The Butler (2013)
Overview · Where to watch · Cast & crew · Reviews
One quiet voice can ignite a revolution.
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.
- Released: 2013-08-16
- Genres: Drama
- Runtime: 2h 12m
- Status: Released
- TMDB rating: 7.3/10 from 3,110 votes
Directed by Lee Daniels.
Top cast
- Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines
- Oprah Winfrey as Gloria Gaines
- David Oyelowo as Louis Gaines
- John Cusack as Richard Nixon
- Jane Fonda as Nancy Reagan
- Cuba Gooding Jr. as Carter Wilson
- Mariah Carey as Hattie Pearl
- Terrence Howard as Howard
- Lenny Kravitz as James Holloway
- Aml Ameen as Cecil Gaines (15)
Where to watch The Butler
- United States: stream on MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel; rent on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home; buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- United Kingdom: stream on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads; rent on Apple TV Store, Rakuten TV, Amazon Video, YouTube; buy on Apple TV Store, Rakuten TV, Amazon Video, YouTube
- India: rent on YouTube; buy on YouTube
- Canada: stream on Crave, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel; rent on Apple TV Store, CosmoGo, YouTube, Amazon Video; buy on Apple TV Store, CosmoGo, YouTube, Amazon Video
- Australia: rent on JustWatch TV Store, YouTube; buy on YouTube
Movies like The Butler
If you enjoyed The Butler, these movies have a similar feel:
- All the Way (2016)
- W. (2008)
- Selma (2014)
- Reagan (2024)
- The Best of Enemies (2019)
- Skin (2009)
- The Banker (2020)
- Belfast (2021)
- The Long Walk Home (1990)
- Gods and Generals (2003)
- Shirley (2024)
- Official Secrets (2019)
Can't decide what to watch?
FlickPicker recommends movies from your own taste and the services you subscribe to, and Pick Together lets a whole group vote on tonight's pick. Try the free random movie generator, find movies with AI, or browse trending movies.
Download FlickPicker on the App Store Explore the iPhone app