Follow Through Productions, Salamander Pictures, Laura Ziskin Productions,

Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, John Cusack, Jane Fonda, Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, Lenny Kravitz, James Marsden, David Oyelowo, Vanessa Redgrave, Alan Rickman, Liev Schreiber, Robin Williams, Clarence Williams III

Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker) was a child share-cropper working in the fields beside his father. Events were cruel on the plantation and his family was destroyed. When Cecil got away from that life, he became a hotel butler, and threw himself into it will all his might. He became so good at it, that he was chosen by the White House to serve on the staff for eight presidents. During the key days of the Civil Rights movement of the 60’s he served pretty much in silence, doing his job and staying out of the way, while his son became an outspoken Civil Rights activist which drove them apart.

Ok, right off the bat, I have a bone to pick with Lee Daniels. I know he’s a writer, a director, a producer, and certainly an actor. This film, “The Butler” he director. He didn’t write it, nor did he produce it, nor did he appear in it. He aimed the camera. I don’t know what causes us to have to look at his name in the title, but I have gotten so sick and tired of seeing Tyler Perry’s on everything he does, that I have decided to never watch another Tyler Perry movie. I know what I’m going to get, and I’ve seen it all before. He’s over promoted himself to the point where I don’t really care what he does anymore. I feel the same way about this movie. I read good reviews and I had friends who enjoyed this movie. I really like Forest Whitiker, too, which was another reason to watch this film. Historically it was pretty decent. It covered a lot of events of the years I spent growing up, and touched briefly on events that occurred during 8 different administrations. The actors who played the individual Presidents did a decent job, and all of that was really well done. But the turn into civil rights took over the film, and the bad white people were the focus of the film. It’s long, and must of it is based on how bad white people are. Even the Presidents who were fighting hard for civil rights and equality, were pretty much glossed over in order to get to the juicier parts.

So basically it’s a good story, with a lot of side trips down the lane, and it drags a bit and is much longer than it needed to be. I would be a lot happier if we were a bit more creative on the title, but it’s worth watching.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

 

 

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