Elvis Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
A chronicle of the life of Elvis Presley (Rhys Meyers), from his humble beginnings to his rise to international stardom.
| Randy Quaid | 'Colonel' Tom Parker |
| Rose McGowan | Ann-Margret |
| Tim Guinee | Sam Phillips |
| Antonia Bernath | Priscilla Presley |
| Jack Noseworthy | Steve Binder |
| Robert Patrick | Vernon Presley |
| Camryn Manheim | Gladys Presley |
| Clay Steakley | Bill Black |
| Mark Adam | Scotty Moore |
| Robert C. Treveiler | Larry Geller |
| Jennifer Rae Westley | Dixie Locke |
| John Boyd West | Red West |
| Randy McDowell | Gene Smith |
| Eric William Pierson | D.J. Fontana |
| James Steven Sadwith |
7.20 out of 10 (619 votes)
Visitor Reviews
overall pretty good, could slightly improve
posted on 26 May 2009I saw this mini series, as I am a gigantic Elvis fan, although it's before my time. I missed a bit of the first one but what I saw of the first and second were awesome. I thought that the character who played Elvis looked the part much more than previous Elvis's. I was slightly disappointed with Priscilla, not to say that the actress was unattractive, she wasn't but she didn't look much like the real thing. Same for Ann Margaret. I was disappointed come the end of the movie, but that's me. Overall, this was a good movie to watch and it was informative for the people who don't know a lot about the Presley's and are interested.
Great job but somewhat depressing
posted on 06 May 2009Jonathan Rhys-Meyers did as good a job as I've ever seen portraying the King of Rock and Roll. Although Elvis cursed more than he ever has in any version of his life I've seen, and he was often abusive to those he was close to, he was an appealing character overall, especially at the beginning of his career. And he really cared about his fans.Something I wasn't aware of: Elvis cared about the quality of his movies as much as he cared about good music, but he didn't have as much control over his acting as his singing.I can't recall Elvis' relationship to his mother being shown in such detail. Camryn Manheim did an outstanding job, and I noticed in the documentary airing later in the week on CBS how much the real Gladys Presley resembled Manheim.Randy Quaid also impressed as Colonel Parker. He was very convincing as an aging man, and he was shown as quite a schemer, but he was not overdone.There were many other good acting performances. Tim Guinee as Sam Phillips should be mentioned, and Rose McGowan made a sultry Ann-Margret. And I have to mention the black woman at the Cadillac dealership. A brief performance, but very effective.Like Parker, I'm more of a Lawrence Welk man, but Elvis is something special. And the musical performances were great.The first part was the most enjoyable, when Elvis was just a young kid getting his career started, when the talent came through and was not overshadowed by fame. Overall, it was a worthy effort.
Did not plan on watching... I could not leave the room!
posted on 03 Mar 2009I did not plan on watching this movie, but it happened to be on the television as I watched through the room. After watching for a few minutes I was hooked. When I saw the add for this movie I honestly did not think that someone from a different country could pull off a GOOD Elvis....But Johnathan Ryhs-Meyers does a great job. He has the accent, the moves and the lip syncing down. I did find the actress who plays Priscilla not to be as convincing. Priscilla is a very attractive women, and I found Antonia Bernath to be pretty but quite as striking. If the first part of this series airs again, it is certainly worth watching, if not for the good acting at least for the good music.
Incredible
posted on 27 Feb 2009I think Jonathan Rhys-Meyers was just fantastic in the role of Elvis. I have been a fan of JRM since I first saw him in Velvet Goldmine and if you had asked me to pick someone to play Elvis I would have never come up with his name. From the first minutes of this movie I couldn't believe how similar his portrayal was to the Elvis I've always seen. I actually thought at one point that they were sneaking Elvis footage into the performances. Watching it I was reminded of how blown away I was by Jamie Foxx last year playing Ray Charles, but in that case I wasn't as familiar with Ray Charles. Even though I was 4 when Elvis died I've watched his movies several times over, the concerts, the retrospectives, and my "favorite Elvis" was always the Comeback Special Elvis. So as I'm sitting there watching this performance I'm constantly amazed at these flashes of perfection, that just came one after another after another. And by the time you get to'If I Can Dream' in the Comeback Special you should be rocked to the core with how amazingly brilliant JRM was. I can't get over it. As a fan if you watch something like Love Me Tender, then Flaming Star, then maybe Live a Little, Love a Little (my favorite), you know that those are 3 different Elvises. As time went on he carried himself differently, spoke differently, just matured into his persona as the King, and Jonathan got all of those little nuances. I'm severely impressed. This is his breakout performance.The rest of the movie, was good too. I'm assuming it was mostly accurate. If that's the case something I never knew was that Elvis tried to get rid of the Colonel. I wasn't alive back then so maybe real fans knew that but I was surprised by it. Randy Quaid is always great. I knew nothing about Elvis' dad so I can't say anything about Robert Patrick except that I've always loved him too. :D Camryn Manheim was great because at the end of part one, I forgot it was her. All this movie did was make me want more Elvis. Everyone who has ever liked Elvis, even a little bit, or likes to watch excellent acting, should check it out. And for younger fans who didn't grow up as the events of the story were playing out, it's informative as well.
Major Surprise TV movie
posted on 26 Jan 2009Randy Quaid almost steals the show as the Colonel, his acting should be award-winning. I don't know how realistic the role was, but the real Colonel could have only hoped to be such a dynamic character.Overall it was a pleasantly surprising TV movie, and Rhys-Meyers did a terrific job as Elvis. I wish he could have been 2 inches taller, but his voice impersonation was very believable.Robert Patrick and Camryn Manheim both did excellent acting jobs. Except for Rose McGowan as Ann-Margret, the casting was excellent.Very easy and fun to watch, I gave it a 9/10 because it is made for TV, and it is surprising that they put so much effort into it.
This is very bad..
posted on 12 Jan 2009This was a very bad movie .. Jonathan who played Elvis was so boring to watch he had nothing but a face that in some scenes looked like Elvis .. This guy doesn't have any percent of the 100% charisma that The REal Elvis had .. He has no glow in is performance its to much over the top all trough the movie . The last scene If i can Dream is so badly lipped synced and played that i started to laugh i mean common!! Elvis had a little more sex appeal and nerve then this ... Bad bad bad bad CBS Did a Bad bad thing..Has this actor ever lay ed an eye on Elvis performances? i mean it looked as if he had watched the 68 comeback special like two times or something .. And his singing in the Sun Studio is awful its false and bad! bad! So i wonder how could you cast this guy was it only for the poster ? cause it sure looks like it.Rickard Lindquist
Worth Watching
posted on 07 Nov 2008I didn't know how Jonathan Rhys-Meyers was going to pull off playing Elvis after having just seen him in The Velvet Goldmine. After watching for 5 minutes, I thought I was watching The King himself. Talk about great acting! Randy Quaid was very good as 'Colonel' Tom Parker as well. I couldn't really warm up to the actresses that played Priscilla or Ann-Margret though.What a cool behind the scenes glimpse of the life of Elvis. On the outside, he seemed as if he could do anything. Deep down, he was just human like the rest of us.Very much worth watching. :)
Fantastic
posted on 12 Oct 2008I've just watched the first half of this on DVD and can't believe I've waited so long to see it! I've never been too bothered about Elvis - he died 6 years before I was born - but this fascinated me from the first 5 minutes. I'm a fan of Johnny Rhys-Meyers anyway and this is by far the best thing I've seen him in.I bought the DVD as a Christmas present for an Elvis fan but I think I might have to get another copy for myself now, and borrow some of her other movies about/starring Elvis too.I understand comments about the lip-syncing, but if Johnny can't pin down the accent while singing (he's a great singer in his own right) then rather that have him do an injustice. I'd like to have heard Elvis try and sing in a Cork accent ;) I think that Johnny, plus the actress playing Mrs Presley and the actor as Colonel Parker have all done anastounding job here. The awards they won for it are well deserved. I can't wait to get home tonight and watch the second half.
How did this get on the air?
posted on 24 Sep 2008This movie is one long cliché. Everyone knows the story by now, as it's been told waaaaay too many times. I'm a huge fan of Elvis (the singer, not the movie) and I think the actors try real hard in this film, but the writing is so ridiculous they don't have a lot to work with. I don't know how many times something was said or done in this movie that made me go "Yeah, right!". Most TV movies, especially ones that try to tell a true story, are woefully bad, and this one will have you squirming and groaning, right down to the bad lip-synching of real Elvis studio recordings. This film may be of some use if you're new to the planet and have never heard of Elvis Presley before.
It will knock your blue suede shoes off!
posted on 16 Sep 2008A true Elvis fan will appreciate the solid and outstanding effort by Jonathan Rhys Meyers. He was a natural choice for this project. Aside from the strong resemblance, he also found a way to speak and move like him. He doesn't over-do the accent or the moves. The supporting cast deserves a lot of credit as well, especially Camryn's portrayal of Gladys Presley. The story is very well written and flows nicely. Most fans will enjoy learning more details about the events in his life. The music is exciting too. You will hear the original master recordings as Jonathan performs and he stays true to the tone of the song. Without a doubt this mini-series will keep you captivated.
One of the best biographies ever. Ellvis lives on!
posted on 29 Aug 2008I have seen every movie made about Elvis with the exception of a regional drive-in movie that was fictitious called "The Legend" I believe, and not since Kurt Russell's phenomenal impersonation in the 1970s TV Movie have I seen such an amazing job of acting as done by this young kid from Ireland. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers was so stunningly accurate even though the combed back hair made his forehead look a little too prominent. Still, I did not work against his extremely effective portrayal of the King of Rock and Roll. Okay, I know I'm being picky here, but having been a portrait artist for 48 years, it's hard not to notice such physical details.What made this film all the more watchable were the acting of Camryn Manheim as Mama Presley and Randy Quaid as The Colonel. In both cases, the actors added so many shades to their characters and, despite the stories we Elvis die-hard fans know inside out, the script was put together in a way that made it all unfold as though we were there. And after not quite lookalike actors like Don Johnson with a voice that sounded more like one of David Seville's Chipmunks than Elvis, and Dale Midkiff who lacked the charisma with his slight resemblance to the man in the miniseries "Elvis And Me") this time, we had a guy we could believe was the real thing. And then there was the guy from the TV show who also played Elvis Michael St. Gerard who had such an uncanny resemblance to Elvis though with nothing close to the voice (except for the time he briefly played Elvis in "Great Balls Of Fire" and for one scene tells Dennis Quaid's Jerry Lee Lewis "Take it! Take it awwlll!") he was okay in the acting department but only okay. This guy Jonathon Rhys-Meyers has some serious acting chops. I loved his work in this one and will keep an eye out for him in the future. (And isn't it ironic how both Quaids have gotten to be connected somehow to the Elvis legend?)So to all the Elvis haters and those who tore this film down, you don't have a clue. This was a great movie and for TV was a bloody masterpiece.I can't wait until this sucker is on DVD or video and I can buy a copy for my personal collection. Thank you CBS for this great present.
Good but Incomplete, Like the Singer's Life
posted on 03 Aug 2008I enjoyed this two-part movie, but why oh why did they stop so abruptly at the 1968 comeback special? By doing so, they left out quite possibly the most interesting part of Elvis' life: His rise from the dead to become the world's preeminent performer once again. The years 1969-1973 were great ones for Elvis professionally and chaotic personally. If they wanted to stop short of showing his demise and death in 1977, they could have stopped at the 73' Satellite concert from Hawaii. Anyway, Meyers and Quaid were good as Elvis and the Colonel, respectively. Manheim was also convincing as Elvis' mom and Rose McGowan captured the raw sexual energy of Ann Margeret. However, the woman who played Priscilla was not very good. All in all, it is a very watchable portrayal, but it could have been better had they attempted to cover the "Vegas Years".
The Elvis CBS Mini Series
posted on 20 Jul 2008I have read some of the comments regarding the Elvis CBS mini series just aired and as someone who was close to Elvis for over 20 years it is disheartening to see the praise for this mini series, it's story, script and the midget who played Elvis. A midget in many aspects. What we feared when we heard about the script has come to pass. These reviews point out to those of us who were close to him what we really were afraid of. That the general public would believe that pitiful story that was shown because the general public and many fans really don't know how it was.Films like this do Elvis an injustice and along with the many discrepancies portrayed it once again portrayed Elvis as a wimpy, weak ass, whiny person when in fact he was a strong human being in many aspects of his life.I was told by some Elvis fans who also disagree with you all on the brilliance of this movie about these reviews on this website and I was compelled to post here and respectfully inform you that the mini series was far from the reality of Elvis and all those years.Thank you, Marty Lacker
very disappointed Elvis fan
posted on 28 Mar 2008I thought this would be a fantastic min i series, decent cast, and John Rhys Meyers kinda looks the role.Soooo disappointed.I mean John Rhys Meyers, i know he won an award for it and all that, but he was not very good IMHO. It got to the point where my sister and I had to stop watching. The story was fine, and the ideas worked, but the main performance was just appalling, and the lip syncing was even worse.No the door is definitely still open for a decent Elvis movie or min series.
An entertaining piece, with only one flaw.
posted on 24 Jan 2008As a lifelong admirer and advocate of Elvis Presley, I wish to say that the story was quite enjoyable and would have educated younger generations of people as to what Elvis Presley achieved in his life up until the 1968 "Comeback" Special. Generally, the actors were terrific. I feel that the two most powerful performances came from Camryn Manheim, who gave an extraordinary and sympathetic portrayal of Elvis' mother, Gladys Presley..and from Randy Quaid, who was equally convincing as the greedy "Colonel". Also, Robert Patrick, was fine in his role as Elvis' daddy, Vernon Presley. Sadly, Elvis' strong-willed and much-loved Grandmother, Minnie Mae Presley, was virtually invisible in this story and, to me, the actor who took on the challenge of playing the world's greatest entertainer, failed miserably. Realising it is impossible to capture the beauty and the magic that was Elvis, I nonetheless found the portrayal to be "wooden", predictable and unconvincing...in an otherwise, good film.
Good movie, bad casting
posted on 05 Dec 2007Aside from Randy Quaid and Camryn Manheim, anyone even slightly familiar with Elvis and the people who surrounded him during his life will be offended by this poorly cast nightmare. Not only are the supporting players infuriatingly worthless, but miscasting Elvis is unforgivable. Jonathon what's-his-name bears a striking resemblance to the King from some angles, but the resemblance ends there. This guy is not only way too short and narrow shouldered, but he can't move like the King or lip sync to save is life.....and come on! How could they possibly screw up the hair so badly? Did the hair stylist even look at a picture of the real Elvis? No full pompadour?? I've heard bad Elvis impersonators in Las Vegas do a less phony southern drawl.....it got downright irritating after a while.The scenes in which they attempted to recreate the '68 TV special are as flat and boring as the real thing was exciting. I recall the real Elvis from that famous broadcast sitting there confidently in black leather, looking like a rock and roll God....the icon of the 20th century. This poor actor looked more like a reject from the "Tiny Elvis" skits from Saturday Night Live. It's not his fault. He tried, but it's obvious that no one who really knew what Elvis was about had given him any advice. Anyone who finds his performance the least bit accurate hasn't a clue about the real thing. If you're going to recreate the King, you'd better have a good degree of charisma yourself....you can't fool the camera. Kurt Russell looked less like the King (facially) when he had his turn 25 years ago, but he flat out nailed Elvis with his talent and his own special magic. If they ever decide to do "Elvis: The Final Years," the producers better crawl on their hands and knees and beg Kurt to do it......no one else has even come close to capturing the King like Mr. Russell did.Thanks to Marty Lacker for responding on this site to these many reviews, I couldn't agree more with your view of this film, Marty. It's great see someone who has personal knowledge of Elvis post the truth.
Why would they do that to Priscilla?
posted on 29 Nov 2007Did anyone notice that the "Actress" in the Hollywood lot that told Elvis to wash the back of his neck looked an AWFUL LOT like Priscilla? I thought that when I saw part one but when I saw who they had cast in part two I was convinced. Antonia Bernath was cute but pulled in a flat and predictable performance. Azure Dawn has the striking beauty and poise of a young Priscilla. Her profile is identical! With the right hair, make up, and blue contacts, it would be uncanny. The look in Azure's eyes was deep and emotional when she looked at Elvis. Antonia's was Flat and blank. Azure was better in her small little scene than Antonia was in all of her scenes. Azure's performance was convincing and unpredictable so I'm pretty sure she could have done a MUCH better job! What a stupid mistake to cast someone that looks and acts nothing like Priscilla and then cast someone that looks just like her and doesn't play her in the same movie. How could they not see that? Priscilla was a very important element in Elvis' life and I just can't believe that something so obvious was over looked. This movie had so many flaws and holes. This is just one of the many examples that bugged me. In general I thought JRM was good but not brilliant. Rose McGowan looked like she tried too hard. A lot of the smaller roles, though, were done well. Cameron Manheim was brilliant and stole the show.
A blatant mockery of Elvis's life!
posted on 19 Nov 2007I was quite appalled at this movie, which takes on an almost comedic approach to what is one of the most intriguing and moving stories. It seems that half the facts have been changed to turn Elvis' life into a better "story". If you want a more accurate story and actual Elvis footage, the documentaries made many years ago or 'This Is Elvis (1981)' is still a better bet. Acting by all in 'Elvis (2005)' is mediocre at best, and the way the lead actor portrays Elvis is a little "over the top" for a lot of the time. The rest of the cast is also average. The movie moves very slow in some parts and then jumps around in others, which makes it somewhat difficult to follow, and although as a whole it is a very average film, somehow it draws you in, until at the end you think to yourself, "How did I end up watching that for as long as I did?".
Outsourcing Elvis
posted on 09 Nov 2007ELVIS is the DVD version of the much lauded television miniseries (it won both Golden Globe and Emmy awards for actors Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Camryn Manheim and Randy Quaid): the transfer of the extended three hour long series to a single DVD format is successful and demonstrates once again that made of television movies can often be superior to the Hollywood format. The film is not without its flaws: the script by Patrick Sheane Duncan is painfully pedestrian at times and the use of lip-syncing using a variety of Presley recordings isn't always convincing. But director James Steven Sadwith manages to overcome the obstacles and gives us a rather personalized view of the life of the King.The film covers Elvis Presley's life from his near poverty beginnings in Tupelo to his worldwide fame and fortune at his 'comeback' in 1968. The development of the committed guitar-playing singer from his first record through the development of his 'style' and the ultimate glory and insecurity that paired his magic time is well told. If the story seems to be repetitive and goes on too long, then it also is giving the audience time to see the man behind the shadow of fame.Oddly enough Jonathan Rhys Meyers (now so superb in another biographical series as Henry VIII in 'The Tudors') was imported for the leading role, and while some may question the use of outsourcing here, Rhys Meyers is so convincing in every way that the reasons for casting him are clear. Camryn Manheim offers fine work as Presley's all-important mother and Robert Patrick plays his supportive father. Randy Quaid gives a bravura performance as the oddly successful Colonel Parker. Some of the other roles - Rose McGowan's misfired portrayal of Ann-Margaret and Antonia Bernath's of Priscilla - are less successful, but their contributions are balanced by the fine work of Tom Guinee as the pivotally important Sam Phillips.In all this is a quality piece of work about one of America's icons whose presence is still palpable thirty years after Presley's untimely death at age 42. The awards given to this film are well earned and the DVD offers a fine (if long) evening of entertainment and nostalgia. Grady Harp
Elvis movie
posted on 05 Jul 2009I think that this move was very well written and had an excellent cast to play the characters that most influenced throughout his lifetime.The person who played Elvis was very convincing and the person who played his mother, Mrs. Presely, was so lovable, I just adored the whole cast and cannot wait to buy the movie when it comes out on video. I think that the movie portrays Elvis' life in a very unique lovable fun original way and i think that it will be loved throughout the generations because Elvis was and still is truly the King and he will always be remembered in everyones lives both young and old. I know that I will always remember him.