Priscilla
Overview
Priscilla is a 2023 biographical drama film written and directed by Sofia Coppola, based on the 1985 memoir Elvis and Me by Priscilla Presley and Sandra Harmon. The film stars Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla Beaulieu and Jacob Elordi as Elvis Presley. The film is set in West Germany, at Graceland in Memphis, and in Los Angeles. Priscilla is 14 years old when she meets Elvis, who is 24. She is an army brat, living in West Germany with her stepfather. Elvis is stationed nearby. He is immediately attracted to her, and he begins a relationship with her. She moves to Graceland, and she lives with Elvis and his parents. The film follows the 13-year relationship between Priscilla and Elvis, from their first meeting to their divorce. The film is a quiet, intimate, and often disturbing portrait of a young woman who is groomed, controlled, and isolated by a powerful, famous, and emotionally manipulative man. Elvis is not portrayed as a monster, but as a flawed, insecure, and drug-addicted man. He loves Priscilla, but he also controls her. He chooses her clothes, her hair, and her friends. He is unfaithful to her, and he is physically and emotionally abusive. The film ends with Priscilla leaving Elvis, and driving away from Graceland. She is free. Cailee Spaeny won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for her performance. Priscilla was a critical success, earning over $35 million on a $20 million budget. The film is a powerful, poignant, and devastating portrait of a toxic relationship.
