THE BUTLER

US, 2013, 132 minutes, Colour.
Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, David Oleyo, Cuba Gooding Jr, Lennie Kravitz, Terrence Howard, Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Redgrave, Clarence Williams III, Robin Williams, James Marsden, John Cusack, Leiv Schreiber, Jane Fonda, Alan Rickman.
Directed by Lee Daniels.

The Butler was very successful on its release in the U.S. in 2013. It is based on the story of Cecil Gaines, a butler at the White House serving under six presidents.

This is an interesting and entertaining film that can be dismissed by more serious film buffs and critics as being too popular and populist, obvious in its race message, and in its moralising. However, the action takes place over an 80 year period, crucial years in the change of attitudes towards African Americans in the United States.

It is a portrait of Cecil Gaines and his wife, Gloria – Gaines portrayed with great dignity by Forest Whitaker, a noble man yet a man of limitations and failings, especially with his wife and children. It is a portrait of Gloria, an ordinary woman who found herself married to the butler, proud of him, yet his not taking her to the White House, his working overtime and her feeling alienated, even to an affair, but reconciling with and supporting her husband. She is played with great strength by Oprah Winfrey.

The brief opening of the film is quite effective, taking place in Georgia in 1926, in the cotton fields where the black workers are still doing the equivalent of slave work. Cecil is a young boy. His mother is sexually assaulted by the son of the owner of the plantation, Alex Pettyfer, who shoots the boy’s father. Vanessa Redgrave portrays the mother, kind, yet still racist in attitudes. It is a powerful reminder of race relationships in the early 20th century.

As bigotry continues it is dramatized by the protests in the American south in the late 1950s and the first half of the 1960s until the changes in legislation. This is personalized in the film when Cecil’s and Gloria’s older son, Louis, David Oleyo, chooses to be part of the protests in the south, experiencing the prejudice, the Ku Klux Klan, 16 times in prison, sympathy for the Black Panthers.

In the meantime Cecil is employed at the White House, one of the many black staff who were not paid the same wages as the white staff, even for decades. The history of America and its race issues is portrayed over the period 1957-1988. During that time there were six American presidents. Some of them are portrayed in cameos, quite effectively, a serious Robin Williams as Eisenhower, a young and eager James Marsden as John F. Kennedy, a rough and ready Lyndon B. Johnson by Liev Schreiber. Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter are seen only in archival footage. But Alan Rickman appears as Ronald Reagan, sometimes kind, sometimes stubborn, especially in the issue of the raising sanctions against South Africa. He is against the sanctions. Surprisingly in view of her political past, Jane Fonda appears as Nancy Reagan.

Then the film moves 20 years to the election of President Obama, including one of his speeches. Cecil Gaines has lived from being a virtual slave in the cotton fields to witnessing the election of a black American president.

The film was directed by Lee Daniels who made an impression with his film Precious, caused some controversy with his film The Paperboy, but received great acclaim for The Butler.

1. Acclaim for the film? Its appeal? To Americans? African-Americans? Other groupings? World audiences?

2. An overview of American history for 80 years? Race issues? Society? Politics? Protest? Legislation? Changes in attitudes - and attitudes remaining the same? The different audience response codes?

3. The cast, bringing the story and characters alive? Styles for the focus? Cameos, of interest, the ironies of casting, for instance, Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave?

4. The framework of the story, the White House, Cecil and his sitting waiting, the image of the lynchings?

5. The film and its screenplay as accessible, a strong message, even moralizing? Different audiences identifying, admiring, amazed about the changes in the decades?

6. 1926, the visuals of the plantation, cotton, the men and women and children working in the fields, the father’s explanation about cotton picking? The house, the family, traditions, the slave tradition and conditions? Cecil as a boy, his mother being taken by the plantation owner, being used, Cecil urging his father to protest, his father being shot? His being taken into the house, the house-nigger? Being looked after by the mother? His learning and its standing him in good stead?

7. The son of the landowner, using and abusing people, the woman’s scream, the father helpless, the shooting, the mother and her helping the boy, yet her racist attitudes? Urging him to go? His mother’s descent into madness?

8. Cecil leaving, his being urged to leave, looking for jobs, the cake in the window and his breaking the window and stealing? The kind protector, his work, succeeding, his being recommended for the DC job?

9. Washington, DC, the 1950s, Cecil’s skills, serving at the hotel, personal, not listening to the talk, his being recruited, the interview, the black manager of
staff, the contrast with Warner and his not responding to Cecil even though he recommended him? The later visits to his office, the interviews, Cecil not being invited to sit down, the discussion about wages, the rejection, the intervention of President Reagan- a comeuppance for Warner?

10. Cecil and his family, his love for Gloria, his sons, Gloria and her drinking, happiness, meals at home, Louis and his attitude, studying, choice of university, the black university? Gloria and her friends, the dancing, with her friend’s husband, the later affair, talking together, her putting an end to it? His reaction? A sense of realism rather than glamorising the characters?

11. Life at the White House, the uniforms, crockery and cutlery, cleaning, the rules, urging discretion, the two faces of the African American, the real face for themselves, the face for the whites? The rule not to listen to conversation? Life in the kitchen, Cecil and his friends, their work, over the years, Carter and his smutty talk, the laughs in the kitchen? Over time? His not going home, Gloria and her feeling neglected? His not taking her to the White House?

12. Eaisenhower and his attitude, watching the television, talking with Cecil, both from farms, the bond? Nixon as vice-president, coming to the kitchen with his campaign badges, the staff listening to him? His self-focus?

13. Louis, his age, serious young man, the contrast with Charlie? The decision to go to the university, going south, attending the meetings, the activist girlfriend? Going to the diner, sitting at the counter, the protests, the bigoted attitudes of the whites, arrest, going to jail 16 times? Travelling in the freedom bus, the blockade and the roads, the Ku Klux Klan? Smashing the bus windows, escaping before the flames? Phoning his father? Cecil not giving a positive response? His staying in the south, the protests? After the change in legislation, joining the Pink Panthers, the uniform, coming with the girl to the house, her bad manners, the bad impression, Cecil ousting his son? Changing legislation, the scene with Martin Luther King, asking about Louis’ father, the subversive roles of butler’s according to King? His assassination? Charlie going to Vietnam, Louis trying to persuade him against it? Death and his brother’s funeral? Yet getting his master’s degree? Gloria later telling the story of her sickness, soiling herself and Louis cleaning her? Standing for Congress? His father not supporting him? The 1980s, the South Africa issue, Cecil changing his attitude, joining in the protest, the arrest? Louis being elected? His marrying, the family, lawyer taking umbrage at her daughter-in-law and her choice of name?

14. John F. Kennedy, genial, Jackie and their coming to the White House, Cecil and his telling the story to Caroline? Kennedy lying on the floor, his back pain, watching the television, Bobby Kennedy’s change of heart, John F. Kennedy’s change? The impact of the assassination, at the White House, Cecil upset, Carter rushing to the television, Gloria’s response? Jackie Kennedy and the bloodstained clothes? Not changing? The suggestions of an era?

15. The contrast with Lyndon Johnson, his style, rough, on the toilet, facing the legislation, his own Texan background, the Vietnam War, His attitudes towards Cecil?

16. The act now, the visuals, Charlie and his volunteering, Louis warning against it, their discussions, enlisting, his death, happening so quickly, grief and household, the funeral and its formalities?

17. The sketch of Nixon, in decline, his interviews and comments?

18. The passing over the Ford and Carter eras, with television and news footage?

19. Cecil and Gloria, the clashes, alone after the absence of their children, Charlie’s death, the reconciliation?

20. The Reagan era, Nancy Reagan, personal, discussions with Cecil, inviting him and Gloria to dinner, Gloria happy to be at the White House, Cecil not enjoying it? The jokes from his fellow workers when they served? Reagan, his generous donations, asking them to go through Cecil so that Nancy would not know? The senators and the audience with Reagan, sanctions on South Africa? Regan taking a hard line? His intervening with Warner about paying conditions for black workers? The formal scenes with the Reagans?

21. The years passing, 20 years later, Louis and the acceptance, Cecil in his nineties, Gloria, sitting in the table, her quiet death?

22. The election of president of Obama, his speech, the change of a 80 years?

23. Themes of hope, change, the symbol of Cecil giving out cookies in the White House and the rush on them earlier, the later children saying ‘thank you’?

24. An entertainment, interesting, social commentary?