Follow That Dream

Elvis usually made movies that were utterly shallow puffs of fluff. This one is completely different. For one thing, unlike his usual efforts here his part is anything but a one-dimensional stereotype and in his portrayal he proves he really could act. In fact, it is a shame he never did more of this kind of thing, because if you take this seriously you find that his character actually comes across as intriguingly ambiguous. Here he plays an utterly guileless, humble, unassuming "down-home" or "good-ole-boy" type (entirely different from his usual flashier persona) which really does look like some kind of combination not only of Jethro Bodine but also of Andy Taylor -- someone who is simultaneously naive and wise, as well as utterly cool, even-tempered and unflappable. In fact, the whole production can't help but remind you of the Beverly Hillbillies and the Andy Griffith Show, but with the intriguing sense that there is more going on than meets the eye. Moreover, the writing compares favorably with either of those shows, with quite a few clever lines of dialog and situational incongruities. As a lawyer I was similarly impressed with the treatment of the judge in the film, who proved pompous and yet also clear-headed and conscientious, a combination of contradictions such as you really can encounter in real life on occasion, and I'm inclined to think the writers had a better sense of characters than one expects in a B-movie of the era. Anyway, there isn't much on TV these days that is any better, so you would not waste your time to check this out in preference to yet another episode of *The King of Queens.* In fact, I actually agree with what another reviewer or message board poster said about this -- while watching it, it actually occurred to me that I would rather watch this than another screening of *Star Wars*.