The Butler
As Cecil Gaines serves eight presidents during his tenure as a butler at the White House, the civil rights movement, Vietnam, and other major events affect this man's life, family, and American society.
- Rated
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 2h 12m
- Released
- 2013
- Country
- United States
Details
Release year: 2013
Storyline
As Cecil Gaines serves eight presidents during his tenure as a butler at the White House, the civil rights movement, Vietnam, and other major events affect this man's life, family, and American society.
Top credits
Forest Whitaker ā Cecil Gaines
Oprah Winfrey ā Gloria Gaines
John Cusack ā Richard Nixon
Jane Fonda ā Nancy Reagan
Awards
0 wins & 2 nominations
See all awards āDid you know
ā¢ The character of Cecil Gaines was based on Eugene Allen, who served as White House butler for over 30 years and 8 presidents: Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan. Much of the detail is fictionalized for this movie.
ā¢ Lee Daniels admitted that he tried to convince as many stars as he could to appear in the film, even for bit parts, to improve marketability.
ā¢ On Gloria's vanity mirror in the bedroom are two pictures of children. One of them is a photo of Oprah Winfrey as a child.
Box Office
Gross (Domestic): $116,632,095
Opening Weekend (Domestic): $24,637,312 (2013-08-18)
User reviews
Okay, but not the epic it aspires to be
Ho-hum
Better had it been a mini-series.
Technical specs
- Sound mix
- Dolby Digital
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
- Color
- Color, Black and White
