Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I love biopics when they are truly biographical, and not mostly fiction in the many ways this movie is. Numerous reviews and articles have pointed out the many inaccuracies. The real Butler was born in Virginia, not Georgia; his parents never experienced the cotton-field scene shown in the movie, his son was no activist but rather worked as an investigator for the State Department. Reagan did invite the real butler to a state dinner, but Obama did not invite him to a private meeting at the White House, and so on. Even so, one might be able to get past the overly fictionalized story but for two problems - some profoundly bad acting and some ponderously partisan political "messaging." Where are the Kennedy and Johnson who united against Eisenhower's civil rights act (the first since Reconstruction days) and had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the civil rights era? Not here. The obvious attempt to vilify Reagan - who by all accounts treated all people the same, be they butler or statesman, and who agitated for more of a role for African-Americans in Hollywood long before it was chic - is way over the top and takes much out of context. Forest Whitaker and Cuba Gooding, Jr. are always great and their work in this film is no exception. The rest of the cast is hideously bad and/or ill-cast (if one wants to give them the benefit of the doubt.) This movie makes it clear that Winfrey's great acting in The Color Purple was a flash in the pan. For a much better vision of life at the White House, try "Backstairs at the White House". It was much better done, had more meat to the stories and was far better acted.