Elvis Meets Nixon

I usually don't cover made for tv, or in this case, made for cable films. But there is a new movie opening today called Elvis & Nixon that tells a fictionalized account of that fateful meeting between the President and the King of Rock N Roll. It looks entertaining enough, but it also looks like a shot for shot remake of a terrific cable film from 1997, Elvis Meets Nixon.

Feeling like he could make a difference with the young people of America, Elvis Presley, Rick Peters, writes a letter to President Nixon, Bob Gunton, asking him if he could become a federal agent in the Bureau of Narcotics and Drugs. Even though no such position exists, Nixon see's this as a pr opportunity to win over America's youth. He arranges a meeting with the King, which leads to a hilarious encounter and the two find out they have more in common than they thought.

Supposedly, this movie stays pretty true to the bizarre events that took place. Director Allan Arkush, who also did Rock N Roll High School and Get Crazy, does a great job of showing the absurdity of this meeting of the minds. The cast is really good too. Peters does an exceptional Elvis. And Gunton is really great as Nixon. Probably my favorite portrayal of the former President, right after Dan Hedaya in Dick.

I'm sure that the new movie is good, but I think it's going to be hard to top this funny look at an odd footnote in history.

It's not available on dvd or blu ray.