God is the Bigger Elvis

We ended up watching this on HBO a few nights ago.  I didn't think I'd be interested but it was surprisingly compelling. God is the Bigger Elvis is an Oscar nominated short documentary about Dolores Hart.  From 1957 to 1963, Hart was a rising young star in Hollywood, appearing with Elvis Presley (whence the title) in two of his early films, Loving You and King Creole, and with Montgomery Clift and George Hamilton in other movies.  In 1963, she left Hollywood to become a nun at the Benedictine Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Connecticut where she is now the Prioress of the Monastery.

The filmmaker had unique access to the Abbey and to the nuns who talk about why they entered the Monastery and their personal struggles before and since.  There is an unexpected twist at the end and the last few minutes are stunning and powerful.  We'll remember that last scene.

But, after all, even Elvis became a bigger Elvis.