Watch Elvis & Anabelle

Elvis & Anabelle is a visually stunning romantic drama released in 2007, directed by Will Geiger. It tells the story of Anabelle, a beauty pageant queen who suddenly dies from a heart attack during a competition. After she's pronounced dead, a young funeral home worker named Elvis discovers signs of life and brings her back to life.

The movie mainly follows Anabelle (played by Blake Lively), starting from the moment she dies on stage. Despite being a highly praised beauty queen, Anabelle feels trapped in a life that was chosen for her. Her mother (played by Mary Steenburgen) is a former beauty queen herself and is constantly pushing her to pursue pageantry. Anabelle wants something else for her life, but she's not sure what that is yet.

When Elvis (played by Max Minghella) brings her back from the dead, Anabelle struggles to adjust to her second chance at life. She finds freedom in Elvis's offbeat personality and his passion for his unusual job, and the two develop feelings for each other. Elvis makes a living as a funeral home worker, and he sees the beauty in death, as well as the value in giving people a proper send-off.

As Anabelle begins to find herself, she must also deal with the consequences of her presumed death. Her mother is determined to protect her daughter's image as a beauty queen, as she doesn't want the scandal of Anabelle's death to ruin her own pageant legacy. Meanwhile, a local reporter is trying to uncover the truth about what happened on the day Anabelle died, and she is not above manipulating those involved to get a story.

The movie uses a dream-like, almost magical visual style to tell its story. It's shot with soft lighting and a pastel color palette that makes it feel like a fairy tale. There's an ethereal quality to the film that's perfectly suited to the story of a young woman who comes back to life.

The performances by Blake Lively and Max Minghella are both excellent. Lively captures Anabelle's confusion and struggle to find her way in life, while Minghella brings an understated warmth and humor to Elvis. The chemistry between the two actors is palpable, and their relationship is both sweet and complex.

Mary Steenburgen is also great as Anabelle's overbearing mother, who is desperate to control her daughter's life. She manages to make the character sympathetic despite her flaws, and her scenes with Lively are some of the film's most emotional.

The supporting cast is also strong, including Joe Mantegna as a funeral home owner who takes Elvis under his wing and Keith Carradine as Anabelle's wealthy father.

One of the film's strengths is its exploration of themes like death, redemption, and the search for meaning in life. The unusual premise of a beauty queen being brought back from the dead allows the movie to delve into these themes in unexpected ways. Elvis & Anabelle is a movie about second chances, and how people can find new paths in life even when they thought all was lost.

Overall, Elvis & Anabelle is a visually stunning and emotionally compelling movie that explores some unexpected themes. Its blend of magic realism and grounded realism creates a unique atmosphere, and the performances by its lead actors are excellent. It's a romantic drama that manages to be both sweet and poignant, and is well worth a watch.

Elvis & Anabelle is a 2019 romance movie with a runtime of 105 hours.