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MESSAGE IN THE MOVIES

Priscilla Presley (Spaeny) was the first and only wife of Elvis and this biopic is based on her 1985 memoir about their years together. (It was later adapted as a 3-hour TV movie in 1988.)

Priscilla Beaulieu was introduced to Elvis (Elordi) in 1959 while living on an Army base in West Germany. Her stepfather was in the Army; she was 14 and a freshman in high school (Elvis was 28 and serving his time in the military after being drafted.). Needless to say, her family had more than a few concerns, but Elvis was able to charm his way into their good graces. During a strange and awkwardly chaste 8-year courtship Priscilla followed Elvis to Memphis to live with his family at Graceland. When they finally wed, she soon gave birth to their daughter Lisa Marie. While Elvis traveled away to make movies, she was kept isolated in their Memphis estate.

This film recreates these years from Priscilla’s point of view. Instead of a sprawling, exciting show biz saga, her story is one of manipulation and emotional imprisonment. While it’s never quite clear why Elvis felt he needed to maintain marriage and family, these were never priorities in his everyday life. At home, Elvis introduced his wife to amphetamines and other prescription drugs. With every new film project, he was accompanied by his entourage of male friends and reported to be in romantic relationships with his female costars.

Priscilla is a very well-made film by a talented director and features an incredible lead performance. I do wonder, however, if this perfectly good movie will be able to find an audience.

This film has a lot of integrity and a clear moral compass but there are a host of things that are bound to frustrate many viewers: Most people don’t know who Priscilla Presley is, and those who do likely remember her as Leslie Nielsen’s costar in The Naked Gun or as Michael Jackson’s mother-in-law. There are no Elvis Presley songs in this movie, and many of the other song choices are from other time periods. And Elvis fans are a faithful bunch of Baby Boomers and Greatest Generations who aren’t going to embrace a movie that revisits one person’s gripes from fifty years’ ago.

The R rating does Priscilla no favors and I cannot comprehend why this movie didn’t receive a PG-13. This is an intelligent movie that clearly has something to say about the price you pay for bad decisions. It’s not preachy but it delivers a strong cautionary tale. Why shouldn’t young adults see this movie? I just don’t get it. I’m all shook up.

Halo and Pitchfork Rating:

Three halos: The other side of celebrity, compassionately told; Elvis leads a Bible study.
Three pitchforks: Emotional abuse; underage dating; occasional mild swearing, with one F-bomb; drug abuse, including psychedelics; Elvis is a terrible Bible teacher.

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