God is the Bigger Elvis (2012)

I didn't realize at first how long ago this documentary was initially released. It was interesting, but what really surprised me was to find out that Mother Delores' fiancé never moved on and kept in touch all those years. What really saddened me, however, was to read one of the news articles connected with this film and find out that he passed away before it was released. It makes the scene of their visit in the film, especially when her eyes watered, that much more poignant.

"God Is the Bigger Elvis" is a 36-minute documentary movie from 2012, so this one has its 5th anniversary this year. The director is Rebecca Cammisa and her effort here secured her the second Oscar nomination of her career. The film lost out to "Saving Face" and I believe the reason is because "Saving Face" has more contemporary and political relevance. Bit this does not mean GitBE is a bad film by any means. i think it is fairly enjoyable to watch. This is the story of Dolores Hart, a Hollywood actress in the second half of the 1950s and in the first half of the 1960s and she was actually fairly famous back then. She played lead roles, starred next to the likes of Montgomery Clift and played in several films with Elvis Presley as the title gives away. But then she decided to end her career and become a nun. And that's what she is apparently until today and looking at this slightly over half an hour here, it does not seem she ever regretted it. Or regretted her Hollywood years. She sounds fairly happy I would say having lived the life she wanted. And she still does today in 2017. Yes maybe the film is missing really something to make an impact on the audiences unless you count the references to God, but this sure is no Christian recruitment video or anything. It is a simple story about one woman who managed to make a difference in the most different professions you can think of. Maybe not Oscar-worthy or for general audiences, but worth checking out for documentary lovers. I give it a thumbs-up.

This short HBO documentary "God Is The Bigger Elvis" tells the life and career of a former promising actress during the 50's and the 60's Dolores Hart who later entered the monastery to become a Benedictine cloistered Catholic nun.It tells about her Hollywood career that started in 1957 when she starred in a movie together with the King of Rock-and-Roll Elvis Presley entitled "Loving You".This led her to more movies together with another one with Elvis in "King Creole" and others such as "Francis of Assisi","Come Fly With Me" and the 1960 hit "Where Are The Boys?".Then unexpectedly in 1963,she decided to give up her Hollywood career and the engagement she has with her fiancé architect Don Robinson in order to become a Catholic nun to which she has been for more than 50 years while this review is being written. Added to that,a lot of things are explored such as Dolores' personality about her spirituality particularly being prayerful, religious and having faith in God to maintain stability in life; the decision that led her to give up her promising Hollywood career in search for the best relationship with God; what could have been had she not left her career in Hollywood; the relationship that she has had with Don after the engagement was broken off; her current work as the Mother Prioress in the monastery; and the life of the nuns inside the monastery as cloistered nuns.It was definitely inspiring for a viewer to see the journey that Dolores has taken from being Elvis' leading lady to becoming a Servant of God as a nun. It was also nice to see how much temporal earthly rewards she has given up to please God.Finally,it was also nice to see her experience peace and happiness which she probably would not receive in Hollywood.Watch this short documentary and examine your relationship with God.

Dolores Hart was an actress in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Then, just like that, she gave up acting in favor of a cloistered life. She has been a nun ever since. Rebecca Cammisa's Oscar-nominated "God Is the Bigger Elvis" focuses on Hart's life in the Benedictine order at the Abbey of Regina Laudis, with some clips of her movie roles. Hart is the only nun who is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.I can understand why a person would want to leave Hollywood, but I can't imagine adopting a religious lifestyle. I guess that if it's made Dolores Hart happy, then more power to her. She was a real hottie in her movie roles. The only credit of hers that I've seen - besides this documentary - is an episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". I wonder if she talks to the abbey's other nuns about her encounters with Elvis Presley and Montgomery Clift.In the end, it's not a great documentary, but worth seeing.