I just finished watching this and I honestly have to say that I am torn. On the one hand The Butler has fantastic performances from Forest Whitaker, Alan Rickman, and to a lesser extent Oprah Winfrey. However, on the other hand quite a few strong opinions that primarily focus on civil rights. Additionally, I wasn't quite sure what I was watching. Is it a biography of Cecil Gaines or a chronicle on the history of civil rights in America that is rather embellished at times? Well, the film tries to do both and it gets rather bogged down in that attempt. The entire story feels like little snippets adhered together with something much weaker than superglue. I suppose the best way to sum up The Butler is that it's a film with an above average script, nearly flawless performances, but with writing and direction that has about as sense of purpose as walking in circles to reach a destination. If Daniels wanted to voice his opinions, yes many of his facts are stretched, he could have done that without having to spend the 30 million on this film. I'd highly advise in renting this one first if you are just aching to see it.
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