The Butler

"Piano Concerto in A Minor Op. 54-1"]

The only thing I ever knew was cotton.

It was hard work.

Now, you know cotton is ready when the bud splits,

and the boll is star-shaped,

like a big 0l' star in the sky.

Or like your big 0l' head.

Hold on, is that some cotton?

Is that cotton?

But I didn't mind,

'cause I got to spend all day working with my daddy.

- Hurry, take this picture. - Take a picture of y'all.

Why don't everybody smile?

Teeth.

Hattie, come on, I need your help in the shed.

Come on.

- Pa... where he taking Ma? - Get back to work.

Cecil, come back here, boy.

Mama!

Come here.

Look at me, boy.

Don't you lose your temper with that man.

This his world. We just living in it.

You hear me?

Now, get on back to work.

Pa, what you gonna do?

H9)'-

' Dad!

[gunshoq

Oh, my Lord.

Who you looking at?! Huh?

Who wants to go next?! You get back to work.

Hey, you. Get some of the hands to help dig a hole for his pa.

Hurry UP!

Stop crying-

I'm gonna have you in the house now.

I'm gonna teach you how to be a house nigger.

- He's coming. - Yes'm.

And quiet when you're serving.

I don't even want to hear you breathe.

Yes, ma'am.

The room should feel empty when you're in it.

It was much nicer working in the house than in the field.

Crazy nigger, from the left.

Give me more.

Hmm.

When I got older, I knew I had to go before he killed me, too.

Part of me was scared to leave.

It was the only world I ever knew.

Ma, I took Pa's watch.

Ma?

Ma, I'm leaving.

My mama never spoke much after that.

I knew she'd miss me,

but I also knew she wanted me to leave that place.

And even though Miss Annabeth never said it,

I knew she'd miss me, too.

I don't think God meant for people to not have a family.

Outside the cotton fields was even worse than I thought it would be.

No one would give me a job nor food nor a place to sleep.

Any white man could kill any of us at any time

and not be punished for it.

The law wasn't on our side.

The law was against us.

I was hungry all the time.

You know what can happen to you, son?

Get up.

I said, get up.

I'm gonna have to lie to the boss man about that window.

The good Lord say we ain't supposed to lie.

Sorry, sir.

Where's your ma and your pa?

My ma crazy in the head, and my pa got killed.

I'll make you some ham sandwiches

and send you on your way.

The boss will be here in a minute.

Sunday's our busiest morning.

You looking for some help? I know how to serve.

You done broke our window, you done stole our food,

and now you asking for a job?

Back in Macon, I'm a house nigger, a good one.

Don't you ever use that word, son.

That's the white man's word.

It's filled With hate.

Didn't your father ever teach you any better?

- Slow down. - Yes, sir.

You got to look through their eyes.

See what it is they want.

- Got it? - Strokes.

- Yeah, I got it. - Here.

See what it is they need.

Right this way.

Anticipate.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry, ma'am.

Bring a smile to the eyes...

...of your principal.

Perfect. Perfect.

Don't forget to save me them chitlins.

- Why you like chitlins so much? - 'Cause they're good eating.

The manager of Excelsior, in DC, he came by yesterday.

He offered me a job as a butler.

He must be paying you top dollar, huh, boss?

Yeah.

I was thinking about taking it, but I don't know.

I'm too old to be leaving North Carolina.

I'm just fine right here.

I told him to hire you.

I'm just now finding my way around this hotel.

Ain't ready for all them highfalutin white people,

all their fancy words.

ours,

and the ones that we got to show the white folks.

Now, to get up in the world,

you have to make them feel nonthreatened.

Use that, them fancy words that I've taught you.

White folks up north, they like some uppity coloreds.

Yeah.

I took that job up in Washington, DC.

It was the most beautiful hotel I'd ever seen.

I hope it wasn't too presumptuous of me

to have prepared a few spirits

after your long journey here from Buffalo.

The best decision that court ever made was to slow this whole mess down.

Nigger boys in school with white girls. Who ever heard of such a thing?

Next thing you know, they'd be fornicating.

Gentlemen, this here is different. We could start another Civil War.

Cecil, what do you think about niggers going to school with white children?

To be honest with you, Mr. Jenkins,

I tend to not be too concerned

with American or European politics.

Nor should you, Cecil. They're all criminals.

Earl Warren should be shot and hanged.

That dumb son-of-a-bitch judge is trying to integrate our schools.

I think Judge Warren is going to find that quite challenging.

Damn right, Cecil. Damn right.

Never in my life did I dream I'd work in a place as fancy as this.

I never dreamed my life could be so good.

Gloria and I met working at the Excelsior.

She was a maid at the hotel,

but now her only job was raising our two boys.

I made sure that they never laid eyes on a cotton field.

- I got to pee. - Not today. Don't try that.

- Finish that homework. - Where Louis at?

- He's taking the trash out. - Working late again?

- How was your shift? - Beats working for a living.

I miss you at night, honey.

Didn't you say you got to pee? Go on, then.

Wash your hands when you come out of that bathroom, boy.

- Good morning. - Good morning.

Good morning, sir.

Mm-hm.

- Hey, Dad. - Hey, Louis.

- You all right? - Yeah, I'm fine.

- Good. - That woman whose son got killed,

she's around doing speeches now. What's her name, honey?

- Mamie Till. - Mamie...

Mamie Till. Mm.

I remember that story just like it was yesterday,

even though it was three years ago.

It was a dis-damn-grace what they did to that boy.

Just for looking at a white woman.

Beat him up,

threw his body in the river, killed him.

He wasn't no older than Louis. He was 14 at the time.

- Crazy white folks down South. - Thanks, Ma.

At least we got it a little better in DC, huh?

Still treating us bad, too.

Get on down here, Charlie! Wash your hands.

Louis said we should stop taking the white man's shit.

- Hey. - Shut up.

- Watch your mouth. - Watch your mouth.

Hello, Gaines' residence.

Uh, yeah. Hold on, Mr. Kidgan.

- It's the boss man, Dad. - What's he calling for?

When the white man call, I always assume the worst.

Yes, sir?

I would have put money on it

that I was getting laid off or something that day.

- Would you follow me, please? - Yes, sir.

I'm Cecil Gaines.

- It's a pleasure to meet you. - You, as well.

Have a seat.

Are you political, Mr. Gaines?

- No, sir. - Good.

We have no tolerance for politics at the White House.

- How'd you find me? - I didn't.

You served R.D. Warner at the Excelsior Hotel.

He oversees operations for the entire White House.

- You made quite an impression. - I don't recall.

Mr. Warner and myself make note of potential staff around town.

Butler positions rarely open,

as most stay on for 3O years or more.

I know I was quite surprised when I got the call.

It was a surprise for me, as well.

As the White House maTtre d', I normally hire the butlers.

Forgive me for saying this, Mr. Fallows.

I certainly wouldn't want to be hired under circumstances

that would make you feel uncomfortable.

Oh, really?

You need butlers that you've handpicked,