The Butler

Name: The Butler
Genre: Drama
Released: 2013-08-16
Duration: 2 h 12 min
Rating: 7.3
Cast: Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, David Oyelowo, John Cusack, Jane Fonda

2013·Movie·PG-13·132 min·★ 7.3(3,037)

Drama More English titles

“One quiet voice can ignite a revolution.”

Cecil Gaines was a sharecropper's son who grew up in the 1920s as a domestic servant for the white family who casually destroyed his. Eventually striking out on his own, Cecil becomes a hotel valet of such efficiency and discreteness in the 1950s that he becomes a butler in the White House itself. There, Cecil would serve numerous US Presidents over the decades as a passive witness of history with the American Civil Rights Movement gaining momentum even as his family has troubles of its own. As his wife, Gloria, struggles with alcoholism and his defiant eldest son, Louis, strives for a just world, Cecil must decide whether he should take action in his own way.

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Click a service to open The Butler there. Availability last verified on June 20, 2026.

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Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	YouTube TV	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
India	—	Google Play Movies, YouTube
United Kingdom	Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads	Apple TV Store, Rakuten TV, Amazon Video
Canada	Lionsgate+ Amazon Channels, Crave, Tubi TV, CTV	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, CosmoGo
Australia	—	JustWatch TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Germany	Joyn Plus, Amazon Arthaus Channel, Arthaus+ Apple TV channel, Arthaus+	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
France	Molotov TV	Apple TV Store, Canal VOD, Orange VOD
Spain	—	Rakuten TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video
Brazil	Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Diamond Films Amazon Channel	Claro video, Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
Japan	Amazon Prime Video, U-NEXT, Amazon Prime Video with Ads	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, FOD

About The Butler

The Butler is a 2013 English-language drama film directed by Lee Daniels. The cast is led by Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, David Oyelowo. It has a runtime of 2h 12m. Viewers rate it 7.3/10 across 3000 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on YouTube TV.

The Butler was produced by Follow Through Productions, Salamander Pictures, and Laura Ziskin Productions and made in United States of America. It was released on August 16, 2013, and carries a PG-13 certification. Made on a budget of about $25 million, it went on to gross $177 million worldwide.

Director: Lee Daniels
Writers: Danny Strong
Release date: August 16, 2013
Original language: English
Age rating: PG-13
Status: Released
Country: United States of America
Budget: $25 million
Box office: $177 million
Production: Follow Through Productions, Salamander Pictures, Laura Ziskin Productions

#usa president#the white house#1970s#butler#slavery#john f. kennedy#black panther party#racial segregation#martin luther king#based on true story#ronald reagan#richard nixon#racism#racial tension

The Butler cast & crew

The Butler was directed by Lee Daniels and written by Danny Strong.

The cast features Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines, Oprah Winfrey as Gloria Gaines, David Oyelowo as Louis Gaines, John Cusack as Richard Nixon, Jane Fonda as Nancy Reagan, and Cuba Gooding Jr. as Carter Wilson.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Rodrigo Leão, cinematography is by Andrew Dunn, and it was produced by Laura Ziskin and Buddy Patrick.

Is The Butler worth watching?

The Butler holds an audience score of 7.3/10 from 3,037 ratings, marking it as well-reviewed drama films.

At 2h 12m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy drama, The Butler is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch The Butler

In United States, you can stream The Butler on YouTube TV, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.