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| The King and the President |
A Review of Elvis & Nixon by Nick Olszyk
MPAA Rating, R
USCCB Rating, NR
Reel Rating, Four Reels
In
outward appearance, Elvis Presley and Richard Nixon could not be more
different. One’s the King of Rock N’Roll idolized by millions of fans, the
other is an awkward, hard-nosed Republican politician whose idea of “fun” is
Security Council meetings. Yet inwardly, they have the same drives and
interests, and on one crazy afternoon fate brought them together for a few
precious moments. Elvis & Nixon is
fun, thrilling, and incredibly strange – proof a good movie can be made about
really anything.
The
whole episode only took thirty-six hours to transpire. Elvis (Michael Shannon)
is watching several televisions at once at home in his Graceland palace and is
thoroughly disgusted by the amount of the crime, drug use, and proliferation of
the counterculture he sees, shooting the screens rather than simply using the
remote. He then enlists a former member of his entourage Jerry (Alex Pettyfer)
to help him with a bold scheme: convince President Nixon (Kevin Spacey) to make
him a “Special Agent At-Large” to infiltrate radical groups like the Black
Panthers and expose their crimes. Elvis feels his background in Hollywood
costuming and karate make him especially qualified for the job. For any other
person, the request would be ludicrous, but this is the King. Through pure
charisma, Elvis is able to get his request considered and their meeting
produced an image that remains to this day the most requested photo from the
National Archives.
In
his later years, Elvis Presley epitomized “celebrity,” the last vestige of
European divine right kings in an American republic. Due to a carefully crafted
image and persona, he was able make people do things that would be impossible
under any other circumstance. When he decides to meet the President rather than
work through a long list of agents and personnel, he simply walks up to the
North Gate with a hand-written letter and expects to be let in. Rather than dismiss him, the guards bring his
letter directly to Undersecretary Krogh (Colin Hanks) who thinks the meeting
could help Nixon’s relationship to the youth. When Elvis shows up to the
meeting with no less than three handguns on his person, the secret service
politely ask him to leave his weapons at the door rather than arresting him.
Nixon, too, had this aurora over being above the climate around him. His
underlings are constantly walking in and out of the Oval Office, meeting his
every need whether it be a phone call with the President of Brazil or to refill
his dish of candy. He even brushes off the meeting Elvis because it interferes
with his “naptime.” While this kind of privilege is certainly excessing and
sometimes downright oppressive, there is a certain dignity from each of these
men that elicits this response. At least in their cases, it is earned through a
lifetime of accomplishments. I have no idea why people treat Kylee Jenner this
way.
This
kind of delicate treatment, where one’s every move is watched, does not
automatically make for a happy life. As Shakespeare noted: “heavy is the head
that wears the crown.” Both men feel compelled by their office to right the
wrongs of the world and both lead lives that take them far away from their loved
ones for days at a time. Elvis admits that he has been the King so long that he
no longer knows that “boy from Memphis.” In the film’s most beautiful scene,
Elvis, alone and without his entourage, admits that his profound loneness comes
from the early death of his twin brother and whether God blessed him to
compensate for the loss. What is not mentioned in the film is that Nixon’s
older brother also died from TB, leaving a devastating impact on the small boy.
When the titans finally meet, they quickly find common ground over their
struggle to come out of obscurity and poverty. They also both hate Communism,
hippies, drugs, and the Beatles. Soon, they are planning to remake the world as
fast friends. As odd pairing as they seem, perhaps they have found in each
other the first person who truly knows what the other is feeling.
Elvis & Nixon is the kind of film
best demonstrates “entertainment.” The writing funny, touching, and incredibly
well paced. Every scene moves these two people forward towards one another just
an inch until the tension is skull crushing. The acting is also brilliant.
Shannon and Spacey look absolutely nothing like their historical counterparts
but their movements, mannerisms, and style of speaking is so convincing it
doesn’t matter. This is a movie that does a lot with a little. The sets are
simple but perfectly styled. The costumes are accurate but not gaudy. There are
important themes woven into the narrative, but they never get in the way of
story or the humor. It’s the perfect outing for a Monday night with nothing to
do.
Ultimately,
this meeting was one of those weird events in US history that’s just too good
to pass up. It’s bizarre. It’s dumb. It has no real reason to exist. Yet even
in this brief moment, the audience learns something about American values, 70s
estrangement, and the need for true friends and family. This is a small film
that won’t win any awards, won’t be on any best ten lists, and few people will
see. That’s a crying shame.
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