and there wasn't nobody around to yell cut. >> there was a fear and courage. >> this is what's beautiful about this. the when they're training with lawson and you see the fear that they have but they're standing by their dwixs and you see them breaking and being yelled at but they confront their fears because what they stand for is more important and they sit at that counter and it's so powerful. >> i had six of my girls at the screening -- >> rose: when you say "girls" you mean -- >> i mean my girls from south africa -- >> rose: who are entering american colleges? >> they're in colleges and they, you know, are not students of their of american history. they know about the civil rights movement and all that stuff. so last night we were having discussions about the training and i was explaining that all of these kids that went on the bus,

that that was really real because in order to have the ability to not to fight back and not to just go against your -- because somebody spits on you there's a visceral reaction that you have that you want to knock that person out now go through the non-violence training, to take it because we had the conversation this morning with the girls about what would have happened had one of those people hit a white person or spit at them back. >> holy cow. >> holy cow. i mean, all would have broken loose. it would have been a bloodbath for sure. that's what's so extraordinary about it. >> rose: it reminds me of a scene in "42" about jackie robinson in which branch ricky is talking to the actor who played jackie robinson and he, the actor, says to harrison ford who plays branch richie "you need somebody here who's tough enough to fight back." and branch ricky says "i need somebody who's tough enough not

to fight back." and that's the point. >> rose: that is the point. that is the point. as we watched history go forward where do you think we are in terms of somehow making sure that the battles that are being fought have come to where the end point out to be in terms of black and white and racism in a country? >> well, we're not at the end point of where we're supposed to be but we're not supposed to be there. i'm going to let you speak toe that because you speak so eloquently to being in a living history. but i just would like to say when you look at the film, the beginning of of the film when the butler is sitting there and reflecting on his life and how he got to be there and there's the lynching memory and then how that film ends full circle, you know, in 2008 and what happened in 2008 in? that is one man's lifetime.

i have to say only in this country-- there's not another country in the world where you would have the span of that much richness and development, i think, in terms of cultures coming together. i think that's pretty extraordinary. not to say that we don't have a long way to go and lots of other things we need to accomplish racially and otherwise but that's pretty extraordinary that from in the beginning of eugene allen's-- cecil's life-- until 2008 that off black president. from 1926 when the movie opens until 2008, that's extraordinary. that's pretty extraordinary. >> rose: it's an extraordinary story in terms of -- you hear this every time in terms of what it meant. your character -- gloria is not going to see barack obama elected. >> yeah. >> rose: but you understand how -- what is seminal moment it is.

>> do you know that the real gloria, the real mrs. allen, die it had day before he was elected. she died on november 3! she died november 3. they campaigned for him and she died november 3. go ahead. >> rose: are's another great line, just because there's so many good lines, in which eugene allen is being -- the butler comes to the white house. he's coming to the white house to meet the president and some young aide says to your character, you gene allen, mr. gaines in this case "i'll show you the way." and what does he say? >> "i know the way." (laughter) >> yeah, that was a great moment. >> it's your point about history. >> yeah. we're talking about how we achieved it and it's still sitting on that promissory note that martin luther king talked about, the promissory note of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. this is the note that was promised to all americans for human rights. so this civil rights movement

which isn't really a history, it's a living history because we're still moving in the same shape towards accomplishing what was the initial promise. he talks about that that vault, you know, he refuses to believe that it's empty. and that all of us can have the things that we deserve. so we move through this line of living civil rights history which is american history because in order to reach that final goal that's when we'll truly be americans because that was the promise of the constitution and declaration of independence. that was the promise to all of us and we haven't accomplished it. so we see these cycles moving, like the emmitt till side of the film, we see his mother and her response and we move to our world and see that this circle which is going on then is still going on right now all over the country. have w many different other people and we say how can we break this cycle to move to the next place? so we can finally get to the end which is the promised land he talked about. because he talked about -- he said i just want to live a few years into the second half of the 20th century. so now we're living in the 21st

century. those were martin's words. we haven't done it yet. i'm so disappointed that we haven't been able to achieve his promise yet. but that's what we're trying to get to and that's where we're going. and this film is part of the dialogue to make us all keep talking. >> rose: as oprah pointed earlier and i think the president said this when he went to selma during the campaign. he's part of a new generation and my generation stands on the shoulders of those who came before and other generations will come forward to stand on the shoulders of those, like you, who are there today. >> rose: but what is so important is to know what those shoulders meant and to know that you are standing on the shoulders. i mean. that's what i think this film -- >> rose: and to know what it meant for them to have broad shoulders you could stand on. >> what's been so exciting to me is during the process of promoting the film we were doing a junket the other day and a young white reporter said to me -- a guy in liz late 20s, he said "i voted for barack obama because i thought it was the right thing to dos it was a r.a.

r.a. moment." and he says only after seeing this film do i understand how important it was that i voted for barack obama. i said "well, that's a reason to do the film." he said "i now understand it wasn't a good decision it was the best decision to vote for barack obama." >> that's the reason to do the movie when you hear something like that. >> you did brilliant things because you showed different faces of fighting against social injustice. and there are many ways to fight against social injustice. you can do it by whiting a note or whispering in somebody's ear and asking a boss to step aside. or you can do hit in the arab spring or protest at trayvon martin marches, however, but there's many different ways to do it. >> correct. >> and you see all these different places that are so different from each other but all different faces of ways to trying to find social justice and i think that's the message to the youth today and the message to all of us. >> rose: there's also this.

this is a story about the sweep of history but it's also this very much of a love story. it's the story of generations. the story of responsibility and it's the story-- and i don't know whether this is true or not this part-- when you gene allen and your character gets to go to the white house to a state dinner. >> that's very true. he was the first butler -- >> rose: president reagan invited -- >> he was the first one to ever be invited to a state dinner. i think that was --. >> rose: and mr. allen was so happy. >> rose: what did gloria say? >> well, look at her! she said "finally got to the white house!" >> rose: i'm going to see where my man works. roll tape. here's the scene. >> you're very popular. everyone says you're the man. i had no idea. >> i wish i could take credit for that. >> i'd like to invite you to the

state dinner next week. >> i'm going to be there serving. >> not as a butler, cecil, i'm inviting you as a guest. >> but the president prefers for me to serve him personally. >> don't you worry about ronnie. i'll take care of that. so we'll see you next week, you and your wife. >> my wife? >> it's gloria, yes? >> yes, ma'am. >> oh, that's fantastic! >> rose: you two are hugging there. tell me about it. >> you know that walk she does, too, she walks away? >> i love that walk. >> we practiced that mrs. reagan walk for quite a bit. and we shot it about six takes just the walk alone. >> but we worked on creating -- i didn't want -- i was in another movie 15 years ago where i had a bedroom scene with danny

glover and i just -- you know, we arrived on the set in the morning and it's like "good morning, how are you?" then you're climbing into bed. i didn't want that. so i started working on creating some kind of connection -- (laughter) first day in the trailer. so i would see -- >> rose: so that there would be a natural -- >> so that there would be a natural intimacy. that wouldn't be "good morning forest. what side of the bed are you on?" yes. and so forest, you know, would come in and depending upon what was going on that day with his character sometimes he would be three different ages in one day. >> rose: that's why the performance -- >> it's un-- it's extraordinary. and i wouldn't want to bother him. i'd see he'd already gone in, he's in that space. so i would just go over and rub his shoulder and sometimes i'd be standing outside the trailer waiting for him to get done. i'd say somebody let me know when forest is almost done. he'd be standing there and he'd

say "what are you doing here?" and i'd say "i just want to walk with you to the set. " and i'd take his hand. >> rose: did you know this was happening to you, forvest? (laughs) >> it was magical. sometimes it was timeless just walking hand in hand. it just felt like -- >> part of the substory in the film itself-- and that's why i end the music at the end. everybody wanted me to end with something patriotic and, you know, it's like -- what i wanted was it was a love story. many love stories. so i end with what -- i end with dinah washington's song that they were in more their making love moment "i'll close my eyes" which is -- doesn't say "this is a civil rights movie" or "this is a father and son" this is a love story. >> there's a form where he talks about closing it and he says "i love you this way because i don't know any other way of loving you, i love that way when you put your hand on my chest, i

put my hand on yours, when i fall asleep, your eyes clothes." >> oh, my god. >> talk to me. talk to me, forest! (laughter) >> i can hear you. (laughter) >> charlie! >> kids ain't home no more! >> rose: so all these kinds of things are happening. what went into deciding -- and you talked a little bit about that. how to put the right touch on the end as you're going the last -- you know he's going to leave. he tells the president he's going to leave. the president doesn't want him to leave. and you see the relationship there. you've got to take -- you've had all of this in this film. >> yeah, it was crazy trying to figure out that end. we kept trying to reedit it and edit it.

>> danny came into my -- i have so many opinions because i don't have the right answer. >> what's the last thought you want to leave them with? >> that's there hope. that there's hope. that there's hope. we knew we had to end up with there's hope. but it was getting there that was troublesome. you know, we have a -- it's part of the editing process. >> rose: you put together a really impressive group of actors here, too. >> thank you, charlie. >> rose: cuba gooding, amazing in this film. >> who added such a lightness to the film. every scene that he's in he lifted a little higher and bricks in a little more light. and elijah, last night, who plays my other son. you know, that kid, every single line i say was ad-libbed by him practically. >> he's hilarious. >> he'd get a laugh on every scene. >> he'd run them by me and i'd go wait a minute, we have p.g.-13 and we have to make sure

they that they work. >> we had to take out the words. >> he's an incredible talent if everything he says is without the script because everything he's said is smart and funny and right on. >> all the time. all the time, yeah. kudos to him for that. >> rose: how did you decide on the end? you just finally said what? >> that we knew that we had to have hope and i think the thing was that it was all in forest's eyes. how are you feeling? what is he feeling? is he -- because the way we originally -- the way he walked down -- first he was walking up and very thankful. i said no, man. you're cranky. you got this. "i know the way." >> rose: that was it. "i know the way." >> the first time we heard forest talk about his process of being able to -- his aging process is like nothing i've ever heard before. you want to share that? >> well, it was a process of

taking this experience the emotional experiences and placing them in my body and the more they placed the more my body starts to get the weight of these experiences. that's how i did the aging process. i didn't do it through -- i mean i had worked once -- i had worked with the body structure, i worked with this one coach for a day i said okay, i'm going take the pain of our son being killed and put it here. and i'm going to take the pain of our son running away here. and my wife being an alcoholic and not being able to control her here. and slowly these things started to change and when that happens even your voice starts to change and you just think of those places inside yourself. by the end each time you're carrying those things. the weight of all those experiences so i would -- if i broke it down i knew what age i

was and what scene i was doing i would be able to just fall into the experience. >> rose: to go to that point of that experience. >> isn't that wonderful? that's what we feel in that film. >> rose: and the great part about both of them is that, you know, often -- and you haven't asked that question because everybody does, what's it like to direct oprah? >> rose: i thought i'd avoid all the obvious questions? (laughter) >> thank you so much! that's what makes you you! but the great part about both of them is that they are -- one would think with all the awards this the two of them having v together and the celebrity factor and everything that they come with this thing and they come and they came to serve me. to serve the characters with dignity and they were both -- i learned a lesson of humility

from both of them. both of them. they were both raw. they were both open. they were both vulnerable. and they both -- you know, even if they -- you know, she would have ultimately caved in, but she knew how to trick me. if i want to do something -- >> what? >> like, for example, i wanted her to do some things, i wanted her to do some things and she wouldn't pull the oprah thing. she -- she started crying. and i was like. >> come on! >> because it meant so much to her and then you have to -- you get because she's vulnerable. >> lee, i'm not going to let you get away with that. i ended up crying to defend her. i thought it was because of the p.g.-13. i thought -- >> no, i was deeply affected by that. >> because you were so vulnerable. >> i was. i so wanted gloria to represent who i had worked on her to be and who i believed her to be for

that era and there were just certain things that i felt that woman would not do she would not f-bomb her husband when he came home after kennedy was shot. fought for that. and she would not -- even though she was flirting warned the neighbors she would not go all the way and i think you wanted to see me rolling around in bed with terence howard. >> i did! (laughter) >>. >> rose: why? >> well, why not? >> rose: why first? >> why? because she was alone, you know what i mean? she's alone, she's vulnerable. it's terence howard. why not? she's drinking. why not? >> she would never be able to come back from that. at the end when she says what she says about you being the kind of man my mama would have been proud of we don't care about her anymore because she

could not have sex in bed in her husband's bed. i said, lee, there's a crucifix above the bed. the bible is next to the bed table. no! >> you were right. >> thank you! my favorite words. my favorite words "you were right." (laughter) my favorite three on earth. "you were were right." (laughter) >> rose: forest, tell me the end -- sum up what you think this -- in terms of what this experience was like for you. >> what the experience was like? >> of this film, this character, this accomplishment of making this movie. >> my experience? not the movie -- >> rose: yes, you. >> there were times when i was working on this movie and i was sitting in a chair and i felt like i was in a field of blue. like just everything was blue.

no time, no space, no nothing. and for me that's a feeling i really have unless it's a depply spiritual experience. so the experience had that for me. there was a couple times i thought what year am i in? what time, what place? >> rose: thank you. it's remarkable performance. i fell in love with her the summer of 2011, wasn't it? >> uh-huh! (laughs) for me, you know, it was a little different because i was trying to build a network at the same time and i literally was -- i would do a scene and then have to go and shoot an interview and do a scene have to shoot an interview. lee would have a joke "where's oprah? where's oprah? where is she?" (laughter) but i'm so -- i was so grateful

for the words, you know? i remember hearing spielberg many years ago accept an award on the oscars an he was saying "everything begins with the words." and, you know, for the script that you wrote, we are so grateful for the words. for the words. >> so grateful for these amazing performances. >> and you brought them to life, lee, thank you. >> rose: soon they'll be saying "we can't get lee daniels, can we get steven spielberg?" (laughter) >> steven! that's not true! (laughter) >> rose: thank you all and congratulations. great to see you. the movie is called lee dance yels' "the butler." it opens on august 16. see you next time. "the electric company" is brought to you by...

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garry2005, supersofia, and ericju, the robot clown. congratulations! both: thank you! and now back to... but wait! we still need you! words on earth are being reversed! the stop signs are turning into pots signs! it's chaos! it's madness! it's my reverse-a-balls... no one can stop me! both: we will stop you! can the electric company stop francine and her reverse-a-ball? ♪ prankster planet prankster planet ♪ and now back to our regularly scheduled programming. here are your five words: election -- an election is where you choose someone by voting. poll -- a poll shows how people are thinking of voting in an election. campaign -- a campaign is when you make posters and speeches to get people to vote for you.

negative -- if something is negative, it isn't good, it's pretty bad. debate -- a debate is when people with different opinions talk to each other. so, we have election, poll, campaign, negative, and debate; watch out for them in today's show. hey lisa, what are you signing up for? oh, it's time for the neighborhood book club election. oh, so the book club is going to vote for a new president, and whoever gets the most votes wins? yep. and i'm signing up to run. that's awesome, lisa! you've read more books than anyone i know. you'd make a great president. oh, thanks. you know, i already thought of some great books that we could read in the club. little wom, isn't that the book you're always talking about, about the four sisters? yeah, exactly! i love this book. you know, even though it was written over 100 years ago, i feel like i could be one of the sisters. a-hem...hello, lisa. hello, francine. so, i hear a little rumor that you want to be

president of a club. she's going to be the best club president there is. ♪ vote for lisa... oh, that is so cute that you think you can win an election when i'm around. i win every election. it's kind of my thing. i am going to beat you and then i am going to be president of the...um...what did i just sign up for? the book club. whatever. the point is that i'm going to win. ♪ good day. don't vote for lisa? she gives away the ending of books? that's so not true... i would never do that!