On Friday I had the experience of seeing Lee Daniels’ The Butler. I found it to be an excellent story, well-acted, and very much worth seeing!! There were some parts of this PG-13 movie that were not my taste, however at times, when making a movie for mass appeal I guess they will need to step over the bounds of my sensibility.

Taking all of that into consideration I give the film a top score on my rating scale! I highly recommend this film to everyone. It is not a “Black Movie” it is more about real people based in reality along with some of the drama that often seems to be contrived when it plays out in real life. It stirred many emotions in me and the audience I viewed with at the 10:30 AM showing. There were chuckles, belly-laughs, tears and moans. At the end we all applauded.

For me the movie was about looking into the past, the present and the future; with an open heart. A heart that can see: love, hate, pain, healing, hurt, caring, respect, kindness, and freedom, alongside self-imposed bondage. When we take the time to look with our hearts rather than our eyes, which tend to see the external only, we are able to see ourselves and others as human. Frail, confused, vulnerable humans. Even the strongest most confident of us is subject to thoughts of moral depravity or missteps that at the time, seem to be the right thing to do. The word talks about a way that seems right in Proverbs 16:25, yet in the end it leads to destruction.

How many times have people done something horrible because at the time it seemed like the right thing to do? There have been incalculable injustices done to others due to differences. The distinction of the differences can be cultural, economic, and educational, or just about any category you choose. Someone somewhere is being excluded because of their perceived or actual affiliation within a category. The blessing for us is that we are in a time when information is so readily available. Except for those with their head in the sand the oppressive behavior that permeates today’s society provides us with ample opportunity to respond in ways that cause us to create new options for our present and future.

See the movie. Notice how people make sense out of what appears, upon examination to be nonsensical. Look at what some did just to survive and make a sustainable life for their families. Observe the various forms of coping strategies and protests, used then and now. Think about the privileges you have. Imagine how you might have behaved had you been anyone of those characters portrayed in the film.

While the details of the story are not based solely on the life of one person, the main theme of the story is based on the life of a real man who served as a White House butler through a number of presidential terms. He was a model employee as a butler, his home life did leave something to be desired. It was almost as if he was two different people. Seemingly the stellar model he created at work left room for flaws and imperfections to flourish at home.

My mother was a domestic worker and maintained clean houses for affluent people in the suburbs of Los Angeles until she stopped working outside of the home. She remained with one family for about 20 years. They adored her. I adored her too. I understood so much more about my maternal grandmother (a laundress) and maternal great grandmother from watching this movie.

I also learned more about several of our presidents as I was deeply engrossed in each scene. The music, costumes and events gave me a feeling of being there in the moment when these events occurred as if I stood at the other end of the frame out of sight witnessing it all.

Please see the movie with others of various ages, genders and viewpoints. Then open up a dialog; with your heart. Listen for those things common to all of us. Those basic human needs to be loved, to be heard and to be understood. Talk to the generations that follow, help them to understand what it was like to walk in your shoes. Give them an idea before others must tell your story for you. I have few memories the joys of those who preceded me in my direct family line. Develop a regular time of sharing with your family and your community.

No matter what your background you have been on the other side of the fence and barred from something you felt you deserved. Let’s take off those self-imposed chains of hate, linked together by lack of forgiveness and jealousy.

There is an African Proverb known as Sankofa, it means to know where you come from so that you know where you are going.

See the movie, Take Inventory and Take Action!

Love,
Deborah
“Lighting the path to loving your neighbor as yourself.”

Photo Credit: This film image released by The Weinstein Company shows Oprah Winfrey as Gloria Gaines, left, and Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines in a scene from “Lee Daniels’ The Butler.” (AP Photo/The Weinstein Company, Anne Marie Fox)