The Butler is a 2013 drama film by Lee Daniels. The film is loosely based upon the life of Cecil Gaines, butler at the white house for over thirty years, serving seven presidents. The film looks at the American civil rights movement through the eyes of Cecil Gaines, and his relationship with his son. The film was directed by Lee Daniels, director of Precious, and stars Forest Whitaker as Gaines and Oprah Winfrey as Gloria, his wife.
The film features the duration of Gaines life, from growing up on a cotton plantation in Virginia, where he saw his mother, played by Mariah Carey, beaten and raped by the plantation owney, up to 2008, when Barack Obama is elected president. The film portrays the duration of Gaines' tenure at the White House, and thus features a series of all star presidential cameos. Robin Williams features as Eisenhower, James Marsden as JFK and Alan Rickman and Jane Fonda as Ronald and Nancy Regan.
The film used the American civil rights movement as a backdrop for the events of the film, Gaines' son becomes a campaigner for civil rights, organizing sit ins and protests, and eventually becoming a member of the black panthers. Gaines is at odds with his son, and his son doesn't respect his position as a butler. As an African American, Cecil is not allowed the same promotions as his white counterparts, and when he asks for the same benefits as his white counterparts, he is told to work elsewhere.
Given that the film poortrays the vast majority of Cecil Gaine's life, the films script is a little long and rambling. The film tends to have a rather convoluted story. The film uses narration as a crutch, and without narration the film would be reduced to a series of vignettes. The film features various chapters, each of which is based around the tenure of various presidents, and Gaine's narration holds the film together sloppily but rather effectively.
The film features fantastic performances from its cast, the Whitaker is fantastic as Cecil Gaines, and manages to believably grow into old age. Gaines' relationship with his son is a believable father son relationship. Oprah Winfrey is astounding as Gaines' wife Gloria, a woman dealing with her estranged son, the death of her other son in Vietnam, and the fact that her husband is never home. If is very refreshing to see Winfrey in a feature film again, and yes, i do predict Oscars.
Overall The Butler is, at times, almost painfully obvious Oscar bait, if ever a film was destined for Oscar greatness it is this, historical drama, biopic, features seven presidents, and Oprah! Overall, despite a convoluted script, the butler prevails thanks to a talented cast and a range of entertaining presidential cameos.
Rating: B+
Maynard: Good. We have no tolerance for politics here at the White House.
