"Lee Daniel's The Butler" will be released Aug. 16 nationwide.
The film, starring Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey, tells the story of a black butler who witnesses notable events of the 20th century during his tenure at the White House.
The film premiered this week at the Ziegfeld theater in New York to positive reception. Scott Foundas from Variety stated: "Whitaker digs in deep and gives a marvelous under-the-skin performance; he seems to catch the very essence of a man who has spent his whole life trying not to be seen."
Alonso Durade of the Wrap was reserved with his praise, but still enjoyed the film. "It's too bad Daniels seemingly felt compelled to fish for tears, because The Butler has no shortage of powerful scenes and memorable performances," wrote Durade.
Entertainment Weekly's Chris Nashaway gave the movie a B+, noting the film was blatant Oscar-bait. "An ambitious, sweeping period drama that manages to be incredibly affecting and feel as if the words 'For Your Consideration' are stamped across every frame."
George Bershire of Hitfix wrote: "Consistently avoids becoming a noble-minded checklist and instead emerges as a raw, specific portrait of a family."
However, the criitcal response wasn't entirely positive. Katey Rich of the Guardian gave the move two stars out of five and wrote, "A great film about the American civil rights movement is way overdue. 'The Butler,' overwhelmed by flash and good intentions, doesn't even come close."
Tim Grierson of Screen International was also not enthusiastic. "Squeezing a miniseries' worth of drama into a feature-length film, this impassioned story simply doesn't have the time to really delve into the epochal periods it chronicles."
Directed by Lee Daniel's, the movie is one of the most anticipated films of the year and is already generating Oscar buzz. The film also stars Cuba Gooding Jr., Robin Williams, David Oyelowo, Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Redgrave, Jane Fonda, Terrence Howard, Alan Rickman, John Cusack, Liev Schreiber, and James Marsdon. The Weinstein Company will distribute the movie in 2,500 theaters.