Review of The Butler (2013) by Jordon J — 22 Jan 2014

It's a heartwarming and important story to tell, but the gross historical inaccuracies and liberal brow-beating kept me from enjoying it. The cast is superb for the most part, but the casting left me shaking my head at times. If Lee Daniels wanted to make a "rise from discrimination to the pinnacle of power" story, then more power to him, but the liberties he takes along the way are inflammatory sensationalism and sometimes downright dishonest character assassination. I am referring specifically to the mischaracterization of Ronald Reagan. Reagan biographer Paul Kengor interviewed many White House staff, cooks, housekeepers, doctors, and Secret Service over the years, and reported "they are universal in their love of Ronald Reagan." Also, Kengor adds that Reagan's opposition to change in South Africa only concerned that it not become a USSR- satellite communist state.

My summation of the casting is mixed as well. Forest Whitaker is outstanding as always. He and Oprah Winfrey carry the film; their powerful understated performances, I think, successfully portray the struggles and perseverance the real people must have demonstrated. I also note Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr., David Oyelowo, and Vanessa Redgrave as delivering superb performances. However, the casting of John Cusack as President Nixon and Jane Fonda, most egregiously as Nancy Reagan, can only be described as a sick inside joke. This must be the producers'' idea of retaliation against anything Republican.

Overall, as I've said, it's a story that deserves to be told, but this particular production is melodramatic overkill. It's contrived for dramatic effect. Instead I recommend "The Help," "The Color Purple," and especially "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman." Presented as the story of the struggles of one black family dealing with changing attitudes through a time of difficult transition in American history, The Butler is exceptional and noteworthy.