Finding Graceland

Warning! Don't try to watch this movie without an IQ in excess of 100 and don't try to watch it with your brain... watch it with your heart.

It's clear why this movie didn't appeal to many audiences. It uses uncertainty and ambiguity like a craftsman. It raises more questions than answers. It suggest that a side of life exists that most people rarely suspect much less see.

Harvey Keitel is an unlikely angel hitching his way back to Graceland. The movie illustrates our unwillingness to accept the fact that our world is what we say it is and what we say it isn't.

Hidden in this predictably country and western-flavored, womanizing, motel tour across the southern countryside is an Elvis look-alike that doesn't look like Elvis, but knows things that only Elvis knows, and even wears the same shoe size as Elvis.

And the bottom line... the road less traveled that Elvis clearly steers for each person he encounters is redemption... personal transformation. But then, angels really don't make good entertainment, do they?

Pure enchantment and intrigue... enter this movie to witness Harvey Keitel stand up for the spirit, if not the flesh, of Elvis. Johnathon Schaech (as Byron Gruman) portrays a grieving husband traveling east who picks up the hitch-hiking Keitel, who claims to be Elvis making his way back to Graceland to reveal his 20-year plot to disappear. Little known to Byron, Elvis has a hidden agenda, and at every turn produces magic from all those who surround him. His true identity and intentions drag you into the plot and you teeter on not believing, and wanting to believe. Bridget Fonda enters as a Marilyn Monroe impersonator, and she and Byron both pursue the enigma of Elvis, all the way to the real Graceland. In the end, it is the journey, not the destination that matters, and Keitel produces an unforgettable character true to our images of the real Elvis... and yet... this movie is not about Elvis, it is about the heart, and dreams, and hope. The charm of this movie will linger with you (however improbable), as in "Local Hero", "Cinema Paradiso", or "The Swimmer" (Burt Lancaster), or even "One Special Christmas", or "Field of Dreams". Don't miss this performance, it's on my list of "must see at least once".

With only the sketchiest details beforehand, I expected nothing more than a flimsy "Elvis lives" flick (Then why was I watching? Good question). But this picture has a great deal to say about dealing with pain and loss brought on by reality, about finding one's own identity, about emotional interaction.

Perhaps it tries to say too much. There are loose ends, a too-heavy reliance on coincidence, and an idecision as to whether blind fate or human dynamics controls the course of one's existence. So be it. A quasi-philosophical approach to human destiny featuring Elvis and Marilyn? I'll take it.

Harvey Keitel was so badly miscast as any sort of Elvis that I was at first appalled by his having been chosen for the part (Did they need some sort of "name" in the credits?) But by the time the picture's themes began to emerge, it made a great deal of sense for someone totally impossible as Elvis to be playing the role. The story justified it. The character wasn't Elvis.....but he was.....but he really wasn't.

If you found some or all of what I did in this movie, you will enjoy Clint Eastwood's "Bronco Billy."

This movie was a lot of fun. If you're an Elvis fan you will surely like the ride to Graceland. It taps into the mystery surrounding Elvis in ways I've never seen before. The characters are a little emotionally strung out but it creates a sense of bonding between them that draws the viewer into the gig. Enjoyable movie, and some great scenery too. From out west, to gambling in Tunica Mississippi, to crying on Elvis's carpet inside Graceland. Priscilla was an advisor to the film and allowed some intimate participation from the estate. Harvey Keitel is a HOOT! Thumbs up and "thank you ver.." ...alright I won't.

Yesterday, I was flipping channels and came across this little gem. As soon as I saw Harvey Keitel, I laid the tv remote down. I caught it during the opening credits and I had no clue what to expect. I wasn't too concerned though. Any film involving Keitel usually has its rewards. The story follows a young man who was widowed a year ago. He's taking a road trip when he picks up a drifter who claims to be Elvis, but looks nothing like the king.

This is the kind of feel-good drama that I haven't seen in a long time. Perhaps what suprised me the most, was that this is the kind of flick that the whole family can enjoy. The prfanity is very light and there is one mild scene of sexuality. Harvey Keitel delivers a knockout performance as Elvis and Bridget Fonda was also quite good in a barely recognizable role as a Marilyn Monroe impersonator. It was only when she took off the make-up that I recognized her. This one is well worth seeing.