Way back when, Lee Daniel‘s The Butler had some steam in its Oscar chambers but with the release of this first trailer, some pundits are saying that it may have tuckered out early in the race already. The film is a loose biopic about White House butler Eugene Allen, played by Forest Whitaker, who served between the era of Harry Truman in 1952 until the reign of Reagan in ’86. Daniel’s last film, Precious, received a Best Picture nomination but, come on, who didn’t hate watching that movie?
There seems to be a lot invested in the supporting characters in this film as it’s stuffed to the brim with big namesincluding Oprah Winfrey, David Oyelowo, Jane Fonda, Melissa Leo, Minka Kelly, Cuba Gooding Jr., Nelsan Elli with Alan Rickman, James Marsden, John Cusack, Liev Schreiber, and Robin Williams all playing former US presidents.
I guess it’s hard to be shocked that something starring Oprah Winfrey making that face wouldn’t be quite up to snuff. Have a look at the trailer yourself and see if you think that this will be something that will get Oscar voters in its corner.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUA7rr0bOcc
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By: Matt Oakes
Started blogging about film in college when the university paper wouldn’t have him. Dislikes your consensus film Twitter favorites. Devotee of horror movies that make him die a little inside. Catches films at festivals when he can. Proud SFCS and OFCS member and Tomatometer-approved critic. Editor-in-chief of Silver Screen Riot.
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