“Lee Daniels’ The Butler” certainly wins five out of five stars. It has an immense amount of momentum due to an impressive cast, including Forest Whitaker, Robin Williams and Oprah Winfrey in her first big-screen role in 15 years.

In this incredibly influential and ambitious film, audiences watch as a man serves in the White House during the civil rights movement, witnessing tremendous change in America.

“The Butler” was inspired by Eugene Allen, a White House employee who worked for several U.S. presidents, from Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan. Allen’s story about serving presidents is not the main theme, though — the film focuses more on social rights.

The film portrays a poor African-American man named Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker), who is based on Allen. In the movie, Gaines works on a cotton farm as a young man. In 1952, he moves his way up by getting a job as a butler in the White House to support his family. Gaines now has a front-row seat to watch the country transform through the civil rights movement.

In the past, Hollywood has taken a different approach to addressing racism in America, typically using a solemn tone and suppressing any real issues into a matter of good versus bad. Daniels, however, puts an amazing twist on this by showing the heroism in those who were strong enough to stand up for what they believed in. At the same time, he shows the horror they faced while on their journey to freedom.

“The Butler” is a particularly heavy film that certainly hits home emotionally for everyone watching. With many scenes showing how poorly African-Americans were treated during the civil rights movement, viewers should be prepared to shed a tear or two.

By bringing the issues of repression and reform into family life, the film is easier to relate to. It also helps people further understand the struggle and suffering African-Americans had to overcome at this time in history.

A bulk of the film’s drama stems from the relationship between Gaines and his son, Louis (David Oyelowo), who resents his father’s gracious acceptance of the African-American status in the United States. Louis has the opposite views of his father, and becomes a Freedom Rider and frequent protester, which causes many issues between the father-son duo. This is primarily where we see Winfrey’s character come into play as both mother and wife.

Though a serious story, there is some comedic contrast in the movie. The cast of presidential personalities adds a level of comic relief to be found inside the White House: Dwight D. Eisenhower (Robin Williams) contemplates sending troops to enforce integration in schools while he paints; vice-president Richard Nixon (John Cusack) is found in the kitchen searching for snacks; Lyndon B. Johnson (Liev Schreiber) yells instructions at his cabinet members while sitting on the toilet; and Ronald Reagan’s (Alan Rickman) kind yet controlling wife Nancy is played by former activist Jane Fonda.

With all of these actors bringing different elements to their presidential characters, there never seems to be a dull moment in the White House.

The movie also shows the two roles that African-American servants had to play. When on the job, Gaines is expected to act as if the room is empty, specifically instructed to see and hear nothing. This poses a struggle because he has to hear — and ignore —civil rights issues from the inside, while still facing them so deeply on the outside.

While there is a clear difference between appropriate and inappropriate interactions between him and the White House staff, Gaines demonstrates how gracefully his character walks the line between dignity and servitude.

It’s clear that “The Butler” deals with issues surrounding the civil rights era, but it lacks background information about the Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education, which would have been helpful to know since it is featured at length throughout the film. Despite this, viewers are still able to piece together that the issue deals with integration in schools.

With that said, who goes to the movies for a history lesson anyway? It’s something this movie is not to be confused with.

Published on September 4, 2013 at 12:35 am

Contact Brittany: baruss01@syr.edu