You MUST see the movie “The Butler.” It’s an historical drama based on the life of Eugene Allen, who spent 34 years as a White House butler for 8 U.S. Presidents. Forrest Whitaker plays the man who starts his life on a cotton farm and spends much of his adult life watching civil rights history being made and the Vietnam War take its toll on our country. We see how his wife (Oprah Winfrey) and two sons are affected by his job and historical events as they unfold. It’s also interesting to watch how the various presidents are played by actors like Robin Williams (Eisenhower), John Cusack (Nixon), and James Marsden (Kennedy).
I don’t recommend movies often—I think the last one was “Lincoln”—but this one really affected me. Maybe because it basically covers my lifetime and reflects my prejudices (I worked for civil rights and protested the Vietnam War). But it’s more than that. The emphasis isn’t so much on the history as it is on how people are touched by it. That appeals to me. And makes for an engaging story.
As I said, you MUST see this movie.