Lee Daniels' The Butler

For years, Cecil Gaines has quietly fought against racism and the stereotypes of African Americans in the shadows by serving as a boy on a plantation where he saw his father murdered in front of him, to ultimately serving seven Presidents as a butler in the White House later in life. His servant's heart and attitude gained him the opportunity to work for some of the most powerful men in the free world. His son Louis, on the other hand, is tired of standing by and tolerating how he is treated due to the color of his skin. Louis turns to more outspoken means of taking a stand against racism. He starts out doing rallies and sit-ins at diners as a way to protest. After being arrested multiple times for his "crimes" Louis falls in with the Black Panther movement. Cecil and his son become estranged because of their differences in opinion. It takes Cecil's wife Gloria nudging Cecil to mend the relationship years later before they overcome their issues and Louis finally begins to see just how much his father has done in his own way to fight racism while working as a butler in the White House.

Lee Daniels' The Butler is a powerful tale based on the true story of a man named Eugene Allen who stayed in the White House a few years longer than the fictional Cecil Gaines did. It is a movie that is sure to receive a bit of Oscar buzz. The Butler does take quite a few creative licenses involving Cecil Gaines and each of the Presidents he interacts with. However, what it changes for entertainment purposes does not take away from the core message of how one man stood in the face of adversity and from the shadows helped the movement to change the attitude towards racism. Forest Whitaker is perfectly cast as the fictional Cecil Gaines. Whitaker should be up for an Oscar for his portrayal of Cecil. It is not as jarring in its portrayal of harsh racism as 42 was earlier this year, but it still was effectively hard to watch at times. I would highly recommend moviegoers not miss this one.