Lee Daniels', The Butler : Not Another Black Movie (Well kind of )

So, when the trailer for Lee Daniels’, The Butler flashed across my television, I wasn’t quite moved. I mean in the aftermath of the Trayvon Martin verdict and sitting through Fruitvale Station, I kind of needed a break from the whole 2013 black power movement trend that has washed over the media recently. “Oh great, another slave movie”.  Right around school time, the last thing I wanted was another slave movie replaying in my head, while I made eye contact with the one other black person in my 200 person lecture class. But like the rest of the culture abiding African Americans, my mother and I sat through Lee Daniels’, The Butler.

                Now while a little long and drawn out, the movie was pretty decent. I’d advise you to read a few chapters in your American history book before seeing it, but don’t expect to go out and start a civil rights riot when you leave the theater. The movie starring Forest Whitaker, details the true story of Cecil Gains, a butler who served five American presidents over his 34 years as a butler at the White House. Now before you get bored, let me say that the movie is quite interesting. While the trailers groom you to think you’re going to be sitting through a civil rights replay for an hour in a half, the movie does a good job of keeping your attention without drowning you with I Have a Dream excerpts. One of the most moving features of the movie is how it beautifully parallels the lives of Cecil Gains and his young son Lewis who is very active in the major milestones of the Civil Rights Movement.  You can’t help but be moved when you see Cecil serving President Nixon a glass of water, followed by a scene of Gaines’s son Lewis in a Black Panther meeting. 

James Marsden, hmmm I smell a new Man Crush ;-)

      Along with the excellent 70’s wardrobe and makeup (them afros was cold!), the movie is beautifully casted.  Although the movie rounds up the usual suspects for any stereotypical good black movie, (Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrance Howard, Oprah), I was most interested in the excellent casting for the roles presidents. James Marsden portrayed the charismatic President Kennedy so well, I got a little misty eyed myself when he was assassinated. Don’t get it twisted, this movie is in fact a chapter recap of your high school black history book, but it’s excellently portrayed from another perspective that you wouldn’t think of. The bio pic keeps you awake with great reenactments, a couple shocking plot twists and just when the movie gets too serious at times, it makes you laugh. Not mention, watching a black man who served 34 years in the white house prepare to meet the first black president of the United States, makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Even though President Obama himself doesn’t make an appearance in the movie himself, clips from his inaugural speech makes you feel proud to be able to say that you were alive when America elected a black man as President. Overall the movie is a history lesson disguised as an Oscar winning, feel good movie. Tay Approved J 

Cuba Gooding sure does play a good black dude.

Former America's Top Model contestant; Yaya Alafia did great. Why is this look is giving me life right now though?  

 

The chemistry between  Auntie Oprah and Terrance Howard was, entertainingly, hilariously, awkward.

And just in case you were wondering what Nick Cannon wakes up to in the morning. Mariah Carey acquired some easy shoe shopping money with a 5 minute, voiceless cameo in the film.