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Lee Daniel’s The Butler

 

lee daniel's the butler

It probably comes as no surprise to anyone that this month’s movie review is on 

The movie made its theatre debut on Friday, August 16, 2013.  I saw it on Saturday, August 17, 2013. 

The movie is based on a true accounts centered on a butler, Cecil Gaines, who served 8 presidents during his 34 year tenure at the White House.  It opens up in the 1920’s when Cecil was just a little boy working alongside his father in the cotton fields of Georgia.  Cecil witnesses the horrific rape of his mother and immediately following, the senseless murder of his father, both at the hands of the cruel land owner.  Feeling sorry for Cecil and what he has endured, the land’s caretaker takes Cecil into the home and begins training him to be a house servant versus a field hand.  Cecil learns to master the craft and progressively moves onward and upward in the ranks of servant hood.  Cecil Gaines eventually becomes a family man who takes a wife and fathers two sons, all to whom he is the sole provider. 

 Cecil Gaines is played by Forest Whitaker.  Oprah Winfrey portrays his wife, Gloria. David Oyelowo (starred in Red Tails) and Elijah Kelly (also in the movie Red Tails) star as the sons, Louis and Charlie respectively.  Everyone listed here in this review as well as others who I have not mentioned, did an excellent job in their roles.  However, Oprah Winfrey’s performance stood out to me as stellar. She handily commanded the role of a proud yet neglected wife of a White House butler who was hopelessly devoted to his job.   Louis Gaines was a proud, young and educated man who fought for justice and racial equality on varying levels while the younger brother Charlie decided to fight in the Vietnam War on behalf of his country.  This family’s constitution, even though sometimes filled with confusion, conflict, animosity, (whose family isn’t) was strong, loving and durable.  Though they may have sometimes been pushed to becoming severely bent, they never broke.  I don’t want to give away too much of the storyline, so I will just share with you that I found this film to be intriguing, informative, emotional, entertaining and of course laced with spiritual allusions.

Since the film’s debut, I have read and listened to varying degrees of debates about this film and films like this. People war about how the African American being portrayed as nothing more than servants represents our culture.  Many people feel we should get past and/or get over this “negative” depiction of the Black man and woman.  Whether or not I agree or disagree about the relevance of films like this is not important so I won’t share my specific opinion on that.  But I will tell you I found nothing negative about Cecil Gaines.  Cecil Gaines was a man, who with no education, studied his craft and became a master at it.  Cecil Gaines was a man who loved and provided for his family, including sending his older son to college and paying for it himself.  Cecil Gaines was a man, who despite the color of his skin earned the respect, admiration and trust of several of the most powerful men in the world in the form of United States Presidents.  And yes, Cecil Gaines was a Black servant.  But… So was Jesus.  (Some may debate whether or not Jesus was a Black man, but I am going by what I have read in the Word of Truth). And like Cecil, who served some of the most powerful men in this world, Jesus served THE MOST POWERFUL MAN EVER. 

In God’s marvelous eyes, we are all equal, no none more special than the other, but each of us most definitely special and precious to Him.  So it truly bewilders me how we are so quick to judge the professions and occupations of each other.  In Acts 10:34 you find, “Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism.”  Cecil Gaines made an honest living and provided a respectable life for his family.  And Jesus, the most honorable servant ever, washed feet for goodness sake.  So how can we in our finite wisdom belittle those who choose to serve or even those who find they may not be equipped to do anything else?  God has created and purposed each of us with certain and different gifts and talents, all of which are important to the building of His Kingdom. 

You see, while we are so busy putting down Cecil Gaines and movies like the Butler, what we fail to do is acknowledge that in the eyes of God, Cecil Gaines was just as magnificent, as important, as highly respected as those whom he served.  Matthew 20:26-28 says, But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.”  Lee Daniels’ The Butler is a fine example in film of serving with excellence.  Cecil Gaines is a fine example of a man, who like Jesus, had a beautiful servants heart. 

My name is Janice Jones.  I was born July 6, 1966 in Detroit, Michigan.  I lived in the great state of Michigan until August, 2007, when I moved to Phoenix, Arizona.  I am the mother of two sons, Jerrick & Derrick Parker, and grandmother to Jevon Jerrick Parker.  – See more at: http://thecertainonesmagazine.com/42-the-jackie-robinson-story/#sthash.EeLqXuDu.dpuf
My name is Janice Jones.  I was born July 6, 1966 in Detroit, Michigan.  I lived in the great state of Michigan until August, 2007, when I moved to Phoenix, Arizona.  I am the mother of two sons, Jerrick & Derrick Parker, and grandmother to Jevon Jerrick Parker.  – See more at: http://thecertainonesmagazine.com/42-the-jackie-robinson-story/#sthash.EeLqXuDu.dpuf

Arizona Center Me

My name is Janice Jones. I was born July 6, 1966 in Detroit, Michigan. I lived in the great state of Michigan until August, 2007, when I moved to Phoenix, Arizona. I am the mother of two sons, Jerrick & Derrick Parker, and grandmother to Jevon Jerrick Parker. https://www.facebook.com/Jnycethewriter

  1. Great review; stellar quality.
    I went to see the movie on Tuesday, September 3rd. Enjoyed it with my mother in which we mostly cried and mother had a hard time keeping her mouth closed on many of the touchy, heart-wrenching issues that came about. Luckily, there were only several of us in total.

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