Lee Daniel's The Butler tells the story of a White House butler who served eight American presidents over three decades. The film traces the dramatic changes that swept American society during this time, from the civil rights movement to Vietnam and beyond, and how those changes affected this man's life and family. Forest Whitaker stars as the butler with Robin Williams as Dwight Eisenhower, John Cusack as Richard Nixon, Alan Rickman as Ronald Reagan and James Marsden as John F. Kennedy.
Director: Lee Daniels
Starring: Forest Whitaker, Alan Rickman, Cuba Gooding Jr., David Oyelowo, John Cusack, Lenny Kravitz, Liev Schreiber, Melissa Leo, Oprah Winfrey, Robin Williams, Terrence Howard, Vanessa Redgrave
Reviews:
Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes
The New York Times
Reviewed by: A.O. Scott
A brilliantly truthful film on a subject that is usually shrouded in wishful thinking, mythmongering and outright denial.
Boston Globe
Reviewed by: Ty Burr
The Butler is a remarkable, even exhilarating movie not for its inherent Gump-itude but for the social portrait that gimmick allows.
Chicago Sun-Times
Reviewed by: Richard Roeper
This is an important film presented as mainstream entertainment. It’s a great American story.
Slant Magazine
Reviewed by: Chris Cabin
With the film, Lee Daniels quietly pushes his talent for hashing out visceral, violent emotions into unexpected dramatic terrain.
Charlotte Observer
Reviewed by: Lawrence Toppman
Whitaker’s performance reveals a man who unobtrusively changes white people around him – perhaps without trying or even knowing it – through his demeanor and ability.
Entertainment Weekly
Reviewed by: Chris Nashawaty
As Cecil, Whitaker is mesmerizing. The actor seems to shrink into his imposing frame, summoning a performance of quiet, bottled-up force.
New York Daily News
Reviewed by: Joe Neumaier
A singularly full-hearted and moving film.
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