Priscilla ★★★½

As one of the 20th century’s greatest singers, the “King of Rock and Roll” Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi) is immortal. His impact in the music industry is unmatched and he is beloved to this day, Baz Luhrmann’s smash hit Elvis evidence of this. With fame, however, comes visibility. Elvis’ romantic life was the subject of countless gossip columns and no one was more attuned to Elvis’ romances and infidelity than his wife Priscilla Presley (Cailee Spaeny).

Based on Priscilla Presley’s memoir Elvis and Me, Priscilla tells the story of Priscilla’s relationship with Elvis from the moment she first laid eyes on him to their divorce. Elvis is shown through rose-tinted glasses when Priscilla first meets him, Priscilla a fan of Elvis’ music and lonesome through living in Germany where her father is stationed as part of the United States Air Force. Elvis is experiencing the same homesickness and the two form a bond. As kindred souls, they quickly take a romantic interest in each other despite their difference in age – Elvis 24 and Priscilla 14 at the time.

Priscilla’s parents are skeptical of Elvis’ intentions with their daughter, but Elvis is able to win over Priscilla’s parents through discussions with them and the support of his Army friends who vouch for his character. At this point, Elvis is already a sensation and Priscilla’s parents question what place in Elvis’ life their daughter could possibly hold. When Elvis concludes his military service and returns to the US, he and Priscilla become separated. During this time, Priscilla is downtrodden and her parents attempt to console her. In their belief, her relationship with Elvis wasn’t destined for anything more than a fling.

Two years later, however, Elvis invites Priscilla to visit him at Graceland. Their love is quickly reignited and after an unforgettable weekend in Vegas, Elvis implores Priscilla’s parents to let her live with him in his Graceland estate and finish up high school in Memphis. With a future with Elvis coming into form, Priscilla is enamored and persuades her parents that she can go live with Elvis as long as she promises to graduate high school.

Once Priscilla arrives at Graceland, she comes to understand that living with Elvis at the peak of his fame is a different experience than falling in love with him abroad. Elvis’ family is welcoming to Priscilla, but Elvis is often on tour or acting in films. Graceland is beautiful and lavish, but for Priscilla it’s exceptionally isolating. A gift Elvis gives Priscilla – a puppy – is cute at the onset, but over time that puppy becomes a depressing reminder of just how alone Priscilla is at Graceland. She wanders the dimly lit rooms and hallways of Graceland with her puppy and patiently awaits Elvis’ return.

When Priscilla is with Elvis, it’s clear how much in love the couple is. Watching Priscilla, we want a happy ending for Priscilla and Elvis. One scene shows them seemingly spending an entire week in bed watching television and giggling, enjoying each other’s comfort. Sofia Coppola does not demonize Elvis – she shows her through Priscilla’s eyes and we see his gentleness and vulnerability. But over time, Elvis begins to assert his wishes on Priscilla. He is critical of the colors and patterns she wears in her clothing and persuades her to dye the color of her hair to bring out her eyes. He wants her to look young and innocent, to preserve his perception of her and nurture his emotional needs in a relationship. We see their relationship shift and become one-sided. When Priscilla expresses her opinion on a song Elvis plays for her in his office, he has an outburst and throws a chair in her direction, hitting the wall beside her and leaving an indentation. Immediately after he comes to her to apologize and comfort her, but any illusions Priscilla still has about their relationship are starting to fracture. Elvis sees his fame as a means of leverage in their relationship and even tells Priscilla that there are many who would take her place if she were to leave. He places Priscilla in a difficult situation which becomes all the more challenging for her to navigate as she reads about his affairs and is compelled to confront him.

Playing the role of Priscilla is a nuanced task, and Cailee Spaeny more than rises to the occasion. She expresses Priscilla’s love, hopefulness, patience, forgiveness, frustration, and finally sadness as if they were her own. But most importantly, she shows Priscilla’s kindness and the selflessness of her character. Priscilla shows a woman who deserved to be loved and desired in her marriage. By staying close to Priscilla’s memoir, Sofia Coppola tells Priscilla’s story with empathy for her relationship and its complexities.