ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING
US, 2004, 90 minutes, Colour.
Kim Basinger, John Corbett, Annie Potts, Sean Astin, Denise Richards, Mike Starr, Phill Lewis, Philip Charles Mc Kenzie, Billy Ray Cyrus, Richard Kind, David Leisure, Tom Hanks, Joel Zwick, Angie Dickinson, Pat Morita, Jill Mc Kinnie, Wayne Newton.
Directed by Joel Zwick.
Elvis Has Left The Building is a moderately amusing film – especially for those who detest Elvis impersonators. (For Elvis impersonators audiences can watch Bubba Hotep as well as Nicholas Cage in Honeymoon in Vegas.)
The film has Kim Basinger as Harmony Jones, a Pink Lady saleslady for cosmetics, who met Elvis when she was young and befriended him. However, as she gets disillusioned with her job, Elvis impersonators fall dead around her. Also in trouble is John Corbett, about to be divorced from Denise Richards who is an Elvis impersonator. An Elvis impersonator is killed near him as well. Mike Starr and Phill Lewis are two FBI agents who pursue the investigation of the deaths – finishing up, mingling with the crowd, doing an Elvis impersonation and winning the contest in Las Vegas.
The supporting cast includes Annie Potts as Basinger’s friend, Sean Astin as an advertising agent. There are guest appearances from Tom Hanks as one of the killed Elvises as well as director Joel Zwick. Angie Dickinson turns up as Kim Basinger’s mother. Pat Morita is also there as well as Wayne Newton as himself.
The film is amusing in an undemanding way. Joel Zwick also directed My Big Fat Greek Wedding, starring John Corbett.
1.A light and entertaining film? The basic premise? The Elvis impersonators – and their destruction? Elvis’s revenge? Romantic comedy? Satirical and surreal?
2.The American settings, the southern states, the trip across America from Texas to Nevada? The landscapes? The towns?
3.The musical score, the range of Elvis’s songs? Their insertion into the plot? The lyrics commenting on characters and situations?
4.The title, the mystique of Elvis Presley? His death in 1977? The opening information about impersonators? The proliferation? The story of Harmony Jones and the destruction of the impersonators?
5.The structure of the film: Harmony, her life, her work, disillusionment, the encounter with Miles? The deaths? Her reaction, the police? Las Vegas? Miles and romance? The flashbacks, Harmony as a child, her mother and the cars, her father? The encounter with Elvis and the drive in the car? The salesman pretending that it was Elvis’s car and collapsing? The initial encounter with Miles as a little boy?
6.Kim Basinger as Harmony, her appearance, in pink, a Pink Lady, her car? Her spiel to the women? Her losing interest, disillusionment? The further presentations and her failure, giving the cosmetics away? Finally changing into a black dress? The encounter with the Elvis impersonator? His asking her to help with the make-up, his setting himself on fire? Driving along the highway, the letterbox, it flying through the air and killing the other impersonator? The impersonator at the car, the lipstick holding the engine down, its bursting out and impaling him? Her fears for the other impersonators, thinking Miles was an impersonator?
7.Harmony and her fear of causing accidents, trying to avoid them? Blaming herself, thinking she was going to Hell? The encounter with Miles and seeing his Elvis suit? Her trying to ring Shirl, her friendship with Shirl and their discussions? Finally meeting her, the story? Going to the date, Miles standing her up, her locking him in the trunk of the car? His finally getting out – and the romance? The looking into the sky – and the Elvis silhouette in the stars? The death of the impersonators? A sympathetic character?
8.Miles, tall, dark and handsome, his shrew of a wife? Bringing the suit to Las Vegas for her, the divorce? The death of the impersonator with the sign falling on him? The encounter with Harmony? His trying to get in touch with her, the gay man at the phone, meeting him, the gay patter? Finding Harmony, helping her with the tyre, arranging for the rendezvous? His not turning up, the police pursuing him on suspicion of murder? The newspaper headlines? Hiding in the boot – and trapped there? Finally getting out, the truth, romance?
9.Shirl, in the pool, the children overturning her? Her being away? Finally meeting Harmony and giving her advice?
10.Aaron, the advertising, Miles and his phone calls? Aaron and his wanting the models, the sex aspect of advertising, the old man? Miles drawing the heart on Harmony’s hand, surrendering to emotions? The advertising campaign?
11.Sal and Charlie, Charlie and his obsessions, worries about his health? Sal as the big man? The investigations, the patter between the two? Finding the succession of dead impersonators? Going to to Las Vegas, trying to mingle, as impersonators, their performance, winning the competition? A sympathetic odd couple?
12.Belinda, her marriage to Miles, the divorce, as an Elvis impersonator, wanting to get the suit? Stealing a suit in Las Vegas? Her encounter with the man in the turban, his misunderstanding her? The rumours that Elvis was alive, the stampede, on the roof?
13.Darren, the comic gay man, the friendship with Harmony, on the phone, the patter?
14.The various Elvis impersonators, losers, personalities, their deaths? Tom Hanks in a cameo role?
15.The happy ending for Harmony and for Miles, her ridding herself of the curse – and the deaths of the impersonators?
