In the film, Cecil is in the White House when it happens. Civil rights are the freedoms and rights that a person may have as a member of a community, state, or nation. In a personal essay for the fall issue of Magnolia Journal, out Friday, the 44-year-old Fixer Upper star reflected on nearly 20 years of . It is now the basis for Lee Daniels The Butler (the directors name is included thanks to silly copyright claims made by Warner Bros). 0:56. He believed that because of this, he was now free. And heres how this made-for-TV nightmare shouldve ended. You've taken a great story about a real person and real events and twisted it into a bunch of lies," Reagan wrote. "appropriately and accurately.". Cecil Gaines - Middle Adulthood Cecil Gaines is the Cecil Gaines is the main character of the movie whose father tragically died at the hands of his employer in the cotton fields of the state of Georgia. "If you knew my father, you'd know he was the last person on Earth you would call a racist.". Unfortunately, the Supreme Court ruled that slaves could not use the court systems so he was sent back to his master., The message of unity, celebrating and preserving the cultural, social, and historical achievements of those of African descent spoke to the hearts and minds of a people who had been subjected to centuries of violence, brutality, and oppression. Cecil was an Uncle Tom, Louis believed, a simpering servant who refused to fight for change. His character is a composite of all those who participated in sit-ins; rode the bus during the Freedom Rides; walked with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and later became members of the Black Panther Party. He loved his time at Anniston High and forged lifelong friendships there. ^ a b Haygood, Wil Private Tomie Louis Gaines, 93, one of the last of the Buffalo Soldiers, the black Army men who helped settle the West on horseback and fought in two world wars, was laid to rest Friday at M.J.. He nudged Helene again. Its not surprising that some broad creative license was taken with Allens life. Hispanic if you and/or your ancestry come from a country where they speak Spanish. The movie is But theres one black man who spent nearly four times that34 yearsin the White House, watching as eight presidents filed in and out and witnessing the country change from within the walls that were changing it. I hope she grow out of it. He went on to admit that they didn't include him because, "We couldn't get him!" The main characters are Cecil Gaines, Louis Gaines, and Charlie Gaines and all three men were victims of violence, unequal rights, and limit resources. No. He worked for the family as a house boy doing chores such as washing dishes. The Allens really were invited by Mrs. Reagan to that state dinner, a memory they fondly recounted in the Post article. Guess which butler feels the pain of America's racial injustices so deeply that he quits his White House job and joins his son in a protest movement? In all the four years, he wouldnt listen to anyone but the orange man looking back at him in the mirror. And that scene where Cecil lands his first job as a waiter after being caught stealing food by a sympathetic senior butler who helps him turn his life around? It was the last film produced by Laura Ziskin, who died in 2011. they like to follow their own heart, not minding the consequences. (I have emailed Haygood and will update the post if he provides additional information.) Gene woke and nudged her once, then again. Jackson made it where common people could vote, and thats why he won the elections. Still, some of the most remarkable episodes are true. In the film, Cecil is portrayed by Forest Whitaker. The latter penned a scathing editorial for conservative website Newsmax titled "The Butler from Another Planet," in which he blasted the historical drama's suggestion that his father was racist. Alex Haley demonstrates this idea of racial equality in The Autobiography of Malcolm X., The Kennedy Assassination: Just or Unjust? NEWS: The Butler keeps cleaning up at the box office. Allen's life was the inspiration for the 2013 film The Butler. Gaines was born on April 9, 1943 to Cecil Reginald Montgomery and Margaret Gaines Montgomery in Anniston, Alabama. Eugene Allen represented, as journalist Wil Haygood wrote, a story from the back pages of history. We wanted him to do it but he was running for office so I think he had better thingsmore important things [to do]." At least one key character, Cecil's son Louis (David Oyelowo), is entirely made up. Who was Louis Gaines? How much do butlers make in the White House? The Butler is a bit more than 2 hours long, spans several decades, and includes multiple storylines. In the The Butler movie, we see Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker) standing before Jackie Kennedy (Minka Kelly), who is still wearing the blood-stained pink Chanel suit that she was wearing when her husband was shot. The tragic twist, however, happened just as its portrayed in the movie. Gloria Gaines: Yes she did. Cecil is a very private person who does not share much about his personal life with his colleagues or friends. Cecil Gaines faced what seemed like insurmountable pain and anguish to advance from the son of a sharecropping slave to a professional black domestic. . Columbia Pictures bought the film rights to Allen's life story, and he was invited to Obama's inauguration, where he commented, "That's the manWhew, I'm telling you, it's something to see. During the time period of 1954-1968 African Americans tried to fight for racial equality. assistant: Mr. Elwes DaVida Chanel Baker So how much of Allens real-life experience actually made it into the film? They did not see what their truth was because they were always put down by their white peers., The Civil rights movement protects citizens from discrimination based on race, religion, sex or national origin. Im glad hes finished.. The sanctions would have also impacted the least affluent in the country first, who were mainly the blacks there. Nancy Reagan interrupts him, informing him that he and his wife are coming to the state dinner as guests of President Reagan and myself. Cecil attends with Gloria; the pride that fills her eyes is one of the films biggest tear-jerking moments. He received a bachelor's degree from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, a master's degree from the University of Nebraska,. However, he is a very talented and skilled worker who takes pride in his job. We are sad to announce that on June 25, 2021, at the age of 82, Cecil Gaines of Hannibal, Missouri passed away. cecil gaines salarydoes keegan allen have a child 26th February 2023 / in west warwick viewpoint / by / in west warwick viewpoint / by Soon the fourteenth amendment came in place, which let the African Americans progress in society (263). The central character, Cecil Gaines, is only loosely based on the real Allen. Entertainment Television, LLC A Division of NBCUniversal. "I wasn't even looking for a job," Allen admits (The Washington Post). Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. Whitaker's real-life counterpart, reflect Gloria Gaines, thebutlerswife, hasan affair with a neighbor (Terrence Howard) and struggles with alcoholism. Years later, he again asks for a raise, and when he is turned down a second time, he tells his supervisor that he spoke to President Reagan personally, and that Reagan insists on the raise himself. When he passed away in 2010, the president sent a letter to his family acknowledging his years in service and abiding patriotism.. He became junior butler under President Kennedy and says he dressed John Jr. for his fathers funeral in 1963. Some people who are Latino/Latina are also Hispanic and some Hispanics are also Latino/Latina but some people are only one or the other. Supporters of Ronald Reagan aren't happy with the way Lee Daniels' The Butler portrays the 40th president, but none more so than his son, Michael Reagan. At Lincoln as in high school, Gaines combined solid academic performance and an impressive schedule of activities. "While the movie The Butler is set against historical events, the title character and his family are fictionalized," states director Lee Daniels. The butler and Obama [7], The story had an immediate impact. The film The Butler demonstrates how blacks fought through the . (They're played by Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey.) When Wil Haygood interviewed Eugene and his wife Helene for The Washington Post article, Helene admitted she was nervous about trying to make small talk with world leaders at the state dinner, adding, "Had champagne that night," which caused her husband to grin. These storlines appear to be fictional. Despite Eugene Allen with Ronald and Nancy Reagan. After a two-hour tour through the ugliest moments of the countrys history, The Butler concludes with one of those lump-in-the-throat rousing moments that wins applause at the end of screenings. Spoilers follow. Allen met with Alonzo Fields, a maitre d', who instantly liked him. "[5] He was invited to the funeral, but chose to stay at work to prepare for the reception, because "Someone had to be at the White House to serve everyone after they came from the funeral. No. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. Allen came to public attention when a 2008 article about him and his wife, by journalist Wil Haygood, entitled "A Butler Well Served by This Election", was published in The Washington Post shortly after the 2008 presidential election. Shed lean on her cane with one hand, and on him with the other, while walking down to the precinct. He shuffled around to her side of the bed. So you could refer to someone from Mexico, Spain, France, Italy or Brazil as being Latin. At least one key character, Cecils son Louis (David Oyelowo), is entirely made up. What Are the Dimensions of a Kenmore Refrigerator Model 106? FilmsPresidentActorFilmAbraham LincolnBenjamin WalkerAbraham Lincoln: Vampire HunterDaniel Day-LewisLincolnTom AmandesSaving LincolnBilly CampbellKilling Lincoln. "White House butler Eugene Allen's humility recalled at funeral", Washington Post, April 9, 2010. He was predeceased by : his parents, George Gaines and Hazel Gaines (Chase); and his wife Barbara Jones. [9], Allen died of kidney failure at the Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park, Maryland on March 31, 2010.[2]. (Theyre played by Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey.) Is the movie The Butler based on a true story? Cecil Gaines: His mother (Mariah Carey) is raped by a white plantation overseer, Thomas Westfall (Alex Pettyfer), loud enough for everyone to hear. Still, some of the most remarkable episodes are true. Not many African Americans can do what Cecil does, which was not getting beaten up even if he was a different color, and white people treated him equal because he was a good nigger butler. Alison Gaines 7/27/12. He said, 'I've got to go back to work.' He is a butler who has worked in the White House for over three decades. on a real person, Forest emphasizes that Correction, Aug. 15, 2013:This post originally misstated that Lee Daniels co-wrote the script with Danny Strong. Its not surprising that some broad creative license was taken with Allens life. No, Obama did not invite Eugene Allen to the White House. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Malcolm`s radical ideas is what he is known for and what will always be remembered for as being one of the main leaders in the Civil Rights Movement. And who had one son who served honorably in Vietnam and never made a peep of protest through the pre- and post-civil rights era?" Eighty-nine-year-old Eugene Allen, who, like Obama, is African American, served as butler at the White House under eight different presidents: I was there for 34 years, he says proudly, before reeling off the names of each President he worked for: I served Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Eugene Allen (July 14, 1919 March 31, 2010) was an American waiter and butler who worked for the US government at the White House for 34 years until he retired as the head butler in 1986. Your source for entertainment news, celebrities, celeb news, and celebrity gossip. Almost 50 years later, Cecil wears that very tie to the White House when he goes to meet Barack Obama for the first time. 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