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FORYOURCO N S I D E R AT I O N2013BEST WRITING (original SCREENPLAY)Danny Strong

THE BUTLERbyDanny StrongFinal DraftThe Weinstein CompanyButler Films, LLC.Laura Ziskin Productions

INT. WHITE HOUSE - ENTRANCE HALL - DAY - 2009CECIL GAINES, 90, kind, elegant and much wiser than he letson, sits in the Entrance Hall of the White House. It’s beenmany years since he’s been here, but it’s as he remembers.QUICK CUT TO - an image of two black men HANGING from a pole,they’ve just been lynched. The American flag waves in thewind behind their limp bodies.CUT BACK TO - CECIL IN THE WHITE HOUSE. He is emotionless ashe contemplates his dark past. We hear his voice.CECIL V.O.The only thing I ever knew wascotton.FADE CUT TO:EXT. COTTON FARM - DAY - 1926The sun pounds down on a beautiful cotton field. Brilliantreds and alabaster whites intermix with green foliage along ablue river bed. Twenty or so black FIELD WORKERS lace thecotton field baking in the heat.CHYRON: MACON, GEORGIA, 1926CECIL V.O.It was hard work. But I didn’t mindbecause I got to spend all day withmy daddy.Cecil Gaines, now 8, sits in the field with his dad, EARLGAINES, 30, tough, who teaches him how to pick cotton.EARL.and you know the cotton is readywhen the bulb splits, and the bulbis star shaped, like a big old starin the sky. Like your big ol’ head.Earl rubs cotton all over young Cecil’s head as Cecil laughs.EXT. WESTFALL HOUSE - PORCH - DAY - 1926THOMAS WESTFALL, 25, an attractive white man with bad skinsits with his grandmother ANNABETH, 70’s, sharp and stern,reading on the kitchen porch as he heads to the field. Thomaslooks over his property and his workers. It’s a good day.

2.EXT. COTTON FARM - DAY - 1926Cecil’s friend, ABRAHAM, 9, holds a worn old camera as Earlpositions his wife, HATTIE PEARL, 25, beautiful, togetherwith Cecil.EARLHurry up and take this picture.ABRAHAMWhy don’t everybody smile?2The family barely smiles as Abraham snaps the camera.2Then - Thomas walks into the field, towards Hattie Pearl.THOMASHattie, come on. Come on!Little Cecil and Abraham both look up with concern to Earl.Hattie Pearl reluctantly follows Thomas to the shed.CECILPa, where is he taking ma?THOMASGet back to work!Earl looks frustrated. He goes back to the cotton. His pacequickens as he picks the cotton. Sweat drops from his lip.Cecil heads for the shed. Earl snatches him mid-stride.CECIL(Yelling)Mamma!EARLLook at me boy. Don’t lose yourtemper with that man. This is hisworld. We just be living in it.You hear me? Now get on back towork!Cecil watches his mother enter the shed. Stares a beat, thensadly goes back to work with Abraham.We hear some commotion, then Hattie Pearl’s piercing SCREAM.The workers don’t look up. Everyone continues picking cotton.Annabeth stands from the porch. She looks towards the shed.Thomas stumbles back to the field. None of the workers darelook up except for Earl.

3.CECILPa.What you goin’ do?Earl turns to Thomas defiantly.EARLHey! Don’t you ever do that to mywife.Thomas pulls his revolver out. Cecil looks terrified, aseveryone watches in silence. Then Thomas SHOOTS Earl square in the eye!Dad!CECILThe WORKERS on the field freeze. Little Cecil stares inshock at his father’s body twitching against the cotton, achunk of his head in the dirt. A fly lands on Cecil’s brow.Annabeth runs towards the field as Thomas heads back to thehouse waving his gun around.THOMASWhat are you looking at?! Huh? Whowants to go next? You get back towork!Cecil trembles in utter shock as Annabeth approaches him.ANNABETHHey you! Men! Get some of the handsto help dig a hole for his pa.She points to an area taken over by weeds near the shed. Thenleans down toward Cecil, feels sorry for him.ANNABETH (CONT’D)Stop crying.(Then)I’ma have you working at the housenow.She bends down to face him.ANNABETH (CONT’D)I’m gonna teach you how to be ahouse nigger.Little Cecil stares at her in pure sadness.TITLES

4.INT. WESTFALL HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY - 1926PATTY CAKE, 50’s, heavy, arranges baked chicken on a tray.Cecil pays close attention. Annabeth enters to oversee.ANNABETHQuiet when you’re serving. I don’teven want to hear you breathe.A fearful Cecil nods.INT. WESTFALL HOUSE - DINING ROOM - NIGHT - 1926Cecil stands behind Patty Cake holding a bowl of potatoesthat she scoops onto Annabeth’s, Thomas’, and her TEENAGEGRANDSON’S plates. These men appear to be an ungratefulbunch. Cecil holds his breath, struggling not to make a peep.CECIL V.O.It was much nicer working in thehouse than in the field.Thomas grabs Cecil’s arm.THOMASGive me more.INT. STUDY - DAY - 1926Cecil pours iced tea for Annabeth who reads The Adventure ofSherlock Holmes. Annabeth examines the tea. Satisfied, shegoes back to her book, flicks her hand at him to leave.INT. WESTFALL HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY - 1926SEQUENCE - TIME LAPSE: Cecil serving throughout the householdas we dissolve from 8 year old Cecil to 15 year old Cecil.15 year old Cecil bows his head at his father’s grave.CECIL V.O.When I got older, I knew I had togo before he killed me too.He then heads up the road walking through the povertystricken sharecropper’s houses.CECIL V.O. (CONT’D)Part of me was scared to leave, itwas the only world I ever knew.

5.EXT. SHARECROPPER HOUSE - DAWN - 1933Hattie Pearl sits in the corner, a shell of a woman. Theyears have broken her mind. Cecil goes to his mother, heholds out an old watch.CECILMa, I took pa’s watch.Hattie doesn’t respond.CECIL (CONT’D)Ma, I’m leavin’.She’s too far gone to even notice him. He hugs her goodbye.CECIL V.O.My ma never spoke much after that.I knew she’d miss me. But I alsoknew she wanted me to leave thatplace.EXT. PORCH - NIGHT- LATER - 1933Annabeth sits in the rocker on her porch as she tucks a bookinto Cecil’s shirt.CECIL V.O.And even though Miss Annabeth neversaid it, I knew she’d miss me too.EXT. SHARECROPPER HOUSE - DIRT ROAD - 1933Cecil walks down a lonely dirt road by himself.CECIL V.O.I don’t think God meant for peopleto not have a family. I yearned forone.INT./EXT. CULVERT - NIGHT - 1933A rainstorm hammers down upon the roof of a small culvert.Cecil cradles his shivering body. Water drips from the roofdown onto Cecil’s head. DRIP.DRIP.DRIP. With each DRIP ofwater, he looks like he’s slowly going mad.CECIL V.O.Outside the cotton fields was muchworse than I thought it’d be.

6.SEQUENCE: Cecil traveling through the Southern countryside.He walks through the rain, alone, hungry and desperate.CECIL V.O. (CONT’D)No one would give me a job, orfood, or a place to sleep. I washungry all the time.EXT. STREET INTO TOWN - MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT - 1933Cecil walks into a town and passes by two lynched men hangingfrom a pole (the opening of the film). Cecil stares at them,terrified.CECIL V.O.Any white man could kill any of usat any time and not be punished forit. The law wasn’t on our side. Thelaw was against us.EXT. HOTEL RESTAURANT - MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT - 1933Cecil creeps down the street through the pouring rain.Paranoid, he looks over his shoulder. He peers in a window ofthe restaurant, sees an elaborate array of succulent pies andcakes resting on the counter.CECIL V.O.And even though I knew the law wasagainst me.He gazes in, then suddenly SMASHES the window with his fist!INT. HOTEL RESTAURANT - NIGHT - 1933His wrist gashed and spilling blood, Cecil heads toward thepastry laced counter. He devours a frosted coconut cremecake. He sees his blood drip into the frosting.Cecil catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror behind thecounter. The hunger in his eyes, blood mixed with whitefrosting against his black skin are a site of the macabre.CECIL V.O.I never knew I could be thishungry.Then a VOICE calls out from across the room.

7.VOICEYou know what could happen to youson?Clutching the cake like a rabid dog, Cecil turns to MAYNARD,late 50’s, a freckled-faced, gentle-looking light-skinnedblack man.MAYNARDGet up. I said get up.EXT. ALLEY WAY - DAWN - 1933Cecil and Maynard sit on the kitchen stoop outside therestaurant. Cigarette dangling, Maynard bandages Cecil’swrist.MAYNARDI’m going to have to lie to theboss man about that window. Goodlord says you aint supposed to lie.Sorry sir.CECILMAYNARDWhere’s your ma and your pa?CECILMy Ma crazy in the head and my Pagot killed.MAYNARDI’ma make you some ham sandwichesand send you on your way. The bosswill be here any minute. Sunday’sour busiest morning.CECILYou looking for some help? I knowhow to serve.MAYNARD(laughing)You done broke our window. You donestole our food. And now you askingfor a job?CECIL(proudly)Back in Macon, I’ma house nigger.A good one.

8.Maynard SLAPS Cecil across the face.MAYNARDDon’t ever use that word son.That’s the white man’s word.Filled with hate. Didn’t yourfather teach you any better?INT. HOTEL HALLWAY - DAY - SERVING MONTAGE - 1933Cecil runs through the hall with a tray dressed in a suit.He’s training to be a proper butler.Slow Down!MAYNARDINT. HOTEL BAR - DAY - 1933Maynard teaches Cecil how to make a martini, shaking withstyle. He twists off the top and effortlessly pours.MAYNARDYou gotta look ‘em in their eyes.See what it is they want.Cecil watches attentively.INT. HOTEL HALLWAY - DAY - 1933Maynard teaches Cecil how to clean a candelabra, cleaningeach piece by hand.INT. HOTEL LOBBY - LATE NIGHT - 1933Cecil spit shines eight pairs of men’s shoes, making sure hisreflection is on every pair.INT. HOTEL BAR - DAY - 1933Cecil continues to watch Maynard make martinis.MAYNARDSee what it is they need.INT. HOTEL HALLWAY - DAY - 1933Cecil shows a couple to a hotel room, carrying their luggage.

9.CECILRight this way.INT. HOTEL BAR - DAY - 1933Cecil pours martinis alongside Maynard.MAYNARDAnticipate.INT. HOTEL DINING ROOM - DAY - 1933Cecil serves martinis to older white ladies. With one hand,he holds he tray, with the other, he goes to move a purse tomake room. The lady abruptly snatches her purse away.CECILI’m - I’m sorry ma’am.INT. HOTEL BAR - DAY - 1933Maynard and Cecil put the finishing touches on martinis.MAYNARDSmile with your eyes.EXT. POOL - DAY - 1933At the head of the pool, Cecil is drenched in sweat. Heholds a tray with grilled cheese sandwiches and chilled CocaColas. Three WHITE TEENAGERS, Cecil’s age, frolic and loungein the pool.INT. HOTEL BAR - DAY - 1933Maynard watches Cecil finish the martinis.Perfect.MAYNARDINT. HOTEL LOBBY - LATE NIGHT - 1933Cecil looks up from spit shining shoes and smiles. He reallylikes his new job.

10.EXT. ALLEY WAY - LATE AFTERNOON - 1933On a break, Cecil and Maynard sit on the kitchen stoop. Bothsmoking. It’s raining.MAYNARD(to workers)Don’t forget to save me chitlins.CECILWhy do you like chitlins so much?MAYNARDIt’s good eating.(To Cecil)The manager of the Excelsior in DC,he came by yesterday. He offered mea job as a butler.Both are quiet. Cecil looks up sadly.CECILThey must be paying you top dollar,huh boss?MAYNARDYeah. I was thinking about takingit. But I dunno, I’m too old tobe leaving North Carolina. I’m justfine right here. I told them tohire you.Surprised, Cecil looks up at Maynard.CECILI’m just now finding my way ‘roundthis hotel. I’m not ready for thosehigh falootin’ white people withall their fancy words.Maynard laughs.MAYNARDCecil, we got two faces. Ours, andthe one we got to show the whitefolks. Now to get up in the world,we have to make them feelnonthreatened. Go on and use allthem fancy words that I taught you.White folks up north love them someuppity coloreds.Cecil ponders all of this. Smiles. He’s grown fond of thisold man.