The Butler Page #5

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Freddie whispers to him.

FREDDIE:

You hear nothing, you see nothing,

you only serve.

INT. WEST WING - HALLWAY - DAY - 1957

Cecil walks down the hall to the corridor entrance of the

Oval Office. A tiny bead of sweat forms on his forehead.

INT. WEST WING - OVAL OFFICE CORRIDOR - DAY - 1957

He walks into the corridor, a SECRET SERVICE AGENT looks up

at him.

INT. WEST WING - OVAL OFFICE - DAY - 1957

Cecil walks in to the Oval Office and sees DWIGHT D.

EISENHOWER standing at his desk. He exudes a grandfatherly

warmth. Cecil tries not to stare at him. He sets the tray

down and begins to pour a cup of tea.

Two other men are seated on the sofas - the Chief of Staff,

SHERMAN ADAMS, 56, tough and harsh, is in an argument with

Attorney General, HERBERT BROWNELL, 51, calm and low key.

SHERMAN ADAMS:

Send federal troops to Little Rock?

HERBERT BROWNELL

If it comes to it, yes.

Cecil picks up the cup and saucer. It rattles as his hand

SHAKES from nerves. He grips the cup with the other hand to

stop the rattling and carefully sets it down on Ike’s desk.

Ike steps forward, his presence overtakes the room.

IKE:

I can’t see any situation where I’d

send troops to the South. Ever. It

would cause another Civil War.

Cecil begins to pour another cup, his hand shakes even more.

He’s not listening, totally focused on not spilling.

HERBERT BROWNELL

Sir, if the Federal government

doesn’t enforce Brown, then who

will? The South must comply with

the law.

26.

IKE:

It’s just going to take some time

to adjust, that’s all.

Cecil pours another cup. A tiny bit of tea pours over the

edge. He quickly takes out a napkin and dries the saucer.

HERBERT BROWNELL

I understand, Mr. President, but if

Faubus continues to block the negro

children then what do we do? We

must enforce the Constitution.

Cecil places a cup of tea in front of Sherman Adams, trying

to be as obsequious as possible.

SHERMAN ADAMS:

Give Faubus more time. With a

little persuading, he’ll back down.

We just want to move slowly.

Ike sips his tea struggling through his feelings as Cecil

grabs his tray and hurries out of the room.

INT. KITCHEN - DAY - 1957

Cecil walks into the busy kitchen carrying the silver tray.

CARTER:

How’d it go?

CECIL:

I almost sh*t myself.

CARTER:

I dated a girl once. Every time I

hit it, she sh*t herself.

Some laugh. Lorraine throws a wet rag at Carter.

CARTER (CONT’D)

I put a towel down.

INT. GAINES HOUSE - NIGHT - 1957

Charlie and Elroy watch Alfred Hitchcock Presents. We hear a

GUNSHOT. A woman SCREAMS. At the same time Louis creeps up

on them from behind the couch. Charlie and Elroy jump as

Louis laughs at them.

Cecil enters from a long day’s work.

27.

CHARLIE:

Hey dad.

CECIL:

Hey.

ELROY:

Hi, Mr. Gaines.

CECIL:

Hey Elroy.

CECIL (CONT’D)

Louis, I told you about letting the

kids watch that show. It’s too

scary. They’re too young for it.

Turn it off.

Cecil walks into the kitchen.

CECIL (CONT’D)

(from the kitchen)

Where’s your mamma at?

ELROY:

Miss Gloria tried staying up but

she went to sleep.

The kids continue watching the show. Cecil comes out of the

kitchen with a glass of milk.

CECIL:

Elroy nobody asked you nothin’.

Take your butt home before your

mamma come in here and whoop the

both of us.

LOUIS:

Come on dad.

CECIL:

Go on.

Elroy gets up to leave.

ELROY:

Bye.

CHARLIE:

Dad. CECIL (CONT’D)

Turn it off. Don’t go stomping up

the stairs and wake your mom up.

28.

Elroy leaves as Charlie storms upstairs. Louis turns off the

television. Cecil spots a flyer on the table. He picks it up.

MAMIE TILL, MOTHER OF EMMET TILL, SPEAKS OUT!

CECIL (CONT’D)

What is this? Is that that Mamie

Till stuff?

LOUIS:

I want to go to this.

CECIL:

Absolutely not.

LOUIS:

How come?

CECIL:

Ain’t no good gonna come of that.

LOUIS:

Dad, you hear what mom said?

CECIL:

That mess right there happen down

south.

LOUIS:

This could have been me.

CECIL:

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.

Louis watches his father walk up the stairs, frustrated.

INT. WHITE HOUSE - OVAL OFFICE - DAY - 1957

MOZART plays from the stereo. In the middle of the Oval

Office Ike sits alone painting on a canvas. His short sleeve

shirt is splattered in paint. His sunflower painting leaves

much to be desired. Cecil enters with a bowl of soup.

CECIL:

I have your chicken soup, Mr.

President.

He pulls off the lid as steam rises from the perfect bowl.

29.

IKE:

Just set it on the table, Cecil.

Ike goes back to his painting. His eyes narrowly focused.

Cecil can feel the weight of the world on this man’s

shoulders. Cecil sets the soup down.

IKE (CONT’D)

Did you go to an all colored

school, Cecil?

CECIL:

I didn’t go to school, Mr.

President, I grew up on a cotton

farm.

IKE:

I grew up on a farm... Do you have

any children?

CECIL:

Yes. I have two sons.

IKE:

Do they go to an all colored

school?

CECIL:

Yes, sir. They do.

Never looking up, Ike nods. As Cecil turns to leave, a

furious Sherman Adams is in the doorway.

IKE:

What is it?

SHERMAN ADAMS:

The State Guard just blocked all

the colored kids again.

IKE:

Faubus promised me the guards would

escort the kids in.

SHERMAN ADAMS:

The Governor of Arkansas lied, Mr.

President.

IKE:

What is wrong with him?! Why is he

forcing me to do this?

Sherman Adams catches Cecil standing there.

30.

SHERMAN ADAMS:

Our next move needs to be bold and

swift.

Cecil nods and exits.

INT. WHITE HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY - 1957

Cecil, Holloway and Carter watch Ike on TV make his historic

announcement.

IKE (FROM THE TV)

“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.

Cecil watches Ike, proud and impressed.

CECIL V.O.

When the President sent those

troops down to Little Rock, it was

the first time I’d ever seen a

White man stick his neck out for

us.

INT. WHITE HOUSE - VARIOUS LOCATIONS - 1958-60

SEQUENCE:
White House staff at work around the White House,

showing us the passage of time.

CECIL V.O.

I told Louis that the President was

going to make things better.

INT. GAINES HOME - LIVING ROOM - LATE AFTERNOON - 1958

The Gaines Family enter the house from Louis’ graduation.

Louis is wearing a cap and gown.

CECIL V.O.

Now he could see I knew what I was

talking about.

GLORIA:

(To Louis)

That was wonderful. I’m so proud of

you.

31.

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