I was surprised
as anyone when this film didn’t so much as get a nod for the Oscars®- and this
was even before I had seen it. I mean obviously having a star-studded cast is
absolutely no guarantee of a successful film but it’s such a wonderful “behind
the scenes” story of one of the most important parts of American history that I
was sure it would get a nomination at least if not an award or two. Oh well.
The Academy works in mysterious ways sometimes. Having watched the film, my
admiration for it has only grown. It is a great historical narrative, but at
the same time a very sensitive story about how hard it can be to keep up with
the changing times and how a person can truly grow at any age.
The Butler
is the story of Cecil Gaines who served no less than eight presidents during
his tenure there as butler. It was a fascinating time as Gaines had the
opportunity to witness presidents making earth shattering, life changing
decisions in “real time”. But on the other hand, at home, life is not so simple
for an African – American family because racism is still rife and Cecil’s
eldest son, Louis, is getting more and more involved in the ever-growing civil
rights movements which worries his mother (Oprah Winfrey) and angers his father
to the point of causing a serious rift in the family. Cecil is an old-fashioned
fellow who can see that things could be a lot better but does not believe in
violently bucking the system. He has faith in the system, if they give it a
chance, no doubt it will work out for them in the end. The question is, what
will it take for Cecil and Louis to reach middle ground?
I can see
what one piece of criticism levelled at this film could legitimately be : that
it has all been done before. The film touched me to the core of my soul in some
bits, but you actually could argue that it is lacking that spark that extra
piece of originality that “umph” factor… I mean so many films go over the trope
of the older character that is set in his ways and learning from a younger
character. The younger character also learns from the older, the two of them
eventually meet at a harmonious middle ground. In this film it is no different.
(SPOILER ALERT SKIP TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH) – Louis, Cecil’s son puts aside the
Black Panthers type protesting and actually becomes a politician, changing the
system from within. Cecil on the other hand, well into middle age, joins his
first ever protest. There is something very “we have seen all this before”
about the whole affair, especially if you’re a major Hollywood fan.
But then
again, and I have mentioned this before, if you go to a film solely hoping to
see something you have never seen before, you’re in for a long series of
disappointments. At the end of the day, a “completely” original story is very,
very hard to find these days and this should not, in my opinion, be the sole
criteria of enjoyment for a film. There are some wonderful juxtapositions in
this film that I found particularly touching. I mean, it may be because I work
in events myself - my job isn’t that far
removed from that of a butler – so I find it easy to sympathize. One of my
favourite such scenes occurs in the first half of the film when Louis joins one
of his first protest movements : along with a group of African-American
students and others who are anti-segregation they go and pointedly sit at the
seats reserved exclusively for white customers and demand service. Reactions
range from just cold stares and muttered comments to blows and open abuse but
the group bravely stands its ground. At the very same time, Cecil is heading
the staff at a VIP event at the White House. Louis is demanding service and
risking his life to do so, while Cecil, his old dad, is providing the same
service to the highest standard in the country. Juxtaposed, the two images made
me choke. Not least because, as I just mentioned, I do what Cecil does. I have
stood at the “top table” at Livery events and served guests in complete unison
and that, I felt, made it all the more real for me. Not that you need to have
worked in service to feel the emotion – it just gave it a bit of an extra edge
for me.
And of
course the film utilises another trope we know all too well – it is a coming of
age film of sorts. It just comes with a reminder that “coming of age” can
happen at any physical age. It is, in fact, much harder for the older
generation to keep up with the times – not that I am calling anyone
fuddy-duddys – simply because as time goes on you have more of an opportunity
to make habits. And the more entrenched your habits become, the harder it is to
imagine changing them. I am finding this in my own personal life at the
relatively young age of 31, I cannot imagine how hard it must have been for
someone of Cecil’s age. And even though segregation is now thankfully a thing
of the past let us not forget how entrenched and wide spread it once was. Having
been brought up on a cotton plantation, telling Cecil that equality was
obtainable must have been akin to telling him the sky was green. That said, the
film clearly tells us that change is not impossible – just possibly harder to
achieve than we might think…
Of course I
can’t help but point out Cecil is, in a way a “stock character” too. In films
of a certain era or genre we see the typical character of the older
African-American staff member who sides more with “the master” than whoever the
protagonist might be, despite any amount of injustices. One of the most memorable
recent examples being Stephen (played by Samuel L. Jackson) in Quentin
Tarantino’s Django Unchained. If you look at it closely, Cecil is, in fact,
exactly the same character. The only thing is of course Cecil is a) a real
person, b) soft spoken and gentle so a tad easier to empathize with. In that
sense, The Butler provides a very interesting psychological insight into change
and our reaction to it as we grow older. Not to mention a fascinating chronicle
of a very important part of American history.
So I can
safely say The Butler will provide you with a LOT of food for thought. And if
you think you have seen it all before – well look a little closer. Like all
good art, if you dig a tiny bit, there is always a gem or two to be found.
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