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      Lee Daniels' The Butler

      2013, History/Drama, 2h 12m

      201 Reviews 50,000+ Ratings

      What to know

      Critics Consensus

      Gut-wrenching and emotionally affecting, Lee Daniels' The Butler overcomes an uneven narrative thanks to strong performances from an all-star cast. Read critic reviews

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      Lee Daniels' The Butler  Photos

      Lee Daniels' The Butler (2013) Lee Daniels' The Butler (2013) Lee Daniels' The Butler (2013)

      Movie Info

      After leaving the South as a young man and finding employment at an elite hotel in Washington, D.C., Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker) gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he is hired as a butler at the White House. Over the course of three decades, Cecil has a front-row seat to history and the inner workings of the Oval Office. However, his commitment to his "First Family" leads to tension at home, alienating his wife (Oprah Winfrey) and causing conflict with his anti-establishment son.

      • Rating: PG-13 (Language|Disturbing Images|Thematic Elements|Sexual Material|Smoking|Some Violence)

      • Genre: History, Drama

      • Original Language: English

      • Director: Lee Daniels

      • Producer: Pamela Oas Williams, Laura Ziskin, Lee Daniels, Buddy Patrick, Cassian Elwes

      • Writer: Danny Strong

      • Release Date (Theaters):  wide

      • Release Date (Streaming):

      • Box Office (Gross USA): $116.6M

      • Runtime:

      • Distributor: Weinstein Co.

      • Production Co: Laura Ziskin Productions

      • Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

      Cast & Crew

      Forest Whitaker
      Oprah Winfrey
      John Cusack
      Jane Fonda
      Cuba Gooding Jr.
      Lenny Kravitz
      James Marsden
      David Oyelowo
      Vanessa Redgrave
      Alan Rickman
      Liev Schreiber
      Robin Williams
      Mariah Carey
      Nelsan Ellis
      Yaya DaCosta
      Colman Domingo
      Minka Kelly
      Elijah Kelley
      Danny Strong
      Michael Finley
      Sheila C. Johnson
      Harvey Weinstein
      Bob Weinstein
      Len Blavatnik
      Aviv Giladi
      Vince Holden
      Hilary Shor
      Adam Merims
      James T. Bruce IV
      R. Bryan Wright
      Liz Destro
      Jordan Kessler

      News & Interviews for Lee Daniels' The Butler

      Critic Reviews for Lee Daniels' The Butler

      Audience Reviews for Lee Daniels' The Butler

      • Nov 30, 2015

        I have never seen a more pretentious film. This is an incredibly clumsy and disjointed movie but it thinks it's the shit. A lot of that comes from Daniels, who is about as subtle as a freight train. Don't watch this, it's a waste of time.

        Stephen S Super Reviewer
      • Sep 06, 2015

        A generally enjoyable -- if partially miscast and bloated -- biopic that covers so much historical ground it's difficult not to admire.

        Super Reviewer
      • May 20, 2015

        wasn't expecting Oprah Winfrey: The Movie. Disappointing.

        Super Reviewer
      • Aug 18, 2014

        A somewhat moving film done with grace and dignity, but lacking the emotional heft to be profound. Although Whitaker and Winfrey deliver, the performances of the rest of the A-List ensemble cast is hit-or-miss. Entertaining but unnervingly episodic.

        Super Reviewer

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