We laughed, we cried, we thoroughly irritated the people in front of us....
I will be honest, when The Butler premiered in movie theaters, it was not on my "must-see" agenda. A movie about a butler in the white house was cool and all, I figured, but if it didn't involve a shirtless Channing Tatum (my one weakness in this life) then I wasn't paying the ridiculous price tag that comes with seeing a movie these days. That was until I learned that we could count it towards our Americorps race relations training. "Sweet," I thought, "I get to watch a movie for a few hours and count it on my time sheet. Oh and it's discounted? Ok sign me up!" I wanted to bond with my new people, and, in my experience, movies tend to do that.
So here I am. About to tell you about how this film changed my life! Ok, maybe not my life, but certainly my perspective on race issues, something I haven't really ever experienced, but that which many people do. It also left me with warm and fuzzy insides and raccoon eyes from mascara leakage from crying my eyes out. I can now safely add it to my collection of favorite movies.
The Butler turned out to be so much more than just a story of one man's journey in ascending in life. The film depicts a very real and somber part of American history: the fight for civil rights. The fact that it is based on a true story made the depictions of violence and violation of human rights that much more moving. The plot follows Cecil Gaines's journey from his childhood working in the cotton fields, to serving the owners of the cotton plantation inside their home, to becoming a butler in a hotel, and eventually moving up to serve eight presidents in the white house. Gaines is there through it all: Vietnam, the Kennedy assassination, and the major civil rights movements. He becomes an integral player in the presidents' lives, someone they trust and depend on, and someone they eventually turn to for advice. While his son fights for freedom in more radical ways, Cecil does so quietly, agreeably, and pleasantly, but by doing so he shows us how powerful an internal, quiet strength can be. Because the audience witnesses Cecil's whole life, they also get a view of a wide scope of history, particularly that of the civil rights movements. We get to see the oppression, the fight for rights, and eventually the strides society has taken in the direction of equality. As a fellow Americrops member Jessica explains, "The movie showed how generations change America and how children directly impact the future. It went from the first generation of slavery, to the generation of fighting for equal rights, to the final one electing a president of a different race (Obama) into office. Truly a moving film making me proud to be an American."
While The Butler does address some heavy and emotional topics such as race relations and racial injustice, the film is anything but dull or boring, and it's not even all sad! There are frequent moments of hilarity and well-made puns. A lot of the wonderful aspects of black culture and family traditions are also shown. Oh, and did I mention the cast includes Lenny Kravitz and Oprah? (Which I spent half the movie trying to identify as them).
Over all, The Butler is an amazing educational tool, and, I believe, one that should be utilized by everyone. The topic of race is a sensitive, but one we NEED to talk about and address in order to progress towards a more united and equal society. We need to be mindful of our history, not just from the side we are used to experiencing it from, but also from the side we don't have much experience with. A great film opens up minds and broadens horizons, and The Butler accomplishes just that... while also leaving a whole row of sniffling, red-eyed people who have now bonded on a whole new level :)
By: Lana
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