History YMMV / TheButler

** Louis, who gets arrested over a dozen times for a cause he believes in, suffers at the hands of racists, gets disowned by his own father, [[spoiler:loses his brother]], and falls out with his girlfriend.

** Cecil's Mother's screams are this, with everybody else too helpless to stop the rape...then Cecil's father is shot in front of him

* WhatTheHellCastingAgency: A lot of the historical figures, especially the Presidents, seem to be based largely on who the crew wanted to work with that week.
** Also a case of IronyAsSheIsCast. Creator/JaneFonda as Nancy Reagan, especially if one is familiar with Fonda's political views (and just as amusing, the real Nancy Reagan [[ApprovalOfGod approved of her performance]]).
** As far as the Presidents were concerned, many were particularly bemused by the casting of John Cusack as Richard Nixon.

** Also a case of IronyAsSheIsCast. Creator/JaneFonda as Nancy Reagan, especially if one is familiar with Fonda's political views (and just as amusing, the real Nancy Reagan approved of her performance).

* WhatTheHellCastingAgency: Creator/JaneFonda as Nancy Reagan, especially if one is familiar with Fonda's political views (and just as amusing, the real Nancy Reagan approved of her performance). Besides that, a lot of the historical figures, especially the presidents, seem to be based largely on who the crew wanted to work with that week.

* CriticalResearchFailure: The film was criticized by biographer Paul Kengor and some other historians for misrepresenting President Ronald Reagan's reasons for why he opposed sanctions against South Africa. The film portrays him as being indifferent to the plight of Black South Africans and also implies that [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain he genuinely supported the Apartheid system]], which was untrue of the real Reagan. He was known to be appalled with the system that existed in South Africa at the time, but was also concerned that sanctions would do more harm to Black South Africans than good (due to the "last to hire, first to fire" nature of segregated societies), while White South Africans would continue to prop up the system. Then there is also the context of the Cold War in which some feared that Soviet backed rebels would seek to replace the apartheid regime with a totalitarian communist one, which the Reagan Administration [[EvilVersusEvil saw as being equally detrimental to global security and human rights]].

** SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: On the other hand, it's a problem that exists to this day, and subtlety probably wouldn't be effective at all in portraying how thankless Cecil's job is. Can anyone say "pay gap"?

* CriticalResearchFailure: The film was criticized by biographer Paul Kengor and some other historians for misrepresenting President Ronald Reagan's reasons for why he opposed sanctions against South Africa. The film portrays him as being indifferent to the plight of Black South Africans and also implies that [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain he genuinely supported the Apartheid system]], which was untrue of the real Reagan. He was known to be appalled with the system that existed in South Africa at the time, but was also concerned that sanctions would do more harm to Black South Africans than good (due to the "last to hire, first to fire" nature of segregated societies), while White South Africans would continue to prop up the system. Then there is also the context of the Cold War in which some feared that Soviet backed rebels would seek to replace the Apartheid regime with a Marxist-Totalitarian one, which the Reagan Administration [[EvilVersusEvil saw as being equally detrimental to global security and human rights]].

* TearJerker: So, so many, though some also double as a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming.

* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: Cecil reconciling with his son at an anti-apartheid protest after quitting his job, which leads to....
* CrowningMomentOfFunny: ... Cecil's first night in a jail cell.
** Some of the MoodWhiplash when it goes from sad to funny instead of the other way around, particularly Charlie's awkward attempts at pacifying the tense atmosphere his family is in after Cecil's [[IHaveNoSon disowning Louis]] and ordering him out of his house. Also his hitting on Louis' girlfriend before that.
** In the end, when a retired Cecil goes to the White House to meet Barack Obama, the country's first African-American president. While waiting, he is greeted by a black butler who offers to guide him to the Oval Office. Cecil tells him off, remarking that if anyone would know the way there, it's him.

* AwesomeMusic: Composed by Rodrigo Leão.

* HilariousInHindsight: David Oyelowo would later be cast as Martin Luther King Jr in ''Film/{{Selma}}''

* PlayingAgainstType: Oprah is much better known as a talk show host than actress. But her character isn't very sympathetic at times. And slapping her son and calling his girlfriend a low class bitch was a bit of a shock.

* {{Glurge}}: Adding a (fictional) son to who goes around hitting the well known points of the Civil Rights movement like a checklist. So being a butler in the White House isn't an interesting tale on its own then?

* [[RonTheDeathEater Ronald Reagan the Apartheidist]]: [[{{Demonization}} A rare deliberate example]] [[WriterOnBoard on the part of]] [[LeeDaniels the creator]] as an IntendedAudienceReaction. Though its also worth mentioning that [[AmericansHateTingle a majority of African-Americans do not view Reagan in a favorable light either]].

* WhatTheHellCastingAgency: Creator/JaneFonda as Nancy Reagan. Besides that, a lot of the historical figures, especially the presidents, seem to be based largely on who the crew wanted to work with that week.

* TheWoobie: Cecil himself, who becomes an orphan in the worst way, lives most of his life in a racist environment, loses both of his sons [[spoiler:(one fatally)]], and then [[spoiler:his wife]].

* CriticalResearchFailure: The film was criticized by biographer Paul Kengor and some other historians for misrepresenting President Ronald Reagan's reasons for why he opposed sanctions against South Africa. The film portrays him as being indifferent to the plight of Black South Africans and also implies that [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain he genuinely supported the Apartheid system]], which was untrue of the real Reagan. He was known to be appalled with the system that existed in South Africa at the time, but was also concerned that sanctions would do more harm to Black South Africans than good (due to the "last to hire, first to fire" nature of segregated societies), while White South Africans would continue to prop up the system. Then there is also the context of the Cold War in which some feared that Soviet backed rebels would seek to replace the Apartheid regime with a Marxist-Totalitarian one, which the Reagan Administration [[EvilVersusEvil saw as being equally detrimental to global security]].

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Some reviewers call Louis a far more compelling character than his father, with his complex and unpredictable character arc.

* WhatTheHellCastingAgency: Jane Fonda as Nancy Reagan. Besides that, a lot of the historical figures, especially the presidents, seem to be based largely on who the crew wanted to work with that week.