It
has been a long time since Hollywood had made a family saga spanning 90
years but it hasn’t been that long since ‘based on a true story’ has
been distorted and changed and Lee Daniels’ The Butler’ does both. The
screenplay is by Danny Strong telling 3 different stories that sometimes
gels and other times remain separate and apart. The first story is
about Eugene Allen, here named Cecil Gaines, and played by Forest
Whitaker, who was the butler at the White House during 8
administrations, with stunt casting of presidents and first ladies. The
second story is of his marriage to Gloria Gaines, played by Oprah
Winfrey, and  his two sons Louis and Charlie, played by various actors
at different ages (in real life they only had one son), while the third
story is the history of Black America, Black Americans and the fight for
their civil rights ending in 2008 with Obama, the president elect.

There
are major roles played by Cuba Gooding, jr., Terrence Howard, James
Holloway, Yaya Alafia, Elijah Kelly, David Oyelowo, Lenny Kravitz,
Colman Domingo and Clarence Williams 3rd all doing better than good
jobs.

Most
adults will be familiar with all the civil rights pictures, some
recreated, some shown in their original TV stories, such as sit-ins,
Freedom Riders, the Black Panther Party, Blacks being hit with water
hoses and Black people being put in jail while it might be a good, and
new, lesson to those under 35.

The
stunt casting has Robin Williams as President Eisenhower, Liev
Schreiber as President Johnson, James Marsden playing John Kennedy, Alan
Rickman and Jane Fonda as President and Mrs. Reagan, John Cusack as
Nixon, Minka Kelly as Jackie Kennedy and Nelson Ellis. There are
appearances by Mariah Carey, Vanessa Redgrave, David Banner and Alex
Pettyfer.

Forest
Whitaker holds the picture together, while Winfrey as his wife gives
him solid support. The director, Lee Daniels, loses control of the 3
separate stories, not melding them as well as he should, but does go for
the tear ducts and manipulates the audiences feelings.  The production
values covering the decades of costumes, make-up, hair designs and set
designs are first rate from beginning to end.

The
bottom line is that you who lived through the events won’t be able to
avoid the feelings but you will feel tricked by the corny screenplay.