God Is the Bigger Elvis

I have a hard time distinguishing a cloistered life from a Manson cult. It has the same mental illness, the same self-hatred, the same power figure, and the same denial of reality. It is quite possible to live simply and close to nature without the trappings of an organization with rules, rituals, and rites. Only when life is "too much" for you is there a temptation to give up. But giving up it is, make no mistake.

I remember a drinking game called Cardinal Puff. It required an exact routine. If you made a mistake, you had to drink up and start over. It had as much meaning as the cloistered routine.

It made me sad to see that Ms. Hart gave up on life and mental health, but also very happy that she is content with her choices. The true thing is that we have to reconcile ourselves to the choices we make. She has done so.

The amazing and unusual life of former Hollywood actress Dolores Hart is exposed in this short film. In 1963 at the age of 25, Hart was a star having acted with superstars like Elvis Presley and was in love and engaged to architect Don Robinson. Despite having what most could only conceive in dreams, she gave it all up to her calling to live as a nun in a benedictine abbey in Connecticut where she has lived ever since.

With modesty, Hart explains the need for a deeper spiritual connection in her life as the reason for her life-changing decision. The film explores her history of living at the abbey and interviews other nuns and how they reached the same decision. A few nuns were idealists during the 1960s and 1970s - a time when idealism was popular. While the society around them changed, they found the monastic life suitable to the ideals they wanted to keep.

Most amazing is the continuous connection Hart and Robinson had maintained during Hart's life in the convent. This is best exposed in the final scene which is deeply moving in a quiet way. It can remind one of the sadness we feel when we have visited loved ones from far away and might not see again for a long time. It was quite touching and it's worth noting that Robinson died shortly after the film's completion.

The monastic life is described as quite difficult yet many interviewees have found the experience to be more than worth the hard times. While there are no "dropouts" interviewed, "God is the Bigger Elvis" could make one at least think about what monastic life might be like - whatever the spiritual philosophy. - dbamateurcritic.

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.

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.

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.