The Butler
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| The Butler | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Lee Daniels |
| Produced by | Pam Williams Lee Daniels Buddy Patrick Cassian Elwes |
| Written by | Danny Strong |
| Starring | Forest Whitaker Oprah Winfrey |
| Music by | Alexandre Desplat |
| Distributed by | The Weinstein Company |
| Release date(s) |
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| Running time | 113 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Butler is an upcoming historical drama film directed by Lee Daniels and featuring an ensemble cast.[1] The film stars Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines, an African-American who eyewitnesses notable events of the 20th century during his tenure as a White House butler.[2] The film is based on the real-life account of Eugene Allen, who served as a White House butler during eight American presidencies from 1952 to 1986.[3]
It will be theatrically released by The Weinstein Company on August 16, 2013.[4]
Contents |
Premise [edit]
Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker) works as a White House butler during eight presidential terms from 1952 to 1986.[5]
Cast [edit]
- Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines[1]
- 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[6]
- Yaya DaCosta as Carol Hammie[6]
- Colman Domingo as Freddie Fallows[6]
- Aml Ameen as Young Cecil Gaines
Historical figures [edit]
- Robin Williams as President Dwight D. Eisenhower[1][7]
- Melissa Leo as First Lady Mamie Eisenhower[1][7]
- James Marsden as President John F. Kennedy[1][7]
- Minka Kelly as First Lady Jackie Kennedy[7]
- Liev Schreiber as President Lyndon B. Johnson[1][7]
- Wanda Leigh as First Lady Lady Bird Johnson
- John Cusack as President Richard Nixon[1][7]
- Alan Rickman as President Ronald Reagan[1][7]
- Jane Fonda as First Lady Nancy Reagan[1][7]
- Orlando Eric Street as President Barack Obama[1]
- Nelsan Ellis as Martin Luther King, Jr.[1][7]
- Ray Gaspard as Senior Advisor Pat Buchanan
- Alex Manette as White House Chief of Staff H. R. Haldeman
- Lenny Kravitz as James Holloway[1]
- Jesse Williams as civil rights activist James Lawson[6]
- Kay Smith as civil rights activist Diane Nash
Production [edit]
The Weinstein Company acquired the distribution rights for the film after Columbia Pictures put the film in turnaround.[8][9]
See also [edit]
- Backstairs at the White House, 1979 miniseries with a similar theme
References [edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Nordyke, Kimberly (7 May 2013). "'The Butler' Trailer: Oprah Winfrey Plays 'Proud' Wife to Forest Whitaker (Video)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
- ^ Roberts, Roxanne; Amy Argetsinger (8 May 2013). "Trailer for ‘The Butler,’ based on life of the White House’s Eugene Allen". The Washington Post. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
- ^ Child, Ben (9 May 2013). "The Butler trailer: Oprah Winfrey in the White House". Guardian UK. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
- ^ Rosen, Christopher (9 May 2013). "'The Butler' Trailer: Lee Daniels' 'Forrest Gump'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
- ^ Zeitchik, Steven (8 May 2013). "'The Butler' puts a new spin on LBJ, says Liev Schreiber". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
- ^ a b c d Johnson, Terence. "Awards Profile: The Butler". Awards Circuit. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Labrecque, Jeff (8 May 2013). "'The Butler': The new trailer showcases Oscar-winning actors tackling history -- VIDEO". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
- ^ Brevet, Brad (24 September 2012). "New Look at 'The Butler' as the Weinstein Co. Picks It Up for Distribution". Ropes of Silicon. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
- ^ Kit, Borys (19 November 2008). "Columbia tells White House butler story". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
External links [edit]
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Categories:
- Upcoming films
- English-language films
- Films directed by Lee Daniels
- 2013 films
- Films set in the 20th century
- Films about Presidents of the United States
- American drama films
- Films set in Washington, D.C.
- The Weinstein Company films
- Films about racism
- Films based on actual events
- 2010s drama films
- American political drama films
- United States presidential succession in fiction
- Films shot in Louisiana
- Historical films
- Films about politicians
- African-American films
- Films about race and ethnicity
- African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968) in film
