The daughter of the King of Rock and Roll says that Austin Butler’s performance in Baz Lurhmann’s film “FINALLY” represents her father “accurately and respectfully.”
Lisa Marie Presley is still mourning the tragic loss of her son Benjamin Keough, who died by suicide in July 2020 at 27 years old, but took the time to celebrate the legacy of her father in Baz Lurhmann’s new biopic “Elvis.”
The latest take on the life of the King of Rock and Roll get Lisa Marie’s stamp of approval, as she tied the legacy of her father to the loss of her child in a powerful post on Instagram over the weekend.
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“I haven’t posted in quite some time because there really isn’t much to say, as I am and will forever be mourning the loss of my son,” she opened her message, which accompanied the movie poster for the new film, out June 24. “Navigating through this hideous grief that absolutely destroyed and shattered my heart and my soul into almost nothing has swallowed me whole.”
She said that while she mostly devotes her time to her other children at this point, she did take the time to see Lurhmann’s film “twice now,” calling it “nothing short of spectacular” and “absolutely exquisite.”
She had nothing but praise for Butler in the lead role, embodying the youthful energy of Elvis as he changed the face of music forever. “Austin Butler channeled and embodied my father’s heart and soul beautifully,” she wrote. “In my humble opinion, his performance is unprecedented and FINALLY done accurately and respectfully.”
She even said she felt the performance Oscar-worth, saying if he didn’t score the actual trophy, “I will eat my own foot, haha.”
Again using the word “finally,” which says a lot about her opinion of so many of the previous projects that attempted to tell her father’s story, Lisa Marie said that you could “feel and witness” the “pure love, care, and respect” that Lurhmann had for his subject matter throughout the film. She added that the final project is something the Presley family “can be proud of forever.”
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“What moved me to tears as well was watching Riley and Harper, and Finley afterwards, all 3 visibly overwhelmed in the best way possible way, and so filled with pride about their grandfather and his legacy in a way that I have not previously experienced,” she wrote.
“It breaks my heart that my son isn’t here to see it. He would have absolutely loved it as well,” she added of Benjamin. “I can’t tell you enough how much I love this film and I hope you love it too. Everyone involved poured their hearts and souls into it, which is evidenced in their performances.”
She concluded her thoughts with a message for the director. “Baz, your utter genius combined with your love and respect for my father and this project is just so beautiful and so inspiring,” she wrote, acknowledging, “I know I’m being repetitive, but I don’t care, Thank you for setting the record straight in such a deeply profound and artistic way.”
While she doesn’t say it explicitly, it sounds like this might be a case where we all think we know the story of the King, but maybe we don’t know all of it — or even the half of it.
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Fans will get to check out the story of Elvis Presley when Baz Lurhmann’s “Elvis,” as portrayed by Austin Butler, sets “the record straight” in theaters on June 24.