Would THE BUTLER do it…, for the movie-ticket buying public that is.
Director Lee Daniels (“Precious”) is unleashing on the public in 2013 The Butler.
It is the tale of Eugene Allen (Forest Whitaker) who was a White House butler for eight presidents; from Harry Truman in 1952 and ended in 1986 with Ronald Reagan. No truth to the rumor that Vivid Entertainment will make an X-rated version called, “The Janitor,” who cleans up after eight Kennedy’s; from Joseph Sr. in 1952 to Teddy Kennedy in 1986.
However, the flick (that rings of “The Help”) is garnering attention not for its pedestrian title, but for its cast. It appears that Mr. Daniels placed stars’ names on a specially made casting-roulette wheel, dropped a ball five times and it landed on:
Alan Rickman as Ronald Reagan
Robin Williams as Dwight Eisenhow
James Marsden as John F. Kennedy
Liev Schreiber as Lyndon B. Johnson
John Cusack as Richard Nixon
And—the shocker, Jane “Hanoi Jane” Fonda as Nancy Reagan—which is sort of like having Mitt Romney play Timothy Leary.
Unfortunately, an all star movie does not automatically make a five star movie. See, huh, don’t see “Batman & Robin” featuring George Clooney, Chris O’Donnell, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Uma Thurman and Alicia Silverstone. After the first shock and awe of seeing stars is over, some dreadful all-star movies goes on…and on…and on. And if it’s like some of Lee Daniels’ other fare (“Shadowboxer”), the movie seems to go on too long.
Time will tell if “The Butler” cleans up…at the box office.
The film also stars Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz (pictured).
CLICK HERE to see great photos of the cast posted by Jane Fonda