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The Butler

Name: The Butler
Director: Lee Daniels
Released: 2013
Duration: 132 min

Representation Score

7.7/10

Good

2013

PG-13

Director

Lee Daniels

Runtime

132 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The Butler excels at revealing the complexities of racial power dynamics by focusing on the lesser-known figures who witnessed major historical changes. It avoids a simplistic view of history, instead delving into the intersection of race and domestic life. However, the film's impact is somewhat limited due to a lack of representation for LGBTQ+ identities and visible disabilities. While it realistically portrays addiction, it does not center on disability as a main theme. Overall, the film offers a powerful critique of institutional morality, using the Black family unit to challenge traditional historical perspectives.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Butler have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any characters with non-straight or non-cisgender identities. The story focuses on the experiences of a Black family, leaving no space for LGBTQ+ representation.

How does The Butler portray gender?

Fair

The story explores gender roles within a Black family. Cecil upholds a strong, but quiet masculinity, while Evelyn shows strong emotional and political influence.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Butler?

Excellent

The film centers around a Black family in the White House, examining the impact of systemic racial hierarchies over the past century. It highlights the struggles and resilience of a non-white family in a predominantly white institution.

How does The Butler represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The narrative critiques Western institutions and segregationist structures. It presents a complex family dynamic, showing generational conflicts and social tension.

Does The Butler include disability representation?

Fair

The film addresses the psychological impact of oppression and struggles with alcoholism. However, it does not prominently feature characters with visible or neurodivergent disabilities.

Present on Screen

Centers the Black experience within high-level American political institutions.
Offers a sophisticated look at systemic racial hierarchies and power dynamics.
Provides nuanced portrayals of gendered ability to act through characters like Evelyn.
Presents a realistic depiction of family struggles and social friction.

Limited or Absent

Lacks visibility for LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight identities.
Has minimal representation of characters with visible or neurodivergent disabilities.
Focuses less on disability-specific narratives beyond the theme of addiction.

Official Synopsis

Cecil Gaines was a sharecropper's son who grew up in the 1920s as a domestic servant for the white family who casually destroyed his. Eventually striking out on his own, Cecil becomes a hotel valet of such efficiency and discreteness in the 1950s that he becomes a butler in the White House itself. There, Cecil would serve numerous US Presidents over the decades as a passive witness of history with the American Civil Rights Movement gaining momentum even as his family has troubles of its own. As his wife, Gloria, struggles with alcoholism and his defiant eldest son, Louis, strives for a just world, Cecil must decide whether he should take action in his own way.

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