Fans of Elvis Presley, also known as The King of Rock and Roll, have been waiting for the beloved singer to get a definitive film biography for some time now. In 2022, following a years-long production process that was temporarily halted, in a similar manner to countless other recently released films, by the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite the long wait, Elvis proved to be a massive success at the box office. Thus far, the film has made $216 million against its $85 million budget.
Elvis has received mostly positive reviews. On the production side of things, the film’s flashy costume design is perfectly period accurate, and the film’s multiple musical numbers, which feature the titular rocker moving and grooving with his classic hip gyrations, have garnered a lot of praise. Perhaps more importantly, the film’s lead actor, Austin Butler (The Dead Don’t Die, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), turned in a perfect performance as Presley. However, as is often the case with biographical dramas, Elvis took certain creative liberties in attempting to craft a coherent film out of the life and times of The King, particularly in its characterization of the titular character.
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Here are some of the ways in which the real-life Elvis differs from his film counterpart.
Elvis’ Problematic Relationship With Priscilla Presley
The primary love of Elvis Presley’s life was Priscilla. Following Presley’s arrest and subsequent enlistment in the U.S. Army, he meets Priscilla while stationed in Germany, and the two are married shortly thereafter.
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However, there are problematic facets of the relationship between Elvis and Priscilla Presley that the film (rather conveniently) excludes. By most accounts of the singer’s life, Elvis met Priscilla at a party in 1959. At the time, Elvis was 24, and Priscilla was only 14. Though laws and attitudes regarding relationships with underage individuals were different in the 1950s, it is difficult to note this age gap without casting Elvis in a negative light. It would be impossible to tell the story of Elvis without including Priscilla, as their relationship was heavily influential to the singer.
As such, it is understandable that the filmmakers would exclude explicitly mentioning the problematic age gap, though it does a bit of a disservice to the film’s accuracy.
The Dramatic On-Stage Firing of Colonel Tom Parker
The creators of Elvis chose to frame the film through the lens of an unreliable narrator who had a complex relationship with Presley, the singer’s business manager Colonel Tom Parker, portrayed by Tom Hanks. Throughout the film, Colonel Tom Parker proves to be little more than a devious con artist, and he exploits a young Presley at every point of his burgeoning career.
In the film, when Elvis has finally had enough of Parker’s unsavory business practices and realizes that Hanks’ character has been taking advantage of him for years, he stops in the middle of a live performance to call out and fire his business manager. In reality, Elvis was a consummate professional and would never have interrupted a performance for personal or business reasons. While the film fairly accurately discusses Colonel Tom Parker’s exploitative relationship with Presley, the end of their relationship is heavily dramatized.
Presley’s Musical Influences
In Elvis, the performer is presented as sympathetic to the cause of civil rights. This is understandable, given the fact that Presley was heavily influenced by African American music. Several of his songs were direct covers of pieces originally performed by Black artists, like “Hound Dog,” which is largely thought to be the original creation of Elvis Presley (and which gets a killer pop remix by Doja Cat in the recently released film). However, it was debuted by Big Mama Thornton.
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While it would be impossible to discuss Elvis’ musical influences without discussing African American music, the film is likely over-reliant on the narrative that Elvis was exclusively inspired by Black music. Though it is understandable why the filmmakers would choose to focus on the creative expression of marginalized communities, Elvis was also inspired by musical genres more traditionally associated with white performances, like Gospel hymns and country tunes.
While it’s fair to say that the recently released Elvis biopic isn’t entirely accurate, it is certainly a close approximation to the spirit of Presley’s life. The film doesn’t shy away from delving into the singer’s tragic final years, which include a difficult divorce with Priscilla Presley, who takes full custody of their daughter Lisa, and the crippling substance abuse issue which ultimately takes the singer’s life. Unlike countless other musical biopics before it, Elvis is far from just a sing-along.
Despite the artistic liberties taken by the film’s creators regarding the facts of the King of Rock and Roll’s life, audiences can still learn a lot about Elvis from the film.
