A Deep Dive into Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla”

In this episode of the Fully-Booked podcast, hosts Meaghan and Shirin discuss Sofia Coppola’s 2023 film adaptation of Priscilla Presley’s 1985 memoir, Elvis and Me. The hosts explain that while they are in the middle of a dystopian fiction month on their podcast, they decided to release this previously recorded discussion about Priscilla as a special episode. NoteThe following is an editorialized transcript of our weekly literary podcast. If you would like to listen to the podcast, click the play button above orlisten on your favorite platform with the links below. Background and Production We learn that Sofia Coppola approached Priscilla Presley in 2022 about adapting her memoir into a film. Coppola had been fascinated by the book for years and wanted to explore Priscilla’s perspective on her relationship with Elvis Presley. The production faced challenges, including pushback from Elvis’s estate, which was primarily managed by Lisa Marie Presley at the time. Due to these issues, the film was unable to secure the right to use Elvis’s songs and instead relied on music from the time period. We compare Priscilla to Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 Elvis biopic (it’s difficult not to), noting that the latter focused more on Elvis’s relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, while somewhat glossing over the more serious aspects of Elvis’s life and relationships. Casting and Performances The hosts praise the casting choices for the film: * Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla Presley: We commend her performance, noting her ability to portray Priscilla from a young teenager to almost 30 years old. We were also are impressed by the evolution and development of her character throughout the film. * Jacob Elordi as Elvis Presley: We discuss how Elordi’s portrayal differs from Austin Butler’s in the Baz Luhrmann film. We appreciate that Elordi’s performance is more toned down, focusing on Elvis’s charm and allure rather than his stage presence. We also note how Elordi’s height (6’4″) adds to the sense of intimidation and authority Elvis exerts over Priscilla. We also emphasize that while Elordi does a great job, he doesn’t steal the show, allowing the focus to remain on Priscilla’s story and perspective. Themes and Artistic Choices We then discuss several key themes and artistic choices in the film: * Female Perspective: We praise Sofia Coppola’s direction, noting how the film effectively portrays Priscilla’s emotions and experiences. We mention the use of soft focus and feminine styling to emphasize Priscilla’s perspective. * Power Dynamics and Control: We explore how the film depicts Elvis’s increasing control over Priscilla, from dictating her appearance (clothes, hair color, Subscribe on your favorite platform! Spotify Apple Podcast Amazon Music iHeart Radio Podchaser Youtube Don't forget to follow us on socials too! Instagram Threads TikTok BlueSky Facebook