In 1958 postwar Britain, Mr James Stevens (Anthony Hopkins), the butler of Darlington Hall, receives a letter from Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson), who worked with him as housekeeper during the years prior to the Second World War. Lord Darlington (James Fox) the Earl of Darlington, has died a broken man, his reputation destroyed by his prior to Second World War support of Nazi Germany. His stately country manor has been sold to a retired American Congressman, Mr. Lewis (Christopher Reeve). The manor was huge and did not receive a buyer (as nobody wanted a manor belonging to a "traitor") and the plan was to break it up and sell the stone for 5000 pounds. But Lewis stepped in and saved the estate at the auction, by buying the best art pieces of the manor and the manor itself. In her letter, Kenton reveals that her marriage has failed and that she is nostalgic for the days when she worked at the house. Stevens, now one of the few remaining servants from the Darlington era, goes to visit Miss Kenton, to persuade her to return to service. Stevens takes permission from Lewis, who allows him the use of his precious Daimler. Steven says that the manor is woefully understaffed, and Kenton would make a splendid addition before the arrival of Lewis' family from the states. Flashback to the 1930's when Kenton arrived as housekeeper. At the time, Darlington Hall was frequented by many politicians of the interwar period, men who decided important affairs of state while there. Stevens, loyal and perfectionist, calm and efficient, had to manage the household so that the servants seemed almost invisible, and he took great pride in his skills and his profession. Stevens interviewed Kenton and explained that there were to be no gentlemen callers and no consorting with the rest of the staff. He clashed with Miss Kenton, his equal in the household hierarchy, but displayed only understated irritation with her and others. Indeed, his utter focus and emotional repression were most fully displayed when his own father Mr William Stevens (Peter Vaughan), was also employed at the manor as an employee. Stevens refuses to acknowledge that his father, now an under-butler, is no longer able to perform his duties. Stevens takes exception when Kenton addresses his father by his Christian name, but Kenton defends saying that it is normal custom for under butlers to be called by their first name. Kenton points out Stevens Sr. failings to Stevens on multiple occasions, and on one Lord Darlington himself saw sweat from Stevens Sr falling into the tea he was serving the guests. Stevens only accepted the issue when Stevens Sr. tripped and fell flat on the ground while serving tea to Darlington and his guests. Darlington tells Stevens that the upcoming conference is crucial for the fate of Europe and asks him to remove Stevens Sr. from the serving staff. Stevens Sr. reacts badly when he is assigned to cleaning duties at the manor. As the conference begins, Stevens finds his father collapsed with his cleaning tools in one of the service corridors of the manor. The doctor tells Stevens that his father is dying. Displaying total professionalism, Stevens carries on as his father lies dying during Darlington's conference of like-minded fascist-sympathizing British and European aristocrats including French Ambassador Dupont D'Ivry (Michael Lonsdale) and Lewis. Lord Darlington used his influence to broker the policy of appeasement towards Nazi Germany, based on his belief that Germany had been unfairly treated by the Treaty of Versailles following World War I. Darlington proposes allowing the rearmament of Germany, saying that a strong Germany is in Europe's favor. He irritated Congressman Lewis, one of the dignitaries at a conference, who argued in favor of the foreign policy being conducted by "professionals" rather than by "gentlemen amateurs". While Stevens was attending guests at dinner, Kenton informs him that his father passed away. Miss Kenton was equally efficient and strong-willed but warmer and less repressed. Relations between the two eventually warmed and Kenton even teased Stevens. She catches him reading a romance novel, which he explains is to improve his vocabulary, asking her not to invade his privacy again. It becomes clear that she had fallen in love with him, and perhaps he with her, though his feelings are left ambiguous. She tried to break through the wall, but Stevens' coldness was too formidable. After reading the work of Houston Stewart Chamberlain, Lord Darlington commanded that two German-Hebrew maids should be dismissed, considering their employment inappropriate. Stevens carried out the order, but Miss Kenton almost resigned in protest, fearing that the girls would have to return to Germany. Her own need for employment caused her to avoid following through. Darlington later regretted his decision and asked Stevens to reinstate the maids, but they could not be located. Later Stevens is unable to answer an aristocratic guest's questions on global trade and politics, which the aristocrat claims to demonstrate the lower classes' ignorance and inability to govern themselves. Finally, Kenton struck up a relationship with co-worker Tom Benn (Tim Pigott-Smith) and married him, leaving the house just before the outbreak of World War II. Before her departure, she insulted Stevens, clearly out of distress that he had never expressed any emotional interest in her, but he still refused to be moved. When she cried in frustration, the only response he could muster was to call her attention to a domestic task. Lord Darlington's godson, journalist Reginald Cardinal (Hugh Grant), arrives on the day of a secret meeting at Darlington Hall between the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain (Frank Shelley), and the German ambassador, Joachim Von Ribbentrop (Wolf Kahler). Appalled by his godfather's role in seeking appeasement for Nazi Germany, Cardinal tells Stevens that Darlington is being used by the Nazis, but Stevens feels it is not his place to judge his employer. Darlington eventually died a broken man, his reputation destroyed after he had been denounced a traitor in the Daily Mail. En route to meeting Kenton in 1958, Stevens is mistaken for the gentry at a pub. Doctor Carlisle, a local GP, helps him refuel the Daimler and deduces that he is actually a manservant, asking his thoughts about Lord Darlington's actions. Denying having even met him, Stevens later admits to having served and respected him, but Darlington confessed that his Nazi sympathies had been misguided and naive. Stevens declares that, although Lord Darlington was unable to correct his error, he is attempting to correct his own. He meets Kenton, who has separated from her husband and runs a boarding house on the coast. She and Stevens reminisce that Lord Darlington died from a broken heart after suing a newspaper for libel, losing the suit and his reputation, and Stevens mentions that Cardinal was killed in the war. Kenton, now Mrs Benn, declines to resume her position at Darlington Hall, wishing to remain near her pregnant daughter and, despite years of unhappiness, thinking about going back to her husband. Stevens supposes they may never meet again, and they part fondly but are both quietly upset, Miss Kenton visibly tearful as her bus pulls away. Stevens returns to Darlington Hall, where Lewis asks if he remembers the old days, and Stevens replies that he was too busy serving. The two men free a pigeon from the house, and it flies away, leaving Stevens and Darlington Hall far behind.
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