A review of “Elvis”

"Elvis! Elvis! Elvis!"
It seems that name and image audibly reverberate in the minds of many Americans, enough so that the recent release of the major motion picture starring young actor, Austin Butler, as Elvis Presley and Academy Award winning actor Tom Hanks as his longtime manager, Colonel Tom Parker, is capturing the interest of a whole new generation of Americans.
It is something when any entertainment icon maintains their, for lack of a better word, "stardom" beyond the grave, but Elvis Presley has certainly done that. It has been nearly 45 years since the death of the late Elvis Presley and, yet, his fame has not only survived, but thrived in the minds and hearts of the American public.
Why is that? There are many possible answers, but if you see the movie, and I do recommend it, you will see that, despite the sheer "crookedness" of Elvis's manager, he saw in Elvis those very rare things: presence, tremendous talent, and the ability to make an audience "feel" what was being performed. In a word, that is called "charisma," and people either have it or they don't. It has more to do with a quality of how that individual's presence can capture the emotions and hearts of people. Charisma transcends looks, age or any other factor peddled as important in today's world.
Elvis had it through his short life, no matter if he was thin and slim or morbidly obese and kind of puffy looking, he had it. The kind of charisma he possesses still causes many Americans to think of wonderful times; his unmistakable voice, his moves and the fact that he came from humble beginnings and was from the very heart of the poorest region in America at the time, notably the State of Mississippi and the American South.
He embodied in his talent the rich cultural influences of his region, and not only embodied them, but embraced them. In an age where technology seems to be, at times, more highly valued than true literacy, it is refreshing to know young Austin Butler spent two years researching the music, the speech patterns, the courage nuances of Elvis Presley and, in my opinion, he nailed it. Prepare yourself for sadness in the story. Ladies, take enough Kleenex you can share, as everyone may need them.
I seldom want to see many current movies twice. I would see this one again and purchase it. I have never been a rabid Elvis fan. I appreciated his talent and recognized it. "Elvis" is a great movie about a great and tortured and beyond talented American icon, Elvis Presley. Put on your “blue suede shoes,” pat your “hound dog,” say farewell to your “teddy bear” and enjoy some Americana in the "Elvis" movie.
From the Eight Mile Still on the Woodpecker Route north of White Springs, wishing you a good day.