Since its release in theaters, Elvis has received much positive acclaim, earning 4.5 out of 5 stars on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie appeals to a wide variety of age groups; older people want to see a film about an icon from their childhood, while teens are busy scrambling to see the dashingly handsome Austin Butler as Elvis. 

Cutting to the chase, Austin Butler deserves an Oscar for his performance in “Elvis”. After years of training, singing, acting and learning to play guitar, he nailed the role. 

While I wasn’t fond of the movie’s direction and cinematography, the acting was phenomenal. Butler spent years trying to humanize Elvis before it was shot. 

“My goal right from the beginning was not to become a caricature of him. For me, it was just trying to find out who he was as a man, to humanize him and connect to him on that level,” Butler told Entertainment Weekly. 

Butler had to train his voice to sound, sing and move like Elvis. I must say, he did a great job. I watched the movie with my mom, and she was in awe of how much he acted like Elvis. From every move across the stage to every strum of his guitar, the resemblance was crazy. I didn’t even idolize Elvis as much as people did in her time, but I left the theaters with goosebumps and chills. 

“It was two years where I didn’t see my family. I didn’t see my friends. I was completely isolated in the world,” he explained. “What a great guy to get to hang out with everyday and learn everything about. I read every book on his life. I watched every frame of footage, every interview he ever gave.” 

The preparation meant everything for this role. To not see the people for that long is mind-blowing. He wanted to get into every detail of Elvis and learn about him. Not many people in the entertainment industry put this much effort and preparation into a role. 

Not only did I think his acting was fantastic, but so did many others. “Elvis” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and got a 12-minute standing ovation. Butler was in tears as the audience gave him the credit and appreciation he deserved. 

If Austin Butler doesn’t win or get nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars, I will be very disappointed. His performance did justice to Elvis’s dazzling legacy and was entertaining to boot.