The Butler - wikipedia The Butler For other uses, see Butler ( disambiguation ). The Butler Theatrical release poster Directed by Lee Daniels Produced by Pamela Oas Williams Laura Ziskin Lee Daniels Buddy Patrick Cassian Elwes Written by Danny Strong Based on `` A Butler Well Served by This Election '' by Wil Haygood Starring Forest Whitaker Oprah Winfrey Mariah Carey John Cusack Jane Fonda Cuba Gooding Jr. Terrence Howard Lenny Kravitz James Marsden David Oyelowo Vanessa Redgrave Alan Rickman Liev Schreiber Robin Williams Clarence Williams III Music by Rodrigo Leão Cinematography Andrew Dunn Edited by Joe Klotz Production company Laura Ziskin Productions Windy Hill Pictures Follow Through Productions Salamander Pictures Pam Williams Productions Distributed by The Weinstein Company Release date August 16, 2013 ( 2013 - 08 - 16 ) Running time 132 minutes Country United States Language English Budget $30 million Box office $176.6 million The Butler ( full title Lee Daniels ' The Butler ) is a 2013 American historical drama film directed and produced by Lee Daniels and written by Danny Strong. It is inspired by Wil Haygood 's Washington Post article `` A Butler Well Served by This Election ''. Loosely based on the real life of Eugene Allen who worked in the White House for decades, the film stars Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines, an African - American who is a witness of notable political and social events of the 20th century during his 34 - year tenure serving as a White House butler. In addition to Whitaker, the film 's all - star cast also features Oprah Winfrey, John Cusack, Jane Fonda, Alex Pettyfer, Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, Lenny Kravitz, James Marsden, David Oyelowo, Vanessa Redgrave, Alan Rickman, Liev Schreiber, Robin Williams, Minka Kelly, Mariah Carey and Clarence Williams III. It was the last film produced by Laura Ziskin, who died in 2011. The film was theatrically released by The Weinstein Company on August 16, 2013, to mostly positive reviews from critics, grossing over $176 million worldwide against a budget of $30 million. Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 3.1 Development 3.2 Filming 4 Reception 4.1 Box office performance 4.2 Critical response 4.3 Accolades 4.4 Historical accuracy 5 See also 6 References 7 External links Plot In 2009, an elderly Cecil Gaines recounts his life story while waiting at the White House to meet the newly inaugurated president. In 1926, at the age of seven, Gaines is raised on a cotton plantation in Macon, Georgia. When the farm 's owner rapes Cecil 's mother, Cecil 's father confronts him and is killed. Cecil is taken in by the estate 's caretaker, who trains Cecil as a house servant. In 1937, at age eighteen, Cecil leaves the plantation. Desperately hungry, he breaks into a hotel pastry shop. The elderly master servant, Maynard, takes pity on Cecil and gives him a job. Cecil learns advanced serving and interpersonal skills from Maynard, who later recommends Cecil for a position in a Washington, D.C. hotel. While working there, Cecil meets and marries Gloria, and the couple has two sons : Louis and Charlie. In 1957, Cecil is hired by the White House during Dwight D. Eisenhower 's administration. White House maître d'hôtel Freddie Fallows introduces Cecil to head butler Carter Wilson and co-worker James Holloway. Cecil witnesses Eisenhower 's reluctance to use troops to enforce school desegregation, then his resolve to uphold the law by racially integrating Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. Louis, the elder son, becomes a university student at Fisk University in Tennessee, although Cecil feels that the South is too volatile. Louis joins a student program led by Southern Christian Leadership Conference ( SCLC ) activist James Lawson, which leads to a nonviolent sit - in at a segregated diner, where he is arrested. Gloria, who feels that Cecil puts his job ahead of her, descends into alcoholism. In 1961, after John F. Kennedy 's inauguration, Louis and others are attacked by members of the Ku Klux Klan while on a freedom ride to Birmingham, Alabama. Louis participates in the 1963 Birmingham Children 's Crusade, where dogs and water cannons are used to stop the marchers, one of the movement 's actions which inspires Kennedy to deliver a national address proposing the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Kennedy is later assassinated. His successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, enacts the legislation. As a goodwill gesture, Jackie Kennedy gives Cecil one of the former president 's neckties. Louis participates in the 1965 Selma Voting Rights Movement, which inspires Johnson to demand that Congress enact the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. Johnson also gives Cecil a tie bar. In the late 1960s, after civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. 's assassination, Louis tells his family that he has joined the Black Panthers. Cecil orders Louis and his girlfriend to leave his house. Louis is arrested again. Cecil becomes aware of President Richard Nixon 's plans to suppress the Black Panthers. Charlie confides to Louis that he plans to join the war in Vietnam. After enlisting, Charlie is killed and buried at Arlington National Cemetery. When the Black Panthers resort to violence, Louis leaves the organization and returns to college, earning his master 's degree in political science and eventually running for a seat in Congress, although Cecil continues to hold resentment against him. Cecil repeatedly confronts his supervisor at the White House over the unequal pay and career advancement provided to the black White House staff. With President Ronald Reagan 's support, Cecil prevails, his reputation growing to the point that he and his wife are invited by the Reagans to be guests at a state dinner. Cecil becomes uncomfortable with the class divisions in the White House. After witnessing Reagan 's refusal to support economic sanctions against Apartheid South Africa, Cecil resigns. Gloria agitates for Cecil to mend his relationship with Louis. Realizing his son 's actions are heroic, Cecil joins Louis at a protest against South African apartheid ; they are arrested and jailed together. In 2008, Gloria dies shortly before Barack Obama is elected as the nation 's first African - American president. Two months, two weeks and one day later, Cecil prepares to meet the newly inaugurated President, wearing the articles he received from Kennedy and Johnson. Stephen W. Rochon approaches Cecil and tells him the president is ready, preparing to show him the way to the Oval Office. Cecil tells him that he knows the way. Cast Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines, the film 's main character, who dedicates his life to becoming a professional domestic worker. Michael Rainey, Jr. and Aml Ameen portray Cecil at ages 8 and 15, respectively. Gaines ' private life Oprah Winfrey as Gloria Gaines, Cecil 's wife. David Oyelowo as Louis Gaines, the Gaines ' elder son. Elijah Kelley as Charlie Gaines, the Gaines ' younger son. Isaac White portrays him at age 10. Alex Pettyfer as Thomas Westfall, the brutal plantation owner who kills Earl after raping Cecil 's mother. David Banner as Earl Gaines, Cecil 's father. Mariah Carey as Hattie Pearl, Cecil 's mother. Terrence Howard as Howard, the Gaines ' neighbor who romantically pursues Gloria. Adriane Lenox as Gina. Howard 's wife. Yaya DaCosta as Carol Hammie, Louis ' girlfriend. Vanessa Redgrave as Annabeth Westfall, matron of the plantation. Clarence Williams III as Maynard, an elderly man who mentors a young Cecil and introduces him to his profession. White House co-workers Cuba Gooding Jr. as Carter Wilson, the fast - talking head butler at the White House. Lenny Kravitz as James Holloway, a co-worker butler of Cecil 's at the White House. Colman Domingo as Freddie Fallows, the White House maitre d ' who hires Cecil. White House historical figures Robin Williams as Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States. James DuMont as Sherman Adams, Eisenhower 's White House Chief of Staff. Robert Aberdeen as Herbert Brownell Jr., Eisenhower 's Attorney General. James Marsden as John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States. Minka Kelly as First Lady Jackie Kennedy Liev Schreiber as Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th President of the United States. John Cusack as Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States. Alex Manette as H.R. Haldeman, Nixon 's White House Chief of Staff. Colin Walker as John Ehrlichman, Nixon 's White House Counsel. Alan Rickman as Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States. Jane Fonda as First Lady Nancy Reagan Stephen Rider as Stephen W. Rochon, Barack Obama 's White House Chief Usher. Civil rights historical figures Nelsan Ellis as Martin Luther King, Jr... Jesse Williams as civil rights activist James Lawson Danny Strong, the film 's screenwriter, appears as a Freedom Bus journalist. Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama and civil rights leader Jesse Jackson are depicted in archival footage. Melissa Leo and Orlando Eric Street were cast as First Lady Mamie Eisenhower and Barack Obama, respectively, but did not appear in the finished film. Production Development Danny Strong 's screenplay is inspired by Wil Haygood 's Washington Post article `` A Butler Well Served by This Election ''. The project received initial backing in early 2011, when producers Laura Ziskin and Pam Williams approached Sheila Johnson for help in financing the film. After reading Danny Strong 's screenplay, Johnson pitched in her own $2.7 million before getting in several African - American investors. However, Ziskin died from cancer in June 2011. This left director Daniels and producing partner Hilary Shor to look for further producers on their own. They started with Cassian Elwes, with whom they were working on The Paperboy. Elwes joined the list of producers, and started raising funding for the film. In spring 2012, Icon U.K., a British financing and production company, added a $6 million guarantee against foreign pre-sales. Finally the film raised its needed $30 million budget through 41 producers and executive producers, including Earl W. Stafford, Harry I. Martin Jr., Brett Johnson, Michael Finley, and Buddy Patrick. Thereafter, as film production started Weinstein Co. picked up U.S. distribution rights for the film. David Glasser, Weinstein Co. COO, called fund raising as an independent film, `` a story that 's a movie within itself. '' The Weinstein Company acquired the distribution rights for the film after Columbia Pictures put the film in turnaround. The film 's title was up for a possible rename due to a Motion Picture Association of America claim from Warner Bros., which had inherited from the defunct Lubin Company a now - lost 1916 silent short film with the same name. The case was subsequently resolved with the MPAA granting The Weinstein Company permission to add Daniels ' name in front of the title, under the condition that his name was `` 75 % the size of The Butler ''. On July 23, 2013, the distributor unveiled a revised poster, displaying the title as Lee Daniels ' The Butler. Filming Principal photography started in June 2012 in New Orleans. Production was originally scheduled to wrap in early August 2012 but was delayed by the impact of Hurricane Isaac. Reception Box Office performance In its opening weekend, the film debuted in first place with $24.6 million. The film topped the North American box office in its first three consecutive weeks. The film has grossed $116.6 million in Canada and the United States, it earned $51.1 million elsewhere, for a total of $167.7 million. Critical response The Butler received mostly positive reviews from critics, with a 71 % rating on the film critic aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, based on 175 reviews. The site 's consensus says, `` Gut - wrenching and emotionally affecting, Lee Daniels ' The Butler overcomes an uneven narrative thanks to strong performances from an all - star cast. '' Another review aggregator, Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, calculated a score of 66 based on 47 reviews, indicating `` generally positive reviews ''. Todd McCarthy praised the film saying, `` Even with all contrivances and obvious point - making and familiar historical signposting, Daniels ' The Butler is always engaging, often entertaining and certainly never dull. '' Richard Roeper lauded the film 's casting in particular, remarking that `` Forest Whitaker gives the performance of his career ''. Rolling Stone also spoke highly of Whitaker writing that his `` reflective, powerfully understated performance... fills this flawed film with potency and purpose. '' Variety wrote that `` Daniels develops a strong sense of the inner complexities and contradictions of the civil - rights landscape. '' USA Today gave the film three out of four stars and noted that `` It 's inspiring and filled with fine performances, but the insistently swelling musical score and melodramatic moments seem calculated and undercut a powerful story. '' Miles Davis of the New York Tribune gave the film a negative review, claiming the film to be `` Oscar bait '', a cliche film designed to attract Oscar nominations. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times was more negative ; `` An ambitious and overdue attempt to create a Hollywood - style epic around the experience of black Americans in general and the civil rights movement in particular, it undercuts itself by hitting its points squarely on the nose with a 9 - pound hammer. '' Several critics compared the film 's historical anecdotes and sentimentality to Forrest Gump. President Barack Obama said, `` I teared up thinking about not just the butlers who worked here in the White House, but an entire generation of people who were talented and skilled. But because of Jim Crow and because of discrimination, there was only so far they could go. '' Accolades Awards Award Recipients and nominees Result AARP Annual Movies for Grownups Awards Best Supporting Actress Oprah Winfrey Won BAFTA Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role Oprah Winfrey Nominated BAFTA Award for Best Makeup and Hair Debra Denson, Beverly Jo Pryor, Candace Neal Nominated Hollywood Film Awards Best Director Lee Daniels Won Spotlight David Oyelowo Won Critics Choice Awards Best Supporting Actress Oprah Winfrey Nominated Best Cast Mariah Carey, John Cusack, Jane Fonda, Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, Lenny Kravitz, James Marsden, David Oyelowo, Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Redgrave, Alan Rickman, Liev Schreiber, Forest Whitaker, Robin Williams, and Oprah Winfrey Nominated Best Makeup Nominated NAACP Image Award Outstanding Motion Picture Nominated Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Forest Whitaker Won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture David Oyelowo Won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Cuba Gooding Jr. Nominated Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Terrence Howard Nominated Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Oprah Winfrey Nominated Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture Danny Strong Nominated Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture Lee Daniels Nominated 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 Mariah Carey, John Cusack, Jane Fonda, Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, Lenny Kravitz, James Marsden, David Oyelowo, Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Redgrave, Alan Rickman, Liev Schreiber, Forest Whitaker, Robin Williams, and Oprah Winfrey 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 Nominated Best Actress in Supporting Role Oprah Winfrey Nominated Best Art Direction & Production Design Diane Lederman, Tim Galvin Nominated Historical accuracy Regarding historical accuracy, Eliana Dockterman wrote in Time : `` Allen was born on a Virginia plantation in 1919, not in Georgia... In the movie, Cecil Gaines grows up on a cotton field in Macon, where his family comes into conflict with the white farmers for whom they work. What befalls his parents on the cotton field was added for dramatic effect... Though tension between father and son over civil rights issues fuels most of the drama in the film, ( Eugene Allen 's son ) Charles Allen was not the radical political activist that Gaines 's son is in the movie. '' Particular criticism has been directed at the film 's accuracy in portraying President Ronald Reagan. While Alan Rickman 's performance generated positive reviews, the director and screenwriters of the film have been criticized for depicting Reagan as indifferent to civil rights and his reluctance to associate with the White House 's black employees during his presidency. According to Michael Reagan, the former president 's son, `` The real story of the White House butler does n't imply racism at all. It 's simply Hollywood liberals wanting to believe something about my father that was never there. '' Paul Kengor, one of President Reagan 's biographers, also attacked the film, saying, `` I 've talked to many White House staff, cooks, housekeepers, doctors, and Secret Service over the years. They are universal in their love of Ronald Reagan. '' In regard to the president 's initial opposition to sanctions against apartheid in South Africa, Kengor said, `` Ronald Reagan was appalled by apartheid, but also wanted to ensure that if the apartheid regime collapsed in South Africa that it was n't replaced by a Marxist - totalitarian regime allied with Moscow and Cuba that would take the South African people down the same road as Ethiopia, Mozambique, and, yes, Cuba. In the immediate years before Reagan became president, 11 countries from the Third World, from Asia to Africa to Latin America, went Communist. It was devastating. If the film refuses to deal with this issue with the necessary balance, it should n't deal with it at all. '' Political commentator Ben Shapiro wrote : `` There is no question that the film itself is full of historical inaccuracies. The Butler has virtually nothing in common with its source material, the life of White House butler Gene Allen, except for the fact that the main character of the film and Allen were both black butlers in the White House. The film 's title character, Cecil Gaines, sees his father murdered and his mother raped by a white landowner ; that never happened to Allen. The movie 's title character has two children, one who goes to the Vietnam War, the other who becomes a Civil Rights pioneer ; Allen actually had only one son. '' See also Backstairs at the White House, a 1979 miniseries with a similar theme African - American Civil Rights Movement ( 1954 -- 68 ) in popular culture Great Migration References Jump up ^ `` THE BUTLER ( 12A ) ''. Entertainment Film Distributors. British Board of Film Classification. October 15, 2013. Retrieved October 15, 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` Lee Daniels ' The Butler ( 2013 ) ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 25, 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Why ' Lee Daniels ' The Butler ' Has 41 Producers ''. The Hollywood Reporter. August 14, 2013. Retrieved August 15, 2013. Jump up ^ Lee, Chris ( July 20, 2013 ). `` MPAA permits Weinstein Co. to use ' Lee Daniels ' ' The Butler ' title ''. The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 2, 2013. Jump up ^ McNary, Dave ( July 23, 2013 ). `` ' Lee Daniels ' The Butler ' Gets First Posters Following MPAA Ruling ''. Variety. Retrieved September 2, 2013. ^ Jump up to : Nordyke, Kimberly ( May 7, 2013 ). `` ' The Butler ' Trailer : Oprah Winfrey Plays ' Proud ' Wife to Forest Whitaker ( Video ) ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 10, 2013. Jump up ^ Child, Ben ( May 9, 2013 ). `` The Butler trailer : Oprah Winfrey in the White House ''. The Guardian. London. Retrieved May 10, 2013. Jump up ^ Roberts, Roxanne ; Amy Argetsinger ( May 8, 2013 ). `` Trailer for ' The Butler, ' based on life of the White House 's Eugene Allen ''. The Washington Post. Retrieved May 10, 2013. ^ Jump up to : Fleming, Mike, Jr. ( July 6, 2013 ). `` UPDATE : David Boies Charges Extortion As He Returns Fire In ' The Butler ' Spat Between Warner Bros And The Weinstein Company Directly ''. Deadline.com. Retrieved July 27, 2013. Jump up ^ Rosen, Christopher ( May 9, 2013 ). `` ' The Butler ' Trailer : Lee Daniels ' ' Forrest Gump ' ''. The Huffington Post. Retrieved May 10, 2013. Jump up ^ Williamson, Caroline ( July 20, 2013 ). `` The Butler to be re-titled -- but only slightly -- following dispute over name ''. Metro. Retrieved August 6, 2013. Jump up ^ Feinberg, Scott ( August 17, 2013 ). `` ' The Butler ' Builds Oscar Credentials With Strong Critical, Commercial Debut ( Analysis ) ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 19, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Lee Daniels ' The Butler ( 2013 ) - Box Office Mojo ''. www.boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018. ^ Jump up to : Scott, A.O. ( August 15, 2013 ). `` Black Man, White House, and History ''. The New York Times. Retrieved August 17, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Lee Daniels ' The Butler ( 2013 ) ''. All Media Guide via The New York Times. Retrieved August 8, 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` Lee Daniels ' The Butler ( 2013 ) ''. The New York Times. Retrieved August 17, 2013. ^ Jump up to : Johnson, Terence. `` Awards Profile : The Butler ''. Awards Circuit. Retrieved May 12, 2013. ^ Jump up to : Labrecque, Jeff ( May 8, 2013 ). `` ' The Butler ' : The new trailer showcases Oscar - winning actors tackling history -- VIDEO ''. PopWatch ( column ). Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 10, 2013. Jump up ^ Ingram, Bruce ( August 16, 2013 ). `` Fame comes second for Evanston actor starring in ' The Butler ' ''. Sun - Times Media. Retrieved August 17, 2013. Jump up ^ Wirt, John ( August 16, 2013 ). `` N.O. native Walker joins The Butler cast ''. The Advocate. Retrieved August 17, 2013. ^ Jump up to : Travers, Peter ( August 15, 2013 ). `` Lee Daniels ' The Butler ''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 16, 2013. Jump up ^ Makarechi, Kia ( August 1, 2013 ). `` ' Lee Daniels ' The Butler ' Celebrated By Oprah, Forest Whitaker, Gayle King & More In New York ''. The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 19, 2013. Jump up ^ Williams, Kam ( August 15, 2013 ). `` Two - time Oscar - nominee talks about his latest film Lee Daniels ' ' The Butler ' ''. The Bay State Banner. Retrieved August 19, 2013. Jump up ^ Child, Ben ( July 4, 2013 ). `` Lee Daniels pleads with Warner Bros to retain title of The Butler ''. The Guardian. Retrieved August 19, 2013. Jump up ^ `` ' The Butler ' Poster : Lee Daniels ' New Film Fits Massive Cast List On New One - Sheet ''. The Huffington Post. June 3, 2013. Retrieved August 19, 2013. Jump up ^ Haygood, Wil ( November 7, 2008 ). `` A Butler Well Served by This Election ''. The Washington Post. Jump up ^ The Reliable Source ( August 6, 2013 ). `` No, President Obama is n't doing a cameo in ' The Butler ' ''. Reliable Source ( blog ). The Washington Post. Retrieved August 8, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Lee Daniels ' The Butler : The film with FORTY ONE producers : How a host of stars and entrepreneurs raised $30 m to fund The Butler ''. Daily Mail. August 15, 2013. Retrieved August 15, 2013. Jump up ^ Brevet, Brad ( September 24, 2012 ). `` New Look at ' The Butler ' as the Weinstein Co. Picks It Up for Distribution ''. Ropes of Silicon. Retrieved May 10, 2013. Jump up ^ Kit, Borys ( November 19, 2008 ). `` Columbia tells White House butler story ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 10, 2013. Jump up ^ Johnson, Ted ( July 9, 2013 ). `` Harvey Weinstein Has Already Won ' The Butler ' Battle ( Opinion ) ''. Variety. Retrieved July 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` TOLDJA ! Weinstein Co. Can Title Its Movie ' Lee Daniels ' The Butler ', If It Wants ''. Deadline.com. July 19, 2013. Retrieved July 23, 2013. Jump up ^ The Deadline Team ( July 23, 2013 ). `` Weinstein Co Unveils New Poster For ' Lee Daniels ' The Butler ' To Comply With MPAA ''. Deadline.com. Retrieved July 23, 2013. Jump up ^ Scott, Mike ( August 27, 2012 ). `` Tropical Storm Isaac chases ' The Butler ' away, as film suspends production ''. The Times - Picayune. Jump up ^ Kilday, Gregg ( August 18, 2013 ). `` Box Office Report : ' The Butler ' Tops the Field With $25 Million ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 19, 2013. Jump up ^ Mendelson, Scott ( August 18, 2013 ). `` Weekend Box Office : ' The Butler ' Opens To $25 m, ' Kick - Ass 2 ', ' Jobs ', And ' Paranoia ' Crash ''. Forbes. Retrieved August 19, 2013. Jump up ^ Cunningham, Todd ( September 2, 2013 ). `` Oprah Winfrey 's ' The Butler ' Powers Past ' One Direction ' for 3rd Straight Box - Office Win ''. The Wrap. 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Jump up ^ Turan, Kenneth ( August 15, 2013 ). `` Review : ' Lee Daniels ' The Butler ' significant but often contrived ''. The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 16, 2013. Jump up ^ Anderson, John ( August 15, 2013 ). `` ' Lee Daniels ' The Butler ' movie review ''. The Washington Post. Retrieved August 16, 2013. Jump up ^ Rodriguez, Rene ( August 15, 2013 ). `` ' Lee Daniels ' The Butler ' ( PG - 13 ) ''. Miami Herald. Retrieved August 16, 2013. Jump up ^ Williams, Joe ( August 15, 2013 ). `` Forest Whitaker shines as ' The Butler ' ''. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved August 16, 2013. Jump up ^ Burr, Ty ( August 15, 2013 ). `` ' The Butler ' examines civil rights history from a new perspective ''. The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 16, 2013. Jump up ^ Child, Ben ( August 28, 2013 ). `` Barack Obama ' teared up ' watching Oscar - tipped drama The Butler ''. The Guardian. Jump up ^ `` AARP Names ' 12 Years a Slave ' Best Movie for Grownups ''. AFI. January 6, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2014. Jump up ^ Aaron Couch, Arlene Washington ( February 22, 2014 ). `` NAACP Image Awards : The Winners ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 22, 2014. Jump up ^ Dockterman, Eliana ( August 16, 2013 ). `` The True Story of The Butler : Fact vs. Fiction in Lee Daniels ' The Butler ''. Time. Jump up ^ Bond, Paul ( August 26, 2013 ). `` President Reagan 's Son Attacks ' Lee Daniels ' The Butler ' ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 28, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The Butler falsely portrays Ronald Reagan as racist, says son ''. The Guardian. August 29, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2013. Jump up ^ Reagan, Michael ( August 27, 2013 ). `` The Butler from Another Planet ''. Newsmax. Retrieved December 25, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Lee Daniels ' ' The Butler ' : Reagan Biographers Slam President 's Portrayal ''. The Hollywood Reporter.com. August 16, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2013. Jump up ^ Shapiro, Ben ( August 18, 2013 ). `` ' The Butler ' Filled with Historical Inaccuracies, Finishes # 1 ''. Breitbart.com. Retrieved August 28, 2013. External links Official website The Butler on IMDb The Butler at Box Office Mojo The Butler at Rotten Tomatoes The Butler at Metacritic Lee Daniels Director Shadowboxer ( 2005 ) Precious ( 2009 ) The Paperboy ( 2012 ) Lee Daniels ' The Butler ( 2013 ) Producer Monster 's Ball ( 2001 ) The Woodsman ( 2004 ) Shadowboxer ( 2005 ) Tennessee ( 2008 ) Precious ( 2009 ) The Paperboy ( 2012 ) Screenplays by Danny Strong Recount ( 2008 ) Game Change ( 2012 ) The Butler ( 2013 ) The Hunger Games : Mockingjay -- Part 1 ( 2014 ) The Hunger Games : Mockingjay -- Part 2 ( 2015 ) Civil rights movement Notable events ( timeline ) Prior to 1954 Murder of Harry and Harriette Moore 1954 -- 1959 Brown v. Board of Education Bolling v. Sharpe Briggs v. Elliott Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County Gebhart v. Belton White America, Inc. Sarah Keys v. Carolina Coach Company Emmett Till Montgomery bus boycott Browder v. Gayle Tallahassee bus boycott Mansfield school desegregation 1957 Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom `` Give Us the Ballot '' Royal Ice Cream sit - in Little Rock Nine National Guard blockade Civil Rights Act of 1957 Kissing Case Biloxi wade - ins 1960 -- 1963 Greensboro sit - ins Nashville sit - ins Sit - in movement Civil Rights Act of 1960 Gomillion v. Lightfoot Boynton v. Virginia Rock Hill sit - ins Robert F. Kennedy 's Law Day Address Freedom Rides attacks Garner v. Louisiana Albany Movement University of Chicago sit - ins `` Second Emancipation Proclamation '' Meredith enrollment, Ole Miss riot `` Segregation now, segregation forever '' Stand in the Schoolhouse Door 1963 Birmingham campaign Letter from Birmingham Jail Children 's Crusade Birmingham riot 16th Street Baptist Church bombing John F. Kennedy 's Report to the American People on Civil Rights March on Washington `` I Have a Dream '' St. Augustine movement 1964 -- 1968 Twenty - fourth Amendment Bloody Tuesday Freedom Summer workers ' murders Civil Rights Act of 1964 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches `` How Long, Not Long '' Voting Rights Act of 1965 Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections March Against Fear White House Conference on Civil Rights Chicago Freedom Movement / Chicago open housing movement Memphis sanitation strike King assassination funeral riots Poor People 's Campaign Civil Rights Act of 1968 Green v. County School Board of New Kent County Activist groups Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights Atlanta Student Movement Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters Congress of Racial Equality ( CORE ) Committee on Appeal for Human Rights Council for United Civil Rights Leadership Dallas County Voters League Deacons for Defense and Justice Georgia Council on Human Relations Highlander Folk School Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights Montgomery Improvement Association Nashville Student Movement NAACP Youth Council Northern Student Movement National Council of Negro Women National Urban League Operation Breadbasket Regional Council of Negro Leadership Southern Christian Leadership Conference ( SCLC ) Southern Regional Council Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee ( SNCC ) The Freedom Singers Wednesdays in Mississippi Women 's Political Council Activists Ralph Abernathy Victoria Gray Adams Zev Aelony Mathew Ahmann William G. Anderson Gwendolyn Armstrong Arnold Aronson Ella Baker Marion Barry Daisy Bates Harry Belafonte James Bevel Claude Black Gloria Blackwell Randolph Blackwell Unita Blackwell Ezell Blair Jr. Joanne Bland Julian Bond Joseph E. Boone William Holmes Borders Amelia Boynton Raylawni Branch Ruby Bridges Aurelia Browder H. Rap Brown Guy Carawan Stokely Carmichael Johnnie Carr James Chaney J.L. Chestnut Colia Lafayette Clark Ramsey Clark Septima Clark Xernona Clayton Eldridge Cleaver Kathleen Cleaver Charles E. Cobb Jr. Annie Lee Cooper Dorothy Cotton Claudette Colvin Vernon Dahmer Jonathan Daniels Joseph DeLaine Dave Dennis Annie Devine Patricia Stephens Due Joseph Ellwanger Charles Evers Medgar Evers Myrlie Evers - Williams Chuck Fager James Farmer Walter E. Fauntroy James Forman Marie Foster Golden Frinks Andrew Goodman Fred Gray Jack Greenberg Dick Gregory Lawrence Guyot Prathia Hall Fannie Lou Hamer William E. Harbour Vincent Harding Dorothy Height Lola Hendricks Aaron Henry Oliver Hill Donald L. Hollowell James Hood Myles Horton Zilphia Horton T.R.M. Howard Ruby Hurley Jesse Jackson Jimmie Lee Jackson Richie Jean Jackson T.J. Jemison Esau Jenkins Barbara Rose Johns Vernon Johns Frank Minis Johnson Clarence Jones J. Charles Jones Matthew Jones Vernon Jordan Tom Kahn Clyde Kennard A.D. King C.B. King Coretta Scott King Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Sr. Bernard Lafayette James Lawson Bernard Lee Sanford R. Leigh Jim Letherer Stanley Levison John Lewis Viola Liuzzo Z. Alexander Looby Joseph Lowery Clara Luper Malcolm X Mae Mallory Vivian Malone Thurgood Marshall Benjamin Mays Franklin McCain Charles McDew Ralph McGill Floyd McKissick Joseph McNeil James Meredith William Ming Jack Minnis Amzie Moore Douglas E. Moore Harriette Moore Harry T. Moore William Lewis Moore Irene Morgan Bob Moses William Moyer Elijah Muhammad Diane Nash Charles Neblett Edgar Nixon Jack O'Dell James Orange Rosa Parks James Peck Charles Person Homer Plessy Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Fay Bellamy Powell Al Raby Lincoln Ragsdale A. Philip Randolph George Raymond Jr. Bernice Johnson Reagon Cordell Reagon James Reeb Frederick D. Reese Gloria Richardson David Richmond Bernice Robinson Jo Ann Robinson Bayard Rustin Bernie Sanders Michael Schwerner Cleveland Sellers Charles Sherrod Alexander D. Shimkin Fred Shuttlesworth Modjeska Monteith Simkins Glenn E. Smiley A. Maceo Smith Kelly Miller Smith Mary Louise Smith Maxine Smith Ruby Doris Smith - Robinson Charles Kenzie Steele Hank Thomas Dorothy Tillman A.P. Tureaud Hartman Turnbow Albert Turner C.T. Vivian Wyatt Tee Walker Hollis Watkins Walter Francis White Roy Wilkins Hosea Williams Kale Williams Robert F. 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Question: who is the movie the butler based on
Answer: Wil Haygood's Washington Post article "A Butler Well Served by This Election"