The Butler (book to film)

Lee Daniels’ The Butler is a film based on the book The Butler: A Witness to History by Wil Haygood. I have not read this book, but now that I have seen the movie I would like to. The movie is loosely based on a true story, revealing the life of Cecil Gaines (based on a real man named Eugene Allen), an African American who served as butler in the White House for three decades. I went into this movie expecting a heartwarming, inspirational historical drama and I was not disappointed. I found it interesting how the movie put less emphasis on the happenings within the White House and more on Cecil’s personal life, especially his wife and kids, and how they all were affected by the current events of the times. I believe this helped make the historical matters portrayed in the movie, especially those related to race, feel less like complex, political affairs and more like serious, real issues that directly affected the lives of Americans.

One of the things I loved best about The Butler was the way it showed the passing of time. From the aging of the characters (which I thought was done very well through a mixture of casting and makeup) to the changes in dress, speech, and general attitude, the film effortlessly covered virtually the entirety of Cecil’s life, from his boyhood in the 1920s all the way to his meeting the first black president in the aftermath of the 2008 election. Additionally, I felt the acting in the film was superb, with too many A-list actors to count, in both big and small roles. There was nothing really noteworthy in terms of camerawork, plenty of dramatic close-ups. Generally, I feel this film could fit into the category of man vs. society, as much of the film deals with civil rights and a man’s struggles against racism.

The main criticism that I have heard about this movie is that it is not accurate enough to the real story. Having not read the book, it is difficult for me to judge this complaint. However, I don’t think this should be too shocking, considering the fact that virtually all “based on a true story” movies take certain liberties, using their creative license to make their films more dramatic. I feel people should have expected the movie to be somewhat different from the real story, given that even the main character’s name is different. Overall, I don’t think this should deter from the film, provided that one goes into the movie expecting a historical drama loosely based on truth rather than a 100% accurate biopic.

4.5/5