Plot
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 her addictions and his defiant eldest son, Louis, strives for a just world, Cecil must decide whether he should take action in his own way.
Written by
Danny Strong, Wil Haygood
Directed by
Lee Daniels
Crew
Production Countries
United States of America
Production Companies
Windy Hill Pictures, Pam Williams Productions, Lee Daniels Entertainment, Laura Ziskin Productions, Salamander Pictures, Follow Through Productions
Languages
English
Awards
Nominated for 2 BAFTA 16 wins & 55 nominations total