Elvis Biopic Brings Fans to the Luez Theater in Large Numbers
More than 40 years after his death, the love of Elvis has only grown stronger and his fans more devoted. It is no surprise a brand-new movie about the singer and actor was well received. The long-awaited release of Elvis, Baz Luhrmann’s glitzy and Hollywood style biopic, has already become one of the many favorite movies depicting Elvis’ life. And, it too has drawn fans and those new to Elvis in droves across the country, and even in Hardeman County, to movie theaters. Opening weekend, Elvis made more than $30 million dollars at the box office.
The Luez Theater premiered Elvis the July 15 weekend with plans for a two-day, Friday and Saturday, showing and ended up adding a third with a Sunday matinee. Earlier this week, the Luez Theater announced it would hold the film over for another weekend with showings on Friday and Saturday, July 22 and July 23.
“Elvis fans have flocked by the hundreds to see him on the big screen in downtown Bolivar,” said Brad Grantham, Luez Theater General Manager who noted Elvis outperformed Top Gun: Maverick at the Luez. “Fans have shared with me memories, their favorite songs Elvis sang, and all kinds of stories involving The King.”
Margie Vales has been an Elvis Fan since 1954. One of her favorite memories of Elvis is when she met him on his 32nd birthday. Vales and a friend parked their car outside of Vernon Presley’s home. They were two of many fans who had gathered around the home to see Elvis and were able to capture his attention.
“That was in 1967. We asked Elvis if he would take a picture with us, and he agreed,” said Vales who remembers exactly where she was on August 16, the day Elvis died. “It was one day before he was to go on tour. I was working at Harmon Automotive and I got about 11 calls from people telling me he had died. My first thought was ‘no this just can’t be’. I was heartbroken.”
Before Vales saw the movie, knowing the history of Hollywood portrayals of celebrities, she conditioned herself to not get upset with the details that would be shown.
“No one can change my mind about Elvis, because I know the truth,” said Vales who noted some facts and some exaggerations presented in the movie. “I thought the actor (Austin Butler) did a good job.”
For the locals, Elvis may have left the building, but he “lives and breathes” right here in Hardeman County through Brian Lee Howell who has been a fulltime Elvis impersonator for the past 17 years. Howell thanks Haley, his wife and manager, for encouraging him to step on the stage and “into the shoes” of the entertainer he has loved and admired for many years.
“I have been excited to see the movie and I am so glad I finally got to see it in the theater,” said Howell who really wanted to see how Elvis and Colonel Tom Parker were portrayed on the big screen. “I know Hollywood always has a way of dramatizing things, but I think it was pretty accurate overall. It gave a good glimpse into the life of Elvis and how he always wanted to please his fans. You can see the one place he was truly happy was up on stage in front of a live audience.”
Both Howell and Vales agreed Elvis depicted the truth about the relationship between Parker and Elvis, and the amount of control Parker had over Elvis’ life. Howell believes Elvis knew the direction he wanted his music to go better than Parker did.
“One thing I think a lot of people may never understand about Elvis is that he was always trying to figure out why things happened in his life the way they did. Why was he so famous?,” said Howell. “Elvis constantly read the Bible and other books searching for answers as to why God allowed him to be the star that he was. However, with all that fame and money, he was just a sad and lonely man. Elvis never knew who his true friends were due to his fame and money.”
Howell added that Austin Butler and Tom Hanks (Colonel Tom Parker) did a great job in the film.
“If I could change anything, I think I would have used a little less foul language against God in the film. There really were not many other curse words throughout the movie though,” said Howell. “The one thing this film was meant to do was to share Elvis’ life, legacy, and music to a new generation. I think it accomplished that goal 100 percent. So, all in all . . . it was a great movie!”
See Elvis at the Luez Theater
Friday, July 22 – 7 p.m.
Saturday, July 23 – 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The Luez Theater (219 North Main Street, Bolivar, 38008) box office opens one hour before the show begins. (731) 228-9007.
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