The Butler Page #3

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the very same thing last night

just before I put her to sleep.

- Wow. You put her...

- Just like I did Ed.

I'd do it real quick.

- See you!

- Why?

Dang...

Got the popcorn all over the sofa.

Your dad's gonna kill...

Hey, Dad.

- Hi, Mr. Gaines.

- Hey, Dad.

Hey, Elroy.

Louis, I told you about letting these

kids watch that show.

It's too scary.

They're too young for it.

Turn it off.

All you got to do is smile pretty,

and a man will forget

everything he ever learned.

Where your mama at?

Miss Gloria tried staying up,

but she went to sleep.

Elroy, ain't nobody

asked you nothing.

Take your butt home before

your mama come up in here

and whup the both of us.

- Come on, Dad.

- Go on.

- Bye.

- Turn it off.

Don't go stomping up the stairs,

wake your mama up.

What is that?

Is that that Mamie Till stuff?

- I want to go to this.

- Absolutely not.

How come?

Ain't no good can come of that.

Dad, you heard what Mama said?

That mess right there

happened down South.

- This could have been me.

- It happened down South.

I got out of there so we

could have us a better life.

Right now, I'm working for the white

man, make things better for us.

And not just any white man, either.

Put the lights off.

Go to bed.

I have your chicken soup,

Mr. President.

Just set it on the table, Cecil.

Yes, sir.

Did you ever complete school, Cecil?

I didn't go to school,

Mr. President.

I grew up on a cotton farm.

I grew up on a farm.

Do you have any children?

Yes, sir, I have two sons.

Do they go

to an all-colored school?

Yes, sir, they do.

What is it?

State Guard just blocked

all the colored kids again.

Faubus promised me the guards

would escort the kids in.

Governor of Arkansas lied,

Mr. President.

What is wrong with him?

Why is he forcing me to do this?

Yes, sir.

Our next move

needs to be bold and swift.

I have today

issued an executive order

directing the use of troops

under federal authority

to aid in the execution

of federal law

at Little Rock, Arkansas.

This became necessary...

When the president

sent those troops down to Little Rock,

it was the first time I ever seen a

white man stick his neck out for us.

I told Louis that the president was

gonna make things better for us.

All graduations are long.

She was so nosy.

I'm gonna make

some potato salad.

Now he could see that I knew

what I was talking about.

That was wonderful.

I'm so proud of you.

- Thanks, Mama.

- That hat looks stupid.

Your face looks stupid.

- Proud of you, too.

- Dad, did you see...

Don't start something in there.

Did you see one white kid

in my school?

Why couldn't Louis see that

the president made things better for us?

- Thank you.

- Cookie?

- Cookies.

- Thanks.

Thank you.

Boy, I told you

we was gonna be late!

You cannot miss this bus!

- Oh, Lord have mercy.

- Wait, a sec. Wait, wait, wait.

- What?

- Got to say good-bye.

Bus can wait.

Tennessee is

a long ways away, Pop.

Fisk is a really

good school, Dad.

You can change your mind

and go to Howard.

I cannot believe you are still

talking about Howard University.

- He's going to Fisk.

- I know, I know. It's just...

It's just so far away, that's all.

- That's the point.

- What's the point?

Give me a cigarette, and don't

tell me you don't smoke.

- I don't have one.

- Come here.

- You know you want to cry, punk.

- Not for you.

Look under your mattress.

I left you something.

- I can't protect him down South.

- The South has changed, Cecil.

I'm too young for Playboy.

The South ain't what it

was when you was there.

Ma, Louis is leaving me

his filthy magazines.

- Stop lying on your brother.

- Why you slapping him?

He's the one with the magazines.

- I love you, Mama.

- I love you, son.

- I love you, Louis.

- I love you.

- I made you ham sandwiches.

- Thanks, Mama.

Come on, Dad.

OK.

You're the first.

I know.

I'm really proud of you.

I got to go, Dad.

I got to go.

If you need anything, you call me.

- All right.

- All right?

Bye, Mama.

Bye, Louis.

It's all right.

Remind me again why

we're doing this, please.

Somebody? Tell me?

That look like a mugging to me,

- that's what that looks like.

- This is the art of French baking.

Negro, please.

"Art of French baking. "

This is absolutely nothing.

That's what this is.

- I don't...

- Boy's always so simple.

You want me to play with it?

I'll play with it.

Play With it like this.

It'd be good if it had a little...

a little nipple on it.

Come on, man.

That's how you play. You jiggle it.

You shake it, you know.

This fool.

Good evening,

Mr. Vice President.

That looks like a tasty treat.

Yes, sir.

I brought you all something.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President.

I don't want to say anything negative

about that Kennedy boy.

I'm sure he's a real nice fellow.

But do you really want that

spoiled rich son-of-a-b*tch f***

to be your next president?

Think about it.

We'll cheer for you,

Mr. Vice President.

Thank you, Cecil.

Let me ask you something,

in all candor,

as members of the Negro community,

what are your biggest concerns?

Now, come on now, boys.

Don't be shy.

Holloway, come on.

- Well, since you asked, sir...

- I did.

The colored help gets paid almost

40 percent less than the white help.

- Is that right?

- Yes, sir.

And it's very difficult for

the colored staff to be promoted.

I'll tell you what. When I'm president,

I'm gonna look into getting you boys

the raises and

the promotions you deserve.

That... that would be swell, sir.

- You got my word on that.

- Thank you, sir.

Now, you tell your people

to vote for me,

and that's exactly

what's gonna happen.

Give that to somebody.

What do you mean, you don't

want to date nobody?

After all these guys

that come after you?

- Girl, please. I'm just...

- Like that one?

I'm talking about you and Isaac.

Now, come on,

tell me what happened.

Y'all seemed happy.

See, I can't even have a normal

conversation with you, because...

- Hey.

- You looking for love, boy?

That's what we call the Lawson workshop,

the love school.

- Is that what you're looking for?

- That's why I came to Fisk.

Me, too.

- I'm Carol Hammie.

- Louis Gaines.

Come on. Follow me.

You a country boy, ain't you?

He's a doctor.

What does your dad do?

He's in politics.

You were gonna need help

finding this place anyway.

...nor can you sustain it

over a month.

- Really?

- This requires time, commitment,

dedication, discipline and focus.

And we are measuring our

accomplishments in waves, right?

This is not a fly-by-night affair.

This doesn't happen over a week.

This requires a fierce discipline,

which is what we've been discussing.

How do you measure these things?

We go back, and we look

at somebody like Gandhi.

Together, we are gonna study

and examine Gandhi's techniques.

What has been so effective

in South Africa, so effective in India,

for his own people and others,

and we're gonna employ it

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