Horst in Translation ([email protected]) "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.

Desertman84 This HBO short documentary entitled "God Is The Bigger Elvis" is about the life of Dolores Hart.Dolores happens to be a prominent young actress back in the late 1950's and early 1960's and the leading lady of rock n' roll icon Elvis Presley's first film "Loving You".This also happens to be her film debut as well back in 1958 that started a very promising acting career.But in 1963,she gave up the career in Hollywood and broke up the engagement to her boyfriend architect Don Robinson and decided to become a Benedictine nun.Her faith and love of God as a Roman Catholic was stronger rather than pursue an acting career and to marry the man that she was engaged with.This short documentary examines everything from he current life as the Mother Prioress;the status of the career that she has left;the examination of the decision that she made; and the current relationship with the man that she was suppose to marry.It was a joy to watch as Mother Dolores exhibits detachment from this world as she offered everything up to God by giving up the temporal rewards of fame,money and success an acting career could have given her.It also presents the life of the semi-cloistered nun inside the monastery which shows the very different life that they live which is defined by prayer,silence,service and contemplation that is very much different to the modern world.It also presents the struggles that Mother Dolores experienced during her early years as well as the current novices who are trying to be a nun. It will definitely allow viewers to see a glimpse of monastic life and possibly realize of how much people will do everything to allow God to become a major part of their life.Finally,it also allow viewers to examine the amount of love and faith that they currently have with Lord.

Lee Eisenberg 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.

icmorton I am no catholic. I can't even say I believe there is a god. But I defy anybody with a beating heart to judge this as anything but an ode to love. It is uplifting and heart- breaking. Mostly it drives home the glory of humanity. How many times have you seen that achieved in a short documentary? We have a central character who has made the most anti-Hollywood choice in history and a supporting cast who have made equally bold steps to back her up. Stock footage of the monastery deserve your full attention because they add so much nuance and clarity. It is a perfectly sculpted film, with humour and intrigue and of a succinct but lush economy.