Parents' Guide to

Elvis & Nixon

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Entertaining oddball comedy has some strong language.

Movie R 2016 86 minutes
Elvis & Nixon Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 14+

Based on 1 parent review

PSnapp
PSnapp Adult
June 30, 2018
age 14+

Fun Slow-Burning Comedy

This movie slowly relishes in the oddity of the actual event. The movie is mostly acceptable. The major thing to watch out for is the use of F**k (x3) by one of the characters - However, even then the expletive used quietly under breath and is easily missed.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In 1970, a photo was taken of Elvis Presley meeting President Richard Nixon, which went on to become the most requested item in the National Archives. This is the (heavily fictionalized) story of what might have happened at that meeting. The most popular entertainer in the world, Elvis (Michael Shannon), decides he wants to serve his country by becoming at agent-at-large for the Narcotics Bureau. He sends a letter to Nixon (Kevin Spacey) requesting a meeting. After the manipulations of Elvis' pals (Alex Pettyfer and Johnny Knoxville) and Nixon's aides (Colin Hanks and Evan Peters), Nixon reluctantly agrees. Oddly, even though Nixon has no use for rock-n-rollers, it turns out that he and Elvis have quite a bit in common. And an unbelievable meeting becomes slightly more believable.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (1):

Though it's not much more than a novelty, this weird bit of history largely succeeds thanks to a gentle blend of humor and respect and an earnest attempt to understand what made these titans tick. Though they're certainly both great actors, neither Spacey nor Shannon completely transforms into their roles, though they do manage good vocal inflections. Instead, they find a kind of essence for each character, dialing into their potential wants or fears. They wind up commanding the screen as effortlessly as their real-life counterparts might have.

The screenplay, co-written by actor Cary Elwes and former spouses Joey and Hanala Sagal, includes a little padding even to bulk the slight story up to its trim 86 minutes. That mainly involves a subplot involving the character of Jerry Schilling, and unfortunately a bland Pettyfer doesn't add anything to the role. But Hanks adds some humor in his supporting part, and director Liza Johnson adds an overall sense of whimsy and good cheer.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how accurate (or inaccurate) Elvis & Nixon is. How could you find out what really happened? Why might filmmakers stray from the hard facts when making a movie based on something that actually happened?

  • What did you know about Elvis and Nixon before seeing this movie? What did you learn? What does Nixon initially have against Elvis? Have you ever felt that way about people in your life?

  • Does the movie make fun of Elvis or Nixon in any way? If so, was it mean? Funny? How does it feel to make fun of people? To be made fun of?

  • Do you consider either main character a role model? Why or why not?

Movie Details

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