Dwight D. Eisenhower's administration, where he begins a long tenure witnessing the evolution of civil rights and the presidency.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 2009, Cecil Gaines recounts his life story while waiting at the White House. His journey begins on a Georgia cotton plantation where he is raised by his parents, Earl and Hattie, until a traumatic event leads him to be raised by the estate's matron. In 1937, he leaves the plantation and eventually works his way to a position in a Washington, D.C. hotel, where he marries Gloria. In 1957, he begins his 34-year tenure as a White House butler. Over the decades, he serves under presidents from Eisenhower to Reagan, witnessing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., and the rise of the Black Panthers. His son, Louis, becomes a radical activist, leading to a strained relationship between father and son. Cecil also witnesses the transition of power through various administrations, eventually receiving items from Kennedy and Johnson. In 1986, he advocates for equal pay for Black staff. After retiring and his wife's death in 2008, he prepares to meet President Barack Obama, wearing the items he collected from previous presidents.
- Original title
- Lee Daniels' The Butler
- First release year
- 2013
- Runtime (minutes)
- 133
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Lee Daniels
- Writers
- Danny Strong · writer
- Cast and characters
- Forest Whitaker · Cecil Gaines; Oprah Winfrey · Gloria Gaines; David Oyelowo · Louis Gaines; Elijah Kelley · Charlie Gaines; Alex Pettyfer · Thomas Westfall; David Banner · Earl; Mariah Carey · Hattie Pearl; Terrence Howard · Howard
- Genres
- historical drama; drama
- Themes
- Civil Rights Movement; racial inequality; father-son conflict
- Tone and mood
- dramatic; historical
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; historical fiction; political drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- Wil Haygood's Washington Post article 'A Butler Well Served by This Election'
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the cast but noted issues with historical accuracy. It was a commercial success, grossing over $177 million on a $30 million budget.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 72% · scale: percentage · review count: 199; Metacritic · score: 65 · scale: weighted average · review count: 47; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The film's title was nearly changed due to a 1916 silent short film with the same name.; It was the last film produced by Laura Ziskin.; It was the final film appearance of Clarence Williams III.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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