There will be spoilers for Sofia Coppola’s film Priscilla, which is currently renting and buying on digital platforms and streaming with a Max subscription.
It seemed as though Priscilla had appeared out of nowhere after Austin Butler’s transformation into the King of Rock and Roll for Baz Luhrmann’s critically acclaimed and box office-busting 2022 Elvis biopic. Why was Elvis Presley being portrayed by another actor so soon? Is there anything more to say? However, Sofia Coppola’s film isn’t just another account of Elvis Presley’s ascent and decline.
.. Rather, it examines the life of his wife, Priscilla Presley, in great detail. It’s not only a fantastic biopic that deserves to be seen by anyone, but it’s also one of the finest films of 2023, highlighted by the remarkable breakthrough performance of Cailee Spaeny.
Max recently signed a contract with A24, therefore Priscilla is among the studio’s most recent releases on the streaming service. So let’s get into what the moving film’s ending signifies and what happened next, in case you’ve just seen it and are wondering how the conclusion of Pricilla fits into the greater scheme of the Presleys’ lives.
The Closure Of Priscilla by Sofia Coppola
At the conclusion of Priscilla, a 27-year-old Priscilla Presley informs Elvis Presley (who was 37 at the time) that she wishes to file for divorce. She has lived at Graceland for ten years, having first met the celebrity when she was just 14 years old. In the last scene, Priscilla drives off to the tune of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You,” bidding farewell to a period of her life that will always be associated with the famous person.
The 1985 memoir Elvis and Me by Priscilla Presley served as the basis for the movie Priscilla, which she also executive produced. As a result, the conclusion ties everything up when her relationship with Elvis was formally terminated, much like the memoir’s conclusion did. She left the rock singer, according to the movie and Priscilla’s reports, after her husband allegedly raped her in a Las Vegas hotel room just a year before they separated, had several extramarital affairs, and used drugs.
The Meaning Of “I Will Love You Forever” Towards Priscilla’s End
Not a single song from the legendary singer’s repertoire appears in the 2023 version of Priscilla, despite the fact that Jacob Elordi’s Elvis Presley appears throughout the movie. This is due to the fact that Sofia Coppola’s film was produced on a meagre $20 million budget and did not obtain permission to utilise his soundtrack. In fact, Priscilla has reportedly come under fire from the Elvis Presley Estate for appearing to be a “college movie,” and Coppola’s direction has been dubbed “horrible.”
Big Elvis songs aren’t in Priscilla, but the narrative behind Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You,” the feature’s last song, gives it a lot of meaning. The song’s popular performer, Whitney Houston, actually composed and recorded it with Dolly Parton back in 1973—the same year that the Presleys got divorced. Parton was thrilled when Elvis Presley expressed interest in recording the song himself, but she was dismayed to learn from Colonel Tom Parker that authors often received over half of the publication rights to songs Elvis recorded.
Parton made the decision to reject the terms and remembers sobbing “all night” over it, but in the end, she was pleased that she adhered to her principles and that the earnings from Houston’s version allowed her to “buy Graceland,” according to Wide Open Country.
As Priscilla Presley drives away from the only man she has ever been with, “I Will Always Love You” is not only the ideal song in terms of tone, but it also serves as a representation of the resistance that both Priscilla and Dolly had to muster in regards to the pop icon.
Priscilla Presley Also Involved In Her Own Affairs
Though it’s barely hinted at in Priscilla, Priscilla Presley had an extramarital affair before divorcing Elvis Presley and was married to karate instructor Mike Stone. In Elvis & Me, Presley wrote about the affair and her reasons for leaving the King, stating that she had come to the painful realisation that continuing to live the way she had for so long was unhealthy and not in her best interests. Now, my friendship with Mike had turned into an affair. Although I still had a deep affection for Elvis, I realised over the next few months that I would have to make a very important choice about my future. I was aware that I had to take charge of my life.
I was unable to part with these fresh views. I had to discover my place in the vast world that was out there.
Priscilla moved in with Mike Stone, whom she had met backstage at one of Elvis Presley’s gigs the previous year, when she drove away from Graceland. Mike Stone then began teaching her karate. Priscilla claims that shortly after their divorce became legal, Elvis considered hiring a contract killer to kill Stone but decided against it. On October 9, 1973, the couple divorced and decided to split custody of their daughter Lisa Marie, who passed away a year ago at the age of 54 from a heart attack.
What Followed Priscilla’s Departure from Elvis?
Elvis Presley’s ex-wife went on to lead a prosperous life after the events of Priscilla, and she is still alive and will turn 79 in May. After leaving Elvis Presley’s Graceland home, she began her new life by partnering with a friend to launch a prosperous clothes business. She was elected president of Elvis Presley Enterprises when Presley passed away in 1977 at the age of 42, and she played a significant role in transforming Graceland into the popular tourist destination it is today.
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In addition, Priscilla Presley pursued her own acting career, appearing in films such as Dallas and The Naked Gun. She was also entertained by the idea of playing legendary roles, such as a lead in Charlie’s Angels or a Bond girl in A View to Kill. She never got married again, but from 1984 to 2006, she had a significant second marriage to Brazilian screenwriter Marco Garibaldi. Together, they are parents of a 36-year-old boy named Navarone Garibaldi.
Given that Riley Keough, Priscilla Presley’s granddaughter, has recently emerged as a Hollywood celebrity in roles like Daisy Jones and the Six on Amazon, the Presley women are clearly still doing well in the public eye.
Although Priscilla Presley doesn’t go into great detail about her life, it did reveal more about Elvis Presley’s family life than the Austin Butler film did.
