The Butler
Lee Daniels' The Butler is a 2013 American historical drama movie directed by Lee Daniels.[1] It is based on Eugene Allen, who was a White House butler during eight American presidencies from 1952 to 1986.[2] It was the last movie produced by Laura Ziskin.[3]
| Lee Daniels' The Butler | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Lee Daniels |
| Produced by | Lee Daniels Cassian Elwes Buddy Patrick Pam Williams Laura Ziskin |
| Screenplay by | Danny Strong Lee Daniels |
| Based on | A Butler Well Served by This Election by Will Haygood |
| Starring | Forest Whitaker Oprah Winfrey Liev Schreiber John Cusack Jane Fonda Cuba Gooding, Jr. Terrence Howard Lenny Kravitz James Marsden David Oyelowo Alan Rickman Mariah Carey Robin Williams |
| Music by | Rodrigo Leão |
| Cinematography | Andrew Dunn |
| Edited by | Joe Klotz |
Production company | Laura Ziskin Productions Windy Hill Pictures |
| Distributed by | The Weinstein Company |
Release date |
|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $25 million |
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.[1] Aml Ameen portrays a young Cecil Gaines
- Oprah Winfrey as Gloria Gaines[1]
- Cuba Gooding, Jr. as Carter Wilson[1]
- Terrence Howard as Howard[1]
- David Oyelowo as Louis Gaines[1]
- Vanessa Redgrave as Annabeth Westfall[1]
- Alex Pettyfer as Thomas Westfall[1]
- Mariah Carey as Hattie Pearl[4]
- Yaya DaCosta as Carol Hammie[4]
- Colman Domingo as Freddie Fallows[4]
- Clarence Williams III as Maynard
Historical figures
- Robin Williams as President Dwight D. Eisenhower[1][5]
- Melissa Leo as First Lady Mamie Eisenhower (scenes deleted)[1][5]
- James Marsden as President John F. Kennedy[1][5]
- Minka Kelly as First Lady Jackie Kennedy[5]
- Liev Schreiber as President Lyndon B. Johnson[1][5]
- Wanda Leigh as First Lady Lady Bird Johnson (scenes deleted)[6]
- John Cusack as President Richard Nixon[1][5]
- Alan Rickman as President Ronald Reagan[1][5]
- Jane Fonda as First Lady Nancy Reagan[1][5]
- Nelsan Ellis as Martin Luther King, Jr.[1][5]
- Alex Manette as White House Chief of Staff H. R. Haldeman[1]
- Lenny Kravitz as James Holloway[1]
- Marco St. John as Chief Justice Warren E. Burger[6]
- Jesse Williams as civil rights activist James Lawson[4]
- Ray Gaspard as Pat Buchanan[6]
- Orlando Eric Street as President Barack Obama (scenes deleted)[6]
Awards
| Awards | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Award | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result | |
| Hollywood Film Awards | Best Director | Lee Daniels | Won | |
| Spotlight | David Oyelowo | Won | ||
| People's Choice Awards | Favorite Dramatic Movie | Nominated | ||
| Favorite Dramatic Movie Actress | Oprah Winfrey | Nominated | ||
| Phoenix Film Critics Society | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Oprah Winfrey | Nominated | |
| Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role | Forest Whitaker | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role | Oprah Winfrey | Nominated | ||
| 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
Forest Whitaker portrays Cecil Gaines in The Butler
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 Nordyke, Kimberly (7 May 2013). 'The Butler' Trailer: Oprah Winfrey Plays 'Proud' Wife to Forest Whitaker (Video). http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/butler-trailer-oprah-winfrey-plays-518900. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
- ↑ Child, Ben (9 May 2013). The Butler trailer: Oprah Winfrey in the White House. http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/may/09/the-butler-trailer-forest-whitaker. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
- ↑ "Citing its 1916 silent film short Warner Bros. blocking Harvey Weinstein from using 'The Butler' title on Lee Daniels film". Deadline.com. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Johnson, Terence. "Awards Profile: The Butler". Awards Circuit. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 Labrecque, Jeff (8 May 2013). 'The Butler': The new trailer showcases Oscar-winning actors tackling history -- VIDEO. http://popwatch.ew.com/2013/05/08/the-butler-trailer-presidents/. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "Full Credits for Lee Daniels' The Butler". IMDb.com. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
Other websites
- The Butler on IMDb
