Delayed Reaction: Lee Daniels' The Butler

What I Guessed It Was About: Like another famous Forrest, Whitaker goes through the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s, meeting several presidents along the way, never really being part of the story himself.

How I Came Into It: I was really underwhelmed by Precious and that's my only experience with Lee Daniels. The most remarkable thing about this movie going in is the title. I don't understand why Lee Daniels has so much trouble getting the rights to titles. It doesn't seem like it would be that hard.

Why I Saw It: (Club 50) This is an interesting idea for a story: Seeing the White House from a different perspective than anything I've ever seen. That alone is overflowing with stories to tell. Following the butler's son (a young Martin Luther King in waiting) on the ground level of the civil rights movement it interesting too. There's plenty of plot to go around.

Why I Wish I Hadn't: Ultimately, that's the biggest issue I had with the movie. There's too much to cover. This would've made a dynamite mini-series. It's too rushed the way it is. Nothing gets enough time. Perhaps, spending a little more time with all the presidents would also allow them to feel like characters and not a bunch of celebrities doing their best presidential impersonations.

Verdict (?): Weakly Don't Recommend