History Film / TheButler

* AllStarCast: To an absolutely absurd degree. For example:

* AngryBlackMan: Louis becomes this after tiring of Martin Luther King's non-violent approach and joining Black Panther Party, which really encouraged a belligerent attitude that infuriated his parents. Eventually, he decides that the Panthers are going too far and decides to leave to fight the good fight with more reasonable means. These include getting elected into the US Congress and leading peaceful demonstrations to further social justice.

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: After her (presumed) grandson [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil rapes a field hand]] and [[MoralEventHorizon shoots her husband dead out of spite]], Annabeth Westfall's decision to make their young son a house servant is presented plausibly as an act of kind contrition.

* InvisiblePresident: Mostly averted, but the presidencies of GeraldFord and JimmyCarter are rather glanced over via a news montage, presumably because their tenures weren't as important to the Civil Rights Movement.

* LightIsNotGood: The KKK

* AllStarCast: To an absolutely absurd degree, in keeping with it's OscarBait status. For example:

* AlwaysChaoticEvil: As with most other race struggle movies, white people are with few exceptions portrayed this way. Averted with the Presidents though.

* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: At least white humans anyway.

** Creator/AlanRickman and JaneFonda are [[RonaldReagan Ronald and Nancy Reagan]].

* AllStarCast: To an absolutely absurd degree. For example:

* TheDeepSouth: Where Cecil grew up
* DeliberateValuesDissonance: After her (presumed) grandson rapes a field hand and shoots her husband dead out of hand, Annabeth Westfall's decision to make their young son a house servant is presented plausibly as an act of kind contrition.

* AngryBlackMan: Louis becomes this after tiring of Martin Luther King's non-violent approach and joining Black Panther Party, which really encouraged a belligerent attitude that infuriated his parents. Eventually, he decides that the Panthers are going too far and decides to leave to fight the good fight with more reasonable means.

* RuleAbidingRebel: What Louis becomes after leaving the Black Panthers, with him getting elected into the US Congress and leading peaceful demonstrations to further social justice.

** [[Film/{{Salt}} Liev Schreiber]] is LyndonJohnson

''Lee Daniels' The Butler'' (previously known simply as ''The Butler'') is an historical film directed by [[Literature/{{Push}} Lee Daniels]]. It stars Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines (based on the RealLife figure [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Allen Eugene Allen]]), the head butler of the White House from 1952 to 1986, where he served under eight different Presidents, and bore witness to the changes in the political and racial landscape of the United States during his tenure.

* WhatMightHaveBeen:
** MatthewMcConaughey was originally cast as John F. Kennedy, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. James Franco was considered to replace him before James Marsden was cast.
** MilaKunis was considered for the part of Jackie Kennedy.
** LiamNeeson was considered for the part of Lyndon B. Johnson.

** Creator/RobinWilliams and [[Film/TheFighter Melissa Leo]] are [[DwightEisenhower Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower]]

* InCaseYouForgotWhoWroteIt: [[AvertedTrope Averted]] in an odd way. The film was originally titled ''The Butler'' until Warner Bros. sued The Weinstein Company for infringement based on the fact that they released a very successful short film under that title... [[ForTheEvulz in 1916]]. The MPAA allowed the film to keep the title as long as they put director Lee Daniels' name in front of it.

* AgeLift: 52-year-old Forest Whitaker plays Cecil Gaines from around age 25 to his early 90s over the course of the movie. More noticeable, perhaps, is 37-year-old David Oyelowo as Whitaker's son, who plays the role from a teen to an old man.

''Lee Daniels' The Butler'' (previously known simply as ''The Butler'') is an upcoming historical film directed by [[Literature/{{Push}} Lee Daniels]]. It stars Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines (based on the RealLife figure [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Allen Eugene Allen]]), the head butler of the White House from 1952 to 1986, where he served under eight different Presidents, and bore witness to the changes in the political and racial landscape of the United States during his tenure.

** Mila Kunis was considered for the part of Jackie Kennedy.

The movie will be released on August 16, 2013. The trailer can be seen [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAagFuR_XIM here]].

** [[TheLastKingOfScotland Forest Whitaker]] is Cecil Gaines, OprahWinfrey is his wife, and [[Film/RiseOfThePlanetOfTheApes David]] [[TheLastKingOfScotland Oyelowo]] is their son.

** [[Film/IronMan Terrence Howard]], MariahCarey, and [[Film/JerryMaguire Cuba Gooding, Jr.]] play friends of the Gaines

** Creator/AlanRickman and Jane Fonda are [[RonaldReagan Ronald and Nancy Reagan]].

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/butlerwindow-1370279347_6330.jpg]]

''The Butler'' is an upcoming historical film directed by [[Literature/{{Push}} Lee Daniels]]. It stars Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines (based on the RealLife figure [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Allen Eugene Allen]]), the head butler of the White House from 1952 to 1986, where he served under eight different Presidents, and bore witness to the changes in the political and racial landscape of the United States during his tenure.

''The Butler'' is an upcoming historical film directed by [[Literature/{{Push}} Lee Daniels]]. It stars Forrest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines (based on the RealLife figure [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Allen Eugene Allen]]), the head butler of the White House from 1952 to 1986, where he served under eight different Presidents, and bore witness to the changes in the political and racial landscape of the United States during his tenure.

** [[TheLastKingOfScotland Forrest Whitaker]] is Cecil Gaines, OprahWinfrey is his wife, and [[Film/RiseOfThePlanetOfTheApes David]] [[TheLastKingOfScotland Oyelowo]] is their son.

** Creator/LiamNeeson was considered for the part of Lyndon B. Johnson.

* TheDeepSouth: Where Cecil grew up

** Creator/MatthewMcConaughey was originally cast as John F. Kennedy, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. James Franco was considered to replace him before James Marsden was cast.