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The Butler is a very earnest and well intentioned attempt to do two things at once. One is to tell the story of Cecil Gaines, a character based on the real life Eugene Allen, who served as butler to US presidents from Eisenhower to Reagan. The second is to relate the story of the US civil rights movement through the eyes of Gaines' son Louis. Both are stories worth telling in their own right. Combining them into one movie means that neither story is told as well as it could be. I guess to be fair, it would be hard to do justice either story in a two-hour movie. These are stories crying out for their own TV miniseries.

This movie boasts a wonderful cast and great locations. It's a real pleasure seeing people like Robin Williams and Alan Rickman playing different US presidents and other famous faces popping up in small roles. Ultimately though, this movie becomes a bit tedious. I enjoyed it, but I will be waiting a good long while before I think of seeing it again.

A great and talented cast is largely thrown away on a script that starts and stops relentlessly. As one who has lived through all the historical periods portrayed, I was regrettably bored by large segments of the narrative, which seemed didactic in the extreme. That is not to diminish its important social and cultural significance to a younger audience, only that I personally found all the Presidents as played much smaller than in life than I remember them. Robin Williams as Eisenhower and Alan Rickman as Reagan seemed oddly miscast, though John Cusack as Nixon caught the essence of the man nicely. The parts showing home life among the main characters was a highlight, however.

In short, a good but not great film, perhaps better with fewer intrusive star-studded cameos and less overt moralizing.

This film is about the life of a White House butler (Forrest Whitaker) from the Eisenhower era through the Reagan era. During this time, lots of changes occur in America--particularly in regard to civil rights. This is seen in snippets as well as its effect on the butler's family.

"The Butler" made a lot of money and a lot of folks enjoyed it--so it was clearly successful. However, as I watched the film, I kept thinking how much better it all could have been had it been a mini-series. After all, about 25 years pass in the film and a HUGE amount of important history transpire....and it's all crammed into only a little more than two hours. As a result, it seems a bit episodic and disconnected--plus a couple presidents weren't even mentioned. The characters, at times, seemed a bit one-dimensional. Plus, an infusion of energy sure would have been appreciated. However, overall, it IS worth seeing but also could have been better. My guess is that some of these factors might be why this odds-on favorite for the Oscars eventually ended up being skunked. Good but not great. For a more detailed look at much of this same material, try watching the great 9-hour mini-series "Backstairs at the White House" from 1979.

By the way, I do think this film SHOULD have received an award. So, I am awarding it the 2014 Planktonrules Award for the stupidest casting of US presidents. Who thought having John Cusack playing Nixon made any sense at all? It was so badly miscast that it made Robin Williams as Eisenhower seem almost plausible!

There is a bit of great acting in this vaguely historic film, but Director Lee Daniels uses so much made-up and absurd pseudo-history that the story trips over his heavy-handed political lessons. Why is Lee Daniels' name above the title and who gave him this much license to re-write history after only one other film we've heard of?

That said, Forest Whitaker is compelling as the lead in this story about a White House butler that had an amazing life, but it is 90% made up. While there was a butler who served many presidents, the screenplay is actually fiction. While somewhat entertaining, these comical characterizations of U.S. presidents often feel like a made for TV, kids history channel special.

Oprah plays his wife and there are a dozen or so entertaining cameos with some unique acting choices. The cameos kept it interesting even when the story of The Butler dragged on.

If Lee Daniels had let go of the politics and heavy-handed directing, this pseudo-history lesson may have earned an Oscar nomination for Forest. But, in the end, you can see why the Academy cannot reward this artificial and revisionist history tale. With this much effort to tell us a 60 year history lesson, I just wish we knew if more of it were true. Instead, it's a mixed bag. 7/10.

Greetings again from the darkness. So many personalities! Yes, there are a staggering number of characters played by a who's who of actors, but it's the movie itself that flashes the most personalities. It is quite a mixture of historical events, the Civil Rights movement, family drama, generational differences, Presidential evolution, emotional wrangling, and Oscar posturing.

Forest Whitaker portrays Cecil Gaines, the man who worked his way up from being a childhood plantation slave to the highest level of butler within The White House ... a gig that spanned 34 years and eight Presidents. The story is based on the real life story of Eugene Allen, who had a front row seat to dramatic historical events and major social changes ... all while wearing white gloves and tuxedo.

While the movie has plenty of emotional moments, in my opinion it could have been even stronger had it committed more time to either Cecil's long run in The White House or the father-son generational struggles between Cecil and his desperate-for-change son played with fire by David Oyelowo (from Freedom Rider to Black Panther). Instead there is much wasted time on superficial Presidential interactions and a needless side story of adultery involving Cecil's wife (Oprah Winfrey) and his friend (Terrence Howard).

Director Lee Daniels obviously has many friends who wanted to be part of this one. The incredible cast includes Mariah Carey (making up for Glitter), Alex Pettyfer (as a brutal slave owner), Vanessa Redgrave (Cecil's first serving trainer), Clarence Williams III (Cecil's ultra cool mentor), Nelson Ellis as Martin Luther King, and Cuba Gooding Jr and Lenny Kravitz (as fellow White House butlers). The most blatant slap in the face of Conservatives comes from the casting of extreme Democrat John Cusack playing Richard Nixon and Jane Fonda as Nancy Reagan. Other Presidents are played by Robin Williams (Dwight Eisenhauer), James Marsden (John F Kennedy), Liev Schreiber (LBJ), and Alan Rickman (Ronald Reagan). The constant game of spot the star is a bit distracting at times, but not as much as one might guess. It's just a shame that most get very little story or screen time.

As for Oprah Winfrey, she is getting much love for her performance including some Oscar chatter. What I saw was a performance that was solid, but distracting due to the lack of aging in comparison to her husband (Whitaker). She changes very little (except for costumes) from the beginning until the very end when she definitely goes into heavy make-up for the Obama election. On a personal note, watching 1970's era Oprah shaking her booty to "Soul Train" was an image I did not need.

Again, my favorite scenes were the ones between father and son ... Whitaker and Oyelowo. Seeing these two generations struggle so much to understand each other and interpret the world in such different ways proved quite powerful. It's always painful and embarrassing to re-live the horrible manner in which African-Americans were treated, but even moreso when it's tied to a father-son relationship.

I'll start by stating that I'm a 62 year old white male. I did not grow up in the South - but I did live for a year in Louisiana in the early 70's. I lived through every news event that was portrayed in the movie - that is, I saw and read about them in the actual news when these things happened. Many posters on the boards say that the movie is inaccurate. Then they go on to say things like: His name was changed, he didn't have 2 sons, he didn't look anything like Forest Whitaker, Nixon was miscast, etc. True, the details of The Butler's family life have been dramatized. That is called movie making. The movie was historically accurate in every important way. I don't say that every single detail was true, nor am I saying the portrayal of these historical events was 100% exactly as portrayed. But it is far more accurate (and important) than your average popcorn POS that pervades the theaters these days. I want to state that I have rarely, if ever, been as emotionally affected by any movie. It is brilliant, provocative, artistic, and has a social purpose. Like it or not, persons of African descent have been victimized, downtrodden, brutalized, persecuted, tortured, lynched, raped, and murdered - and only because of their skin color. HOORAY to Lee Daniels for making this movie! Hooray to Forest for being a sensitive, intelligent, highly gifted actor. Hooray to Oprah, whose performance is beyond stellar. Hooray to anyone involved with this movie. Not to say that ALL movies have to take you to the places that this movie does. I guess there is a place for Pacific Rim and Wolverine. So if you think that movies have no business delving into our racist and brutal history, then see one of those movies. But to say that this movie is irrelevant or inaccurate - well, as I said I lived through it all. It is not. What it is, is an exceptional, mature movie for those that want a little more than monsters (the fictional kind). My wife and I went through a whole packet of tissues - we were blubbering like fools. BRAVO!!!!! 9 (rather than 10) stars only because the 10 star reviews are often discounted as over- the-top hero worship. But if Ironman, The Avengers, etc are 10 stars (and I liked those), this movie rates 100 stars - because it is 10X better, more important, more relevant, and more thought provoking.

The Butler was a serious disappointment, and it had two main problems. #1: The casting. Casting big-name actors in the role of the presidents or other minor parts was one of the biggest faults of the film. In this movie, there was never Dwight Eisenhower or Nancy Reagan on screen, it was always Robin Williams or Jane Fonda playing Dwight Eisenhower or Jane Fonda. This was especially a problem since all of these roles consisted of a combined two minutes or less. It was the same case with James Marsden, John Cusak, Alan Rickman, Terrence Howard, Liev Schreiber, Mariah Carey, etc. #2: The first point can be classified in this one as well: Throughout the film it never felt like you were in the life of Cecil Gaines, the entire time it felt like I was watching a movie. Beginning with all the big-name actors, down the directing. Every single scene you could see the directors intention with that scene - this scene I'm supposed to laugh, this scene I'm supposed to cry, I'm supposed to like this character, I'm supposed to like this president because I'm supposed to laugh in this scene where he's sitting on the toilet asking for prune juice. I never felt like I was allowed to make decisions for myself. I really wanted to like this movie because of the great story that was in it, but it was very poorly done.

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!

While this movie certainly highlights some very important times in the civil rights movement, the scenes feel idealized. Such as the conversations with the presidents, they didn't feel real or even heartfelt. Acting was decent, but lacked heart and emotion.

..........................................................from Pasto,Colombia...Via: L.A. CA., CALI, COLOMBIA....and ORLANDO, FL

******** POSSIBLE MINOR SPOILERS *********

There are, undoubtedly, scenes in Lee Daniel's The Butler that made me feel quite uncomfortable. Most certainly, many other viewers will echo similar discomfort experienced while watching this near great movie. Unfortunately, the existence of atrocities and flagrant injustices in our not too distant past doesn't mean that they should be whitewashed or airbrushed out of our collective memories! (Absolutely no pun intended here)

Don't let me give you the wrong impression about The BUTLER. In just over 2 hours until end credits, there are but a scant few minutes of images that some of us would, perhaps, just as soon forget. At the heart of this remarkable film, is a tale of a great generational divide between estranged father and first-born son; redemption, change, forgiveness, repentance and catharsis are also pivotal elements in this "Inspired by a True Story" drama painted on a historical backdrop canvass.

Although The BUTLER does highlight the tremendous progress our society has made in the past century toward fulfillment of Dr. Martin Luther King's "Dream", obviously, there is an undercurrent underscoring the fact that this area is one that involves constant self-reinvention to ensure continued improvement.

There are multiple noteworthy elements here. First, Oprah Winfrey's triumphant return to an on-screen leading role. Despite having done numerous voice-overs in recent years, BUTLER represents the end of a 15 year hiatus, when she participated in the ill-fated BELOVED. Her performance, although not quite Oscar nomination caliber, would win, without a doubt, an Academy Award for best "Billionaire Female Actor on the Planet", if such a prize existed! Accepting this role surely resulted in reduced income for Oprah in 2013. If that doesn't make her participation in this project a "Labor of Love", what would?

BUTLER is my pick for 2013 Best Ensemble Performance Golden Globe. Cast Credits give the impression of a page lifted directly from a Who's Who in Acting & Entertainment! Cuba Gooding, Jr.; Robin Williams, in a refreshing, but brief, appearance as a pensive and soft-spoken President Eisenhower; Vanessa Redgrave; Clarence Williams III; James Marsden as President Kennedy; John Cusack, as an ever brooding and duplicitous President Nixon; David Oyelowo, as the rebellious prodigal son; Terence Howard; Lenny Kravitz; Mariah Carey; Jane Fonda, who sparkled as Nancy Reagan and Alan Rickman as her careful-not-to-step-on-her-toes husband, Ronald! The only weak link, in my opinion, was Liev Schreiber as President Lyndon B. Johnson. His portrayal just did not resonate with me.

Quite frankly, despite analyzing carefully for any historical missteps, there were only a couple rather minor ones that were noticeable. About three-quarters into BUTLER, the story-line, focus and viewer interest level seemed to sputter a bit, but got right back on track rather quickly.

The film did attempt to provide moments of comic relief from the oftentimes somber on-screen events, most of them evoking healthy laughter but a handful of them kind of fell flat. If it weren't for these few mentioned flaws, BUTLER most definitely would have been rewarded with a 10*Star* rating! When released on DVD, rest assured it will be added to my 800+ collection!

….ENJOY/DISFUTELA!!

Any comments, questions or observations, in English o en Español, are most welcome!

I will start as explaining, as opposed to many other people commenting this movie : I'm a young French woman so unrelated to American history and I watched this movie as a foreign person. I DO NOT GET ALL THE HATE ABOUT IT! First of all it is a movie, and for me very typically American! Do not take me wrong but a lot of American movies especially when it's about history love to make it more dramatic, more Manichean, that is what makes American movies entertaining! This time it's an African American perspective and that is why it disturbs most of the viewers! When I read all the critics, it's so ridiculous: "not all blacks were slaves, not all whites were slaves owners, black panthers were also violent, etc." Yeah duh! Don't you think we know that??? It's not the point of the movie, the purpose of the movie was to oppose the life of a black servant (actually sorry but for decades Blacks were mostly employed as servants) and some of the MOST memorable episodes or persons of the black history in the US (slavery, segregation, civil rights movement, Martin Luther King Jr. etc.) at no point it was against whites! It's part of the violence of history, of our worldwide history, but yes we know, thank you very much, that everything could be more complicated in real life than in a movie! Actually I was pleased to see that there was whites participating in the civil rights movement in this film, also the Black Panthers were definitely portrayed as violent, as the KKK (again duh!) then at the end, there was this Obama part, some will see it as propaganda, which to me is also dumb. Of course a black butler working in the White House for decades would be just excited to see a black president!! even we as french people were amazed so can you imagine what it would be like for him?? The thing that I did not like was maybe the fast changes with administrations at the white house again it was to follow the African American history evolution, but..I also did not like JFK and his wife : not believable! But to sum up : entertaining and moving! definitely not boring...

There are, undoubtedly, scenes in Lee Daniel's The Butler that made me feel quite uncomfortable. Most certainly, many other viewers will echo similar discomfort experienced while watching this near great movie. Unfortunately, the existence of atrocities and flagrant injustices in our not too distant past doesn't mean that they should be whitewashed or airbrushed out of our collective memories! (Absolutely no pun intended here)

Don't let me give you the wrong impression about The BUTLER. In just over 2 hours until end credits, there are but a scant few minutes of images that some of us would, perhaps, just as soon forget. At the heart of this remarkable film, is a tale of a great generational divide between estranged father and first-born son; redemption, change, forgiveness, repentance and catharsis are also pivotal elements in this "Inspired by a True Story" drama painted on a historical backdrop canvass.

Although The BUTLER does highlight the tremendous progress our society has made in the past century toward fulfillment of Dr. Martin Luther King's "Dream", obviously, there is an undercurrent underscoring the fact that this area is one that involves constant self-reinvention to ensure continued improvement.

There are multiple noteworthy elements here. First, Oprah Winfrey's triumphant return to an on-screen leading role. Despite having done numerous voice-overs in recent years, BUTLER represents the end of a 15 year hiatus, when she participated in the ill-fated BELOVED. Her performance, although not quite Oscar nomination caliber, would win, without a doubt, an Academy Award for best "Billionaire Female Actor on the Planet", if such a prize existed! Accepting this role surely resulted in reduced income for Oprah in 2013. If that doesn't make her participation in this project a "Labor of Love", what would?

BUTLER is my pick for 2013 Best Ensemble Performance Golden Globe. Cast Credits give the impression of a page lifted directly from a Who's Who in Acting & Entertainment! Cuba Gooding, Jr.; Robin Williams, in a refreshing, but brief, appearance as a pensive and soft-spoken President Eisenhower; Vanessa Redgrave; Clarence Williams III; James Marsden as President Kennedy; John Cusack, as an ever brooding and duplicitous President Nixon; David Oyelowo, as the rebellious prodigal son; Terence Howard; Lenny Kravitz; Mariah Carey; Jane Fonda, who sparkled as Nancy Reagan and Alan Rickman as her careful-not-to-step-on-her-toes husband, Ronald! The only weak link, in my opinion, was Liev Schreiber as President Lyndon B. Johnson. His portrayal just did not resonate with me.

Quite frankly, despite analyzing carefully for any historical missteps, there were only a couple rather minor ones that were noticeable. About three-quarters into BUTLER, the story-line, focus and viewer interest level seemed to sputter a bit, but then, managed to get right back on track rather quickly.

The film did attempt to provide moments of comic relief from the oftentimes somber on-screen events, most of them evoking healthy laughter but a handful of them kind of fell flat. If it weren't for these few mentioned flaws, BUTLER most definitely would have been rewarded with a 10*Star* rating! When released on DVD, rest assured it will be added to my 800+ collection!

ENJOY! / DISFUTELA!!!

I would agree with some critics who say that certain characters were miscast in this film, from John Cusack as Richard Nixon, to Liev Schreiber as Lyndon Johnson to Robin Williams as Dwight Eisenhower, however given their very limited roles in this movie I'm not sure it's entirely justified. I would say the same about Alan Rickman as Ronald Reagan and Jane Fonda as Nancy Reagan. (a part that barely gets more than two minutes in the entire movie)

The storyline is elegant and I believe quite well-told and let's be fair in saying that only so much history over 25 years can be told in a two hour movie with any serious depth given the nature of the topic behind it.

So to be clear here it is. This movie is political but in a way that transcends whether you are Democrat or Republican. It addresses the fundamental issue of civil rights in the United States since the late 1950's when Eisenhower was reluctant to use federal troops to intervene in Arkansas to integrate racially segregated schooling to Ronald Reagan's opposition to a U.S. position opposing apartheid in South Africa in the early 1980's. Therefore the movie has racial undertones and in this 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and JFK's assassination we shouldn't be surprised by films that attempt to highlight injustices that took place during this period of U.S. history. Yes, there may be more a glorification of Democratic president's Kennedy and Johnson, but let's also be clear they were the only president's since Lincoln and Grant that dared to challenge the status quo in a serious way since Reconstruction, even if it was for expedient purposes.

As such it's no coincidence that Whitaker's character wears JFK's tie and LBJ's tie clasp upon his meeting Barack Obama at the film's end. It's fitting and appropriate, and above all else this movie forces you to think about certain issues that are all too easily forgotten, even in this day and age.

Yes, 'The Butler' might resemble 'Forrest Gump' in many ways but where it excels over the former is making a statement about American history and society that far too many choose to ignore or minimize in importance.

This movie doesn't have a real inspirational protagonist, and its goal is not to give you such. It is simply to tell a story of a unique man in history. While watching the movie, I related it to a true Forrest Gump. Historical events are the backdrop to this movie, and if you are familiar with the time period, you'll hear plenty of historical references from the many portrayed presidents.

For a history buff, this movie gives entertainment on so many levels. You'll see presidents debating historical events, freedom rides, Little Rock Nine, and the KKK. Some is used with actual footage, others with reenactments. But it is all done very well. The cast is strangely chosen, but fairly well chosen nonetheless. While it seems actors were chosen based on their status rather than looks (in comparison to the people they portrayed), they do well with their portrayals.

The title seems a little misleading. Only half of this movie was about The Butler himself. The other half was focused on his unlikable friends and family, leaving you wanting the camera to just go back to Cecil, because watching him shine shoes is much more interesting than seeing an obnoxious neighbor hit on his wife. Like I said, MOST of the cast does well. But John Cusack as Richard Nixon? Really? I could not have heard of a worse choice. Not only does he not look like Nixon in any way, but his character has the appearance of a young stressed out guy rather than a paranoid old man. In my opinion, Tommy Lee Jones would have been a much better choice. Also, a death of a primary character occurs at the end of the film, but it is so undramatic that it is up to par with Bane's death in the Dark Knight Rises. It could have been done much better. Finally, the movie took place over many years. Yet the characters' looks don't really change throughout the film, and then they suddenly drastically change. I wish it would have taken notes from A Beautiful Mind.

Overall, despite its issues, I would recommend the Butler to history lovers and movie lovers in general. I think it is worth one viewing at the least, just to learn of a unique yet unknown man who had served the United States for years with no credit to his name. It can be a long movie, but for many, it is worth it.

The Butler looks at the civil-rights movement from the point of view of ordinary African-American people. The genius of this film is the choice of a white house servant and his life as a focal point to the historical events portrayed.

The drama is both absorbing and emotionally rich. What is surprising is the way that sympathy for Whitaker's central character, Cecil Gaines, is so strong that the events, though sprawling, always resonate as intricate pieces of his life; because of this anchor, the film remains intimate and personal, even when the fate of an entire nation is involved.

Each actor excels here, the reason for this is that they, while obviously being highly talented individuals, are led by a commanding director who knows exactly what he's saying at all times, while keeping all the complexity of his subject matter.

You could say this is an African-American Forrest Gump: the story of an everyman whose fate collides repeatedly with historical figures and events, but The Butler is far more mature and subtle work which, beyond race, questions our roles as men and women in our daily lives. It questions and explores moral responsibility and how from generation to generation we can all search for what is the right moral conduct in the face of opposition, oppression and evil. It also shows how we can make a profound difference in life through dedication, integrity and love.

I wanted to see this partly because Jane Fonda plays Nancy Reagan. 'Hanoi Jane' as the most ultra-conservative First Lady! In the event Fonda, who is only on screen for about 60 seconds, provides a pleasing caricature of the Lady In Red. Alan Rickman is equally improbable as Reagan, made up so that he looks uncannily like Ronnie whilst still looking (and sounding) like Alan Rickman. Robin Williams's Eisenhower is also little more than a cameo, like John Cusack's creepy Nixon and Liev Schreiber's toned-down LBJ. James Marsden and Minke Kelly get the most screen time as the Kennedys and are not the most convincing re-creators of Camelot. Ford, Carter and Obama are only shown in TV clips and Clinton and the Bushes don't even get a look-in.

In fact, all the Presidents are both crucial and inconsequential to the main ('inspired by a true story') theme, which is how Cecil Gaines, a share-cropper's son from the Deep South, became a butler to successive tenants in the White House. Forest Whitaker anchors the story with a rock-solid performance, ageing decades in the course of the movie. The script's central focus is on Cecil's loyal wife Gloria (Oprah Winfrey) and their difficult relationship with their eldest son Louis (David Oyelowo), who joins the Civil Rights movement almost from its inception and gets beaten and jailed many times as successive administrations slowly set about fulfilling Martin Luther King's great and noble Dream.

This is, in its way, a great and noble concept but. despite a few references to Gandhi (the man rather than the biopic), THE BUTLER has the feel of soap opera (Soap Oprah!), reminiscent of the ROOTS mini-series. Gloria's battle with alcohol inevitably brings Sue Ellen Ewing to mind. The pace is necessarily rushed, history (Civil Rights, Vietnam, Riots) condensed to docudrama moments. The black actors are the movie's greatest strength, and you do leave the cinema with a powerful sense of the triumphant journey Black Americans have made, from the plantations to the Oval Office. Where this Reader's Digest version of History falls short, perhaps, is in not showing how many blacks still have lives in the ghettos and the boondocks just as bleak and brutal as they were in the cotton fields of the nineteenth century.

Long admired the work of Whitaker. As a life long fan of movies and long time student of American politics and history, but unfortunately a cranky old left winger from the frozen North, my opinion can be safely ignored.

This picture will win Best Picture at the Oscars. FW will win best actor. Oprah will be nominated but will lose.

I was moved by ever scene. I had to wipe away some tears in more than one moment of this wrenching family story. Some people may say that FW underwhelmed, but I believe his underplaying was not really underplaying but instead was subtle, nuanced and slowly built up a complex personality. Oprah shaded her role in an equally effective way. The overall pacing of the film seemed just about perfect.

I was delighted and surprised to see the actors assembled to play the Presidents. I had not read about them in advance. John Cusack as Nixon and Rickman as Reagan I found especially effective. I was surprised to learn about Reagan's effort to pay black WH staff equally and to ensure that they had access to internal promotion and departmental transfers to more high paying jobs.

So would I recommend this film to friends, yes, unreservedly.