God Is the Bigger Elvis

God Is Bigger Than Elvis (2012)

*** (out of 4)

Oscar-nominated documentary taking a look at the life and career of Dolores Hart. The title, and the film's main focus, centers on Hart walking away from a good career in Hollywood and becoming a nun. Hart is probably best remembered for her role with Elvis in LOVING YOU and this 36-minute documentary interviews her about working with the star, other Hollywood people and why she gave it up to become a nun. Looking around the internet it seems this film has gained quite a bit of praise by people who respect Hart for giving up a career to become a nun but there's another group of people out there that seem to really hate her and the story told here. It's interesting that a film such as this can have such strong views by two opposite sides but I guess this happens when religion is involved. For the most part I found the documentary to be interesting and especially the early stuff with Hart in Hollywood. I thought the Elvis stories were quite nice and it was also interesting hearing about where her career might have gone had she not had a change of heart. It's also interesting hearing from the man she was supposed to marry and he talks about his heart being broken when he got the news that she was going to join the abbey.

After Mom mentioned wondering about Dolores Hart after she left the movies for the convent, I mentioned this short doc of hers was on YouTube. So we both watched it right away and we were both fascinated by her journey from Hollywood to the abbey in which she now resides. The most fascinating part is when we get to her former fiancee Don Robinson and his eventually never marrying because of his eternal love for Ms. Hart. I think that's all I'll say about that so on that note, Mom and me both highly recommend God is the Bigger Elvis.

This documentary isn't quite perfect because really it should have been longer and more in depth, in my opinion. Its brevity creates a tantalizing space where too many questions remain unanswered.

However, I loved the weight of the content - the reality of nuns being former Hollywood actresses or CEOs with drinking problems, women who had doubts and flaws who simply never felt right getting married to a man or living in the world.

They also touch on how it's not easy, how all of their problems aren't magically solved by choosing this vocation. I think more real-world information about the lives of cloistered people in religious life should exist.

This is the improbable story of Dolores Hart, Hollywood starlet turned cloistered nun. Best know for "Where The Boys Are", Ms. Hart in 1963 seems to have the perfect life: she is young, beautiful, talented, sought after and about to marry the love of her life. But there is something missing...how she finds that missing piece and where it leads her is the substance of the film. Inter-cutting scenes from her 60's film career with her very different life in the past 50 years and in the present makes for a compelling story. The last ten minutes of the documentary will absolutely haunt you as you realize the full implications of her decision to walk away from her former life.

I am no catholic. I can't even say I believe there is a god. But I defy anybody with a beating heart to judge this as anything but an ode to love. It is uplifting and heart- breaking. Mostly it drives home the glory of humanity. How many times have you seen that achieved in a short documentary? We have a central character who has made the most anti-Hollywood choice in history and a supporting cast who have made equally bold steps to back her up. Stock footage of the monastery deserve your full attention because they add so much nuance and clarity. It is a perfectly sculpted film, with humour and intrigue and of a succinct but lush economy.