We watched the DVD last night of "The Butler". I was again impressed with the acting of the whole ensemble, and felt, while not a great movie, it's a film with legs, and it's flaws are not too disturbing. The main characters felt REAL, and their lives honest. Forest Whitaker was terrific, with his face transforming over time, and his core understandable. Oprah Winfrey was excellent, and her many sides and her fears and hopes were transparent. I think they should have been nominated for Oscars, but that's okay. The Oscars, as we know, are not the gold standard. There were certain scenes that maybe were too cliched or melodramatic, but the viewer feels forgiving, because the EVENTS chronicled were so dramatic. The film is rich in humor, tragedy, small, simple moments, and huge grand ones. One of the joys of seeing the film is the cameos of the Presidents: Robin Williams as Eisenhower, John Cusack as Nixon, Liev Schreibner as Johnson, James Marsden and Minka Kelly as JFK and Jackie, and Allan Rickman and Jane Fonda as Reagan and Nancy. They are all a kick, but the later are really fun.
Perhaps the film should not have ended with the Obama win, even though it is neat and tidy, but I understand the irresistableness of the choice. Gaines' irritated comeback when a White House aide offers to show him the way to Obama's office is delightful. Blacks have always been in the White House, and they helped build it, they've just been invisible. When you think back to the beginning of the film, which rivals "Twelve Years a Slave" for horror, African Americans have indeed come a long way, with great sacrifice, and it's time their contributions were noticed by all of us. "The Butler" works as history, as story, and as a lesson in how we may serve our country, and how many have chosen to do so.
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