Priscilla Presley’s life perfectly portrayed in ‘Priscilla’

By Alexandra Heilbron on November 2, 2023 | 3 Comments

It seems logical that a biopic of Priscilla Presley would be made, especially in light of the fact that her life was portrayed so idyllically in last year’s award-winning biopic Elvis. In that film, Elvis was portrayed with few flaws and their eventual breakup was tearful and heartbreaking for Elvis.

Having recently read Priscilla Presley’s autobiography, I knew that her time with Elvis was much more complicated. Priscilla, directed by Sofia Coppola and executive-produced by Priscilla Presley, gives the true picture, as told by Priscilla herself.

Played in a subdued manner by Cailee Spaeny, we are first introduced to Priscilla Beaulieu as a beautiful but shy 14-year-old girl who is invited to a party at Elvis Presley’s house. She doesn’t think her strict parents will allow it, but after they meet the American soldier and his wife who will drive their daughter to and from the gathering, they reluctantly allow her to attend. Elvis takes an immediate liking to the soft-spoken teenager, and to her surprise, she’s told that Elvis would like her to come again.

She’s met with resistance from her parents every step of the way, but a visit from Elvis himself, accompanied by his father Vernon, convinces the Beaulieus to allow Priscilla to visit him regularly, as long as Elvis picks her up and drops her off himself. (In the book, he doesn’t actually do this — he sends his friends, but her parents don’t find out).

When Elvis’ term in the army comes to an end, he promises to stay in touch — and asks Priscilla not to change. After over a year of not hearing from him, Priscilla finally gets a call. At the age of 16, she goes to visit him at Graceland. At 17, when she’s invited to come live at Graceland and complete high school there, her parents are absolutely against it. However, they come to realize that Priscilla, who has spent weeks moping, arguing, and eating very little, will be 18 soon and able to do whatever she wants. So they accompany her to Graceland (where conveniently, Elvis is away filming a movie) and allow her to be the ward of Vernon and his new wife. They don’t realize their daughter will be sharing a room with Elvis  (although to be fair, they don’t have sex — at Elvis’ insistence — until they’re married several years later).

It’s ironic that once Elvis had teenage Priscilla under his roof, even though he’d asked her to promise not to change from the innocent, clean-cut teenager he’d first met, he begins to change her. He tells her she can’t wear clothing with patterns — claiming it doesn’t suit her. He wants her to wear more makeup — a lot more. He decides she’d look better with her hair dyed black. He asks for her opinion on various things and then when she politely responds, he lashes out in anger. He also gets angry when she asks him about other women that he’s linked with in magazines and newspapers. It’s clear he’s sleeping around but he refuses to answer to her.

There were many times the audience was likely wishing, as I was, that she would get herself out of that situation. But I understand why she didn’t. She was too young to assert herself, too much in love, and he was the biggest star in America — millions of girls would have taken her place in a heartbeat — a fact that is made very clear to her.

The end is a bit rushed. It’s assumed that the audience already knows that Elvis had a Comeback Special in 1968 that propelled him back to the top of the charts and was the beginning of a concert tour through America — one that just Elvis and his buddies embarked on — no wives allowed. It’s only at this point that Priscilla begins to discover that she should — and can — have a life of her own.

Cailee Spaeny gives a remarkable performance as Priscilla, well deserving of her Best Actress Award at the Venice Film Festival. She remains the humble, polite girl Elvis met when she was 14, but she slowly grows into a woman who finally realizes there’s more to life — and it’s outside the gates of Graceland.

Jacob Elordi is an interesting choice as Elvis. He’s got the accent and charm down pat, especially in the scenes that take place in Germany, but at 6’5″ he towers above Cailee (who is slightly shorter than the real-life Priscilla). In real life, Elvis was just under 6′ and had a very different body type. Since the movie doesn’t revolve around Elvis, no doubt Jacob wasn’t given the movement coaching that Austin Butler had when he created an Elvis who was so much like the real-life man that it made you wonder at times if it was Elvis or Austin in the award-winning film Elvis. Jacob’s performance is acceptable — but not noteworthy. He looks nothing like Elvis and moves nothing like him. A scene of him performing on stage is filmed from the back but it’s not even slightly convincing that it could be Elvis.

Priscilla is an eye-opening film, as is Priscilla’s autobiography Elvis and Me — and shocking at times. The audience audibly gasped in several scenes that come straight from the book — they’re not made up. In fact, there are a lot more details in the book that are even more shocking.

If you want to know what Priscilla’s life with Elvis was like, from her first meeting to their divorce, this film will answer many of your questions — in a very entertaining 1 hour and 50 minutes. ~Alexandra Heilbron

4 out of 5 stars.

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1. Gloria Edwatds • November 4, 2023 @ 8:44 PM

   When is Priscilla and time are the movie in Hiram Ga

2. Gloria Edwards • November 5, 2023 @ 1:40 PM

   What time Tuesday I can watch Priscilla movie?

3. charlotte Linda Harris • November 11, 2023 @ 5:19 PM

   Time move

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