Priscilla. 2023. USA. Written and directed by Sofia Coppola. Based on the book Elvis and Me by Priscilla Presley and Sandra Harmon. With Cailee Spaeny, Jacob Elordi. DCP. 114 min.
“Why must I be a teenager in love?” These lyrics, from a song by Dion, were written in the same year that a 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu met Elvis Presley. Elvis was already a massive star, but found himself a lonely soldier in Germany; and this precocious girl became his fixation and source of comfort. Writer-director Sofia Coppola tenderly portrays Priscilla’s journey from starry-eyed girlhood to spouse of the most famous singer in the world, and all of the intensity, heartache, and alienation she endured along the way. Based on Priscilla Presley’s 1985 memoir, the film features standout performances from Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi.