View source for The Butler

{{italictitle}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Lee Daniels' The Butler
| image          =
| image_size     =
| alt            =
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Lee Daniels]]
| producer       = Lee Daniels<br />[[Cassian Elwes]]<br />Buddy Patrick<br />Pam Williams<br />[[Laura Ziskin]]
| screenplay     = [[Danny Strong]]<br />Lee Daniels
| based_on = {{based on|''A Butler Well Served by This Election''|Will Haygood}}
| starring       = [[Forest Whitaker]]<br />[[Oprah Winfrey]]<br />[[Liev Schreiber]]<br />[[John Cusack]]<br />[[Jane Fonda]]<br />[[Cuba Gooding, Jr.]]<br />[[Terrence Howard]]<br />[[Lenny Kravitz]]<br />[[James Marsden]]<br />[[David Oyelowo]]<br />[[Alan Rickman]]<br />[[Mariah Carey]]<br />[[Robin Williams]]
| music          = [[Rodrigo Leão]]
| cinematography = [[Andrew Dunn (cinematographer)|Andrew Dunn]]
| editing        = [[Joe Klotz]]
| studio         = [[Laura Ziskin|Laura Ziskin Productions]]<br />Windy Hill Pictures
| distributor    = [[The Weinstein Company]]
| released       = {{Movie date|2013|08|16}}
| runtime        =
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $25 million
| gross          =
}}
'''Lee Daniels' The Butler''' is a 2013 [[Americans|American]] historical drama movie directed by [[Lee Daniels]].<ref name="THRCast">{{cite news|last=Nordyke|first=Kimberly|title='The Butler' Trailer: Oprah Winfrey Plays 'Proud' Wife to Forest Whitaker (Video)|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/butler-trailer-oprah-winfrey-plays-518900|accessdate=10 May 2013|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=7 May 2013}}</ref> It is based on [[Eugene Allen]], who was a [[White House]] butler during eight [[President of the United States|American presidencies]] from 1952 to 1986.<ref>{{cite news|last=Child|first=Ben|title=The Butler trailer: Oprah Winfrey in the White House|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/may/09/the-butler-trailer-forest-whitaker|accessdate=10 May 2013|newspaper=Guardian UK|date=9 May 2013}}</ref> It was the last movie produced by [[Laura Ziskin]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deadline.com/2013/07/citing-its-1916-silent-film-short-warner-bros-blocking-harvey-weinstein-from-using-the-butler-title-on-lee-daniels-film/|title=Citing its 1916 silent film short Warner Bros. blocking Harvey Weinstein from using 'The Butler' title on Lee Daniels film|publisher=Deadline.com|accessdate=14 August 2013}}</ref>
== Synopsis ==
The fictional Cecil Gaines is based on [[Eugene Allen]] who worked at the [[White House]] during eight presidential terms from 1952 to 1986.  He started as a "pantry man," was promoted to [[butler]], and then [[Maître d'hôtel]].
== Cast ==
* [[Forest Whitaker]] as Cecil Gaines.<ref name=THRCast/> [[Aml Ameen]] portrays a young Cecil Gaines
* [[Oprah Winfrey]] as Gloria Gaines<ref name=THRCast/>
* [[Cuba Gooding, Jr.]] as Carter Wilson<ref name=THRCast/>
* [[Terrence Howard]] as Howard<ref name=THRCast/>
* [[David Oyelowo]] as Louis Gaines<ref name=THRCast/>
* [[Vanessa Redgrave]] as Annabeth Westfall<ref name=THRCast/>
* [[Alex Pettyfer]] as Thomas Westfall<ref name=THRCast/>
* [[Mariah Carey]] as Hattie Pearl<ref name="AwC">{{cite web|last=Johnson|first=Terence|title=Awards Profile: The Butler|url=http://www.awardscircuit.com/tag/yaya-dacosta/|publisher=Awards Circuit|accessdate=12 May 2013|archive-date=3 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103052331/http://www.awardscircuit.com/tag/yaya-dacosta/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Yaya DaCosta]] as Carol Hammie<ref name=AwC/>
* [[Colman Domingo]] as Freddie Fallows<ref name=AwC/>
* [[Clarence Williams III]] as Maynard
== Historical figures ==
* [[Robin Williams]] as [[President of the United States|President]] [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]]<ref name=THRCast/><ref name="EWCast">{{cite news|last=Labrecque|first=Jeff|title='The Butler': The new trailer showcases Oscar-winning actors tackling history -- VIDEO|url=http://popwatch.ew.com/2013/05/08/the-butler-trailer-presidents/|accessdate=10 May 2013|newspaper=Entertainment Weekly|date=8 May 2013|archive-date=26 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130526180558/http://popwatch.ew.com/2013/05/08/the-butler-trailer-presidents/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Melissa Leo]] as [[First Lady of the United States|First Lady]] [[Mamie Eisenhower]] (scenes deleted)<ref name=THRCast/><ref name=EWCast/>
* [[James Marsden]] as President [[John F. Kennedy]]<ref name=THRCast/><ref name=EWCast/>
* [[Minka Kelly]] as First Lady [[Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis|Jackie Kennedy]]<ref name=EWCast/>
* [[Liev Schreiber]] as President [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]<ref name=THRCast/><ref name=EWCast/>
* [[Wanda Leigh]] as First Lady [[Lady Bird Johnson]] (scenes deleted)<ref name="IMDb"/>
* [[John Cusack]] as President [[Richard Nixon]]<ref name=THRCast/><ref name=EWCast/>
* [[Alan Rickman]] as President [[Ronald Reagan]]<ref name=THRCast/><ref name=EWCast/>
* [[Jane Fonda]] as First Lady [[Nancy Reagan]]<ref name=THRCast/><ref name=EWCast/>
* [[Nelsan Ellis]] as [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]]<ref name=THRCast/><ref name=EWCast/>
* Alex Manette as [[White House Chief of Staff]] [[H. R. Haldeman]]<ref name=THRCast/>
* [[Lenny Kravitz]] as [[James Holloway]]<ref name=THRCast/>
* [[Marco St. John]] as Chief Justice [[Warren E. Burger]]<ref name="IMDb"/>
* [[Jesse Williams (actor)|Jesse Williams]] as civil rights activist [[James Lawson]]<ref name=AwC/>
* [[Ray Gaspard]] as [[Pat Buchanan]]<ref name="IMDb">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1327773/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast |title=Full Credits for Lee Daniels' The Butler|publisher=[[IMDb]].com|accessdate=30 July 2013}}</ref>
* [[Orlando Eric Street]] as President [[Barack Obama]] (scenes deleted)<ref name="IMDb"/>
== Awards ==
{| class="wikitable" style="width:90%;"
|- style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"
! colspan="5" style="background: LightSteelBlue;" | Awards
|- style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"
! Award
! Category
! Recipients and nominees
! Result
|-
|rowspan=2|Hollywood Film Awards
|Best Director
|Lee Daniels
|{{won}}
|-
|Spotlight
|David Oyelowo
|{{won}}
|-
|rowspan=2|[[People's Choice Awards]]
|Favorite Dramatic Movie
|
|{{nom}}
|-
|Favorite Dramatic Movie Actress
|Oprah Winfrey
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Phoenix Film Critics Society]]
|Best Actress in a Supporting Role
|Oprah Winfrey
|{{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=3|[[Screen Actors Guild Award]]
|[[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture|Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture]]
|
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role|Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role]]
|[[Forest Whitaker]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role|Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role]]
|[[Oprah Winfrey]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=3|[[Satellite Awards]]
|Best Actor in a Motion Picture
|Forest Whitaker
|{{pending}}
|-
|Best Actress in Supporting Role
|Oprah Winfrey
|{{pending}}
|-
|Best Art Direction & Production Design
|Diane Lederman, Tim Galvin
|{{pending}}
|}

== The Butler Media ==
<gallery widths='160px' heights='100%' mode='traditional' caption=''>
File:Forest Whitaker by Gage Skidmore.jpg|[[Forest Whitaker]] portrays Cecil Gaines in ''The Butler''
</gallery>
== References ==
{{reflist}}
== Other websites ==
* {{IMDb title|1327773|The Butler}}


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{{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, The}}
[[Category:2013 movies]]
[[Category:American drama movies]]
[[Category:2010s historical movies]]
[[Category:Movies set in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Movies set in Louisiana]]
[[Category:Movies set in California]]
[[Category:Movies about John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Movies about Ronald Reagan]]