The Butler

"One quiet voice can ignite a revolution."

2013 2h 12m EN

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 3,087

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Cecil Gaines was a sharecropper's son who grew up in the 1920s as a domestic servant for the white family who casually destroyed his. Eventually striking out on his own, Cecil becomes a hotel valet of such efficiency and discreteness in the 1950s that he becomes a butler in the White House itself. There, Cecil would serve numerous US Presidents over the decades as a passive witness of history with the American Civil Rights Movement gaining momentum even as his family has troubles of its own. As his wife, Gloria, struggles with alcoholism and his defiant eldest son, Louis, strives for a just world, Cecil must decide whether he should take action in his own way.

“One quiet voice can ignite a revolution.”

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Cast

Forest Whitaker
Cecil Gaines
Oprah Winfrey
Gloria Gaines
David Oyelowo
Louis Gaines
John Cusack
Richard Nixon
Jane Fonda
Nancy Reagan
Cuba Gooding Jr.
Carter Wilson
Mariah Carey
Hattie Pearl
Terrence Howard
Howard

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Lee Daniels
Writers: Danny Strong
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 7.1× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 13 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CAST

Did you know

272+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Lee Daniels, shot by Andrew Dunn. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Rodrigo Leão. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Joe Klotz shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey and David Oyelowo carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "One quiet voice can ignite a revolution.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Lee Daniels directs. Andrew Dunn behind the camera. Rodrigo Leão scores. Joe Klotz cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Made its money back 7.1× over at the box office.
2Released 13 years ago.
3272+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
4Directed by Lee Daniels, shot by Andrew Dunn. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Rodrigo Leão. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Joe Klotz shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey and David Oyelowo carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "One quiet voice can ignite a revolution.".
9IMDB entry: tt1327773 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 29 themes, including "usa president", "the white house", "1970s", "butler".
11Released under 10 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Andrew Dunn
Original score: Rodrigo Leão
Editing: Joe Klotz
Production design: Tim Galvin
Costume design: Ruth E. Carter
Makeup / hair: Debra Denson
VFX supervisor: Luke DiTommaso
Sound: Debby VanPoucke
Stunt coordinator: Jeff Galpin
Runtime: 132 min · 2h 12m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $25,000,000
Box office: $177,313,795
Return: 709% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: The Butler (2013)

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What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-04-15
★ 7/10
We begin with some brutality at the hands of a character (Alex Pettyfer) who believes that the negroes on their cotton plantation are, quite literally, worthless. He rapes a woman then murders her husband when he raises a very mild objection! His mother (Vanessa Redgrave) takes a liking to their now orphaned boy and promotes him from the fields to be their houseboy. Learning how to keep his head down and to play the game, he quickly succeeds and ends up working in the White House. His period there (ending in the Reagan administration) allows for an interesting conduit to depict the evolution of the American civil rights movement, of changing (and not) attitudes and it gives a little insight into how the Oval Office and it's occupants might work. The supporting cast list is impressive, but with the exception of Oprah Winfrey (his wife "Gloria") most have but fleeting appearances as the story moves along. Their own life is not without heartache and troubles - one of their sons is determined to do what he can to fight for their freedom from oppression, an activity done at considerable peril to him and those around him. The narrative also, gently, exposes discrimination across the board - from salaries and promotion opportunities, to segregated seating at a milk bar, as well as nodding, tragically, to the war in Vietnam. Perhaps it is the gentle way in which it illustrates the prevalent racism that is most potent. It allows us to evolve with him, sometimes slowly, sometimes shockingly and that is to the credit of Whitaker who exudes a decency that is hard not to admire. The production is well paced with a complimentary soundtrack that is well worth a look.
v4lapq4m2023-05-20
★ 10/10
I was in a mood for a Robin Williams movie. I hadn't heard of this one and it was streaming free. While Williams had only a small role as Eisenhower this movie was amazimg: thought provoking and tear jerking. Probably not the best for a 5:30 a.m. Saturday, bu this is going on my DVD to purchase list. Following a man(Whittaker) from his childhood on a plantation, to running away from home, getting a job as a house boy in a fancy DC hotel, to butlering for seven different presidents, though Carter and Ford don't make an appearance. It's a family tale, falling in love witn a maid from the hotel(Whimphry), raising two boys, onein politics, from MLK to the BPP to congress, all against daddy's wishes, and one "good boy" who joins the army for what he believes in. I only heard of Whitaker from Young Rock, but he was great.Makeup was wonderful keeping up with aging. Oprah was a great mama, loving her boys, pleasing her man, and a lonely house wife while he worked long hours at the Whitehouse contributing to struggles with alcohol and adultury. One of the best dramad I have seen in years.