Plot Summary

Cecil Gaines was a sharecropper's son who grew up in the 1920s as a domestic servant for the white family who casually destroyed his. Eventually striking out on his own, Cecil becomes a hotel valet of such efficiency and discreteness in the 1950s that he becomes a butler in the White House itself. There, Cecil would serve numerous US Presidents over the decades as a passive witness of history with the American Civil Rights Movement gaining momentum even as his family has troubles of its own. As his wife, Gloria, struggles with alcoholism and his defiant eldest son, Louis, strives for a just world, Cecil must decide whether he should take action in his own way.

Movie Details

Original Title
The Butler
Status
released
Original Language
en
Budget
$25.0M
Revenue
$177.3M

Where to watch free (US)

No free providers found in US.

Production Companies

Follow Through Productions
Salamander Pictures
Laura Ziskin Productions
Lee Daniels Entertainment logoLee Daniels Entertainment
Pam Williams Productions
Windy Hill Pictures logoWindy Hill Pictures