The Butler

Starring: Forest Whittaker, Oprah Winfrey, David Oyelowo, Terrence Howard, Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding Jr., John Cusack, Alan Rickman, David Banner, Mariah Carey, Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Redgrave, Lenny Kravitz, Jesse Williams, James Marsden, Minka Kelly, Liev Schreiber, Jane Fonda
Directed by: Lee Daniels
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
2013

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Cecil Gaines (Forest Whittaker) serves eight U.S. Presidents as butler at the White House.

Review:

Tim: I really wanted to like The Butler more than I did. The movie had so much going for it. The true story of Cecil Gaines is pretty amazing- the man served as a butler at the White House for eight different Presidents. That is pretty crazy and makes for a good story. Unfortunately, I didn't love the direction the film took. It attempted to look at U.S. history and especially race relations through Cecil's tenure as White House butler. The idea is interesting, but it doesn't quite work out. Whereas a film like Forrest Gump perfectly blended an individual's story with larger historical events, this film doesn't quite hit the right tone.

I felt like the attempt to showcase important moments in U.S race relations felt a little too forced. I couldn't tell if this story was supposed to be about Cecil Gaines, or if it was supposed to be about historical events. I know the film wanted the answer to be both, but it doesn't work. The transition between the two is not seamless. This gives the film a disjointed quality that hurts the viewing experience. It was almost too much to throw up on the screen in one film. The movie felt rushed- always showing a quick snippet of something, before having to move on to the next thing. There was no ability to stay and linger on an especially important moment. At 132 minutes, the film was already way, way too long.

The cast was incredible on paper, but as often happens in a film with so much great talent, most people don't get the screen time they deserve. That is a shame. Forest Whittaker plays Cecil Gaines and he does a very good job in the role. However, this performance doesn't rank near the top of what Whittaker can do. He was good in the role, but he was never for a moment great. This is the kind of film where you expect your lead to be nominated for an Academy Award. It's not surprising that he wasn't. Whittaker needed to be better.

Oprah Winfrey was fine, but she so seldom acts that her presence always feels a little gimmicky to me. Terrence Howard was fine, but he didn't really have anything to do. Cuba Gooding Jr. was a great addition to the cast, and I was slightly impressed with Lenny Kravitz as well. David Oyelowo continues to prove he has some real talent. Robin Williams was better than I expected as Dwight D. Eisenhower. John Cusack did a great job of Richard Nixon- but he's not on screen very much. James Marsden was a fun choice to play John F. Kennedy. Liev Schreiber was a little unorthodox for LBJ, but I thought he worked well enough. I love Alan Rickman, but I'm still not convinced of his portrayal of Ronald Reagan. You have all these great actors, but they are relegated to these small, small roles. That is a shame.

Another issue I had with this movie is the insistence of showing how Cecil Gaines wasn't JUST a butler, but he actually influenced multiple Presidents on the race issue. Now, I have no idea whether this was true or not, but it seemed incredibly forced in the film. It was like the idea of a butler serving eight Presidents wasn't a good enough story, they had to make him this behind-the-scenes essential character who shaped U.S. history. That felt a little much to me, and I suspect some creative liberties were taken with Gaines' story. The film didn't need to work so hard to convince us that this man was important.

The Butler does a lot right, but it also has a myriad of flaws. In the end, the film is too long and tries to cover too much. This gives it a rushed quality and the feeling that the movie can never adequately spend enough time in one area because it always has to move on. The film never adequately reconciles the personal story of Cecil Gaines with the larger historical events happening around him. That gives the film a disjointed quality. This movie was an ambitious effort, but in the end, it just falls short.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Forrest Gump, Precious, The Paperboy