History Film / Elvis2022

** During the Comeback Special storyline, the film acts like Elvis' version of "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)" was released in 1968. The song was actually released in 1957, 11 years before the Comeback Special aired. "Here Comes Santa Claus" also wasn't the song Elvis was supposed to perform instead of "If I Can Dream", it was actually "I'll Be Home For Christmas".

* TheAlcoholic: Gladys Presley (Elvis' mother) is shown to drink quite often throughout the film, mostly when upset, and usually straight from the bottle. She indulges most heavily when Elvis is drafted into the Army, and her anxiety drives her to basically drink herself to death.

* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Putting the chronic gambling and subsequent financial abuses aside, the film blames Parker for Elvis' drug addiction by having him pump his client with narcotics so he can perform, but Parker was completely uninvolved with that and tried to ween Elvis off his drug addiction (and, to a lesser extent, his binge-eating) by tricking him with placebos; and once Elvis' health deteriorated, Parker suggested that the King should take a respite starting in 1975, but Vernon Presley (Elvis' father) refused and threatened to have Parker fired if he made the suggestion again. Parker was also just as horrified by Elvis' unhealthy lifestyle as Priscilla, even allowing a trio of disgruntled former bodyguards to co-write and publish a tell-all book about it--against Elvis' explicit instructions--in the hopes that the scandal from it would make Elvis go cold turkey and eat better. And finally, Parker got along quite well with Priscilla, who had mostly good things to say about him when Tom Hanks broached the subject to her, much to the latter's surprise. She even attended Parker's funeral and delivered the following eulogy:

* Gladys Presley torpedoes this excuse early on, saying that the family was getting by "just fine" before Col. Parker sank his hooks into her son, and that The Good Lord doesn't want Elvis to "wear himself out getting rich".

* * TheAlcoholic: Gladys Presley (Elvis' mother) is shown to drink quite often throughout the film, mostly when upset, and usually straight from the bottle. She indulges most heavily when Elvis is drafted into the Army, and her anxiety drives her to basically drink herself to death.

* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: In the film, Elvis is presented as a generally affable guy in spite of a few moments of justifiable anger. In real life, Elvis, according to his ex-wife, had an irrationally explosive temper. He is also portrayed as a decent (though absent and intermittently unfaithful) husband to Priscilla for the majority of the film. In her autobiography, Elvis and Me, Elvis is presented as being controlling, possessive as well as somewhat abusive towards her.

* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: In the film, Elvis is presented as a generally affable guy in spite of a few moments of justifiable anger. In real life, Elvis, according to his ex-wife, had an irrationally explosive temper. He is also portrayed as a decent (though intermittently unfaithful) husband to Priscilla for the majority of the film. In her autobiography, Elvis and Me, Elvis is presented as being controlling, possessive as well as somewhat abusive towards her.

* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: In the film, Elvis is presented as a generally affable guy in spite of a few moments of justifiable anger. In real life, Elvis, according to his ex-wife, had an irrationally explosive temper. He is also portrayed as a decent husband to Priscilla for the majority of the film. In her autobiography, Elvis and Me, Elvis is presented as being controlling, possessive as well as somewhat abusive towards her.

* SlidingScaleOfBeauty: Elvis is treated as a World Class Beauty, not only does he have good looks, but his great charisma and dancing skills make him irresistible to a lot of women.

** Vernon Presley does love his son, but when his mismanagement of Elvis' money brings him to the brink of potential bankruptcy, he is swift to blame Elvis himself and his "Memphis Posse"'s vast expenditures as the reason why they're broke.

** Gladys Presley loves her son dearly and is at first supportive of Elvis' music career, and is deeply concerned at how unhappy he becomes in light of the public turning against him for being "vulgar." At the same time, her fear of losing Elvis (her one remaining son, as his twin brother was stillborn) keeps her support limited--she balks at the idea of Elvis leaving for a mere four days to perform.

* LargeHam: It's a Baz Luhrmann film about Elvis so naturally, this trope is in full force whenever he gets on stage. Colonel Tom Parker also gets in on the action a lot with Tom Hanks gleefully devouring scenery.

* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: Colonel Tom Parker may attempt to present himself as someone who cares for Elvis' well-being, even when narrating, but it's abundantly clear that his greedy, manipulative nature is responsible for his early, untimely demise, as it's largely what got Elvis addicted to a variety of stimulants to keep performing and kept him from branching out as an artist. Even in the few moments that he gets where he tries to comfort an emotionally-distraught Elvis, it is all done for the purpose of further tightening his grip over the man.

** Elvis' dance style is a huge factor into his instant success as a musician, but it eventually earns him public ridicule for being too vulgar. Producers, along with Colonel Parker, try to strongarm Elvis to be more family-friendly, much to the ire of his devoted fans. Between staying true to himself and fans as "old, vulgar Elvis," or safely ensuring his career with "new, family-friendly Elvis," he chooses the former.

* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: The film blames Parker for Elvis' drug addiction by having him pump his client with narcotics so he can perform, but Parker was completely uninvolved with that and tried to ween Elvis off his drug addiction (and, to a lesser extent, his binge-eating) by tricking him with placebos; and once Elvis' health deteriorated, Parker suggested that the King should take a respite starting in 1975, but Vernon Presley (Elvis' father) refused and threatened to have Parker fired if he made the suggestion again. Parker was also just as horrified by Elvis' unhealthy lifestyle as Priscilla, even allowing a trio of disgruntled former bodyguards to co-write and publish a tell-all book about it--against Elvis' explicit instructions--in the hopes that the scandal from it would make Elvis go cold turkey and eat better. And finally, Parker got along quite well with Priscilla, who had mostly good things to say about him when Tom Hanks broached the subject to her, much to the latter's surprise. She even attended Parker's funeral and delivered the following eulogy: