The King movie review & film summary (2006)

William Hurt can be so subterranean we don't know where he's tunneling. Here he seems to be one thing while becoming its opposite. The last thing he wants in his life is a child from an early affair. On the other hand, Elvis makes a good impression. The pastor's son Paul (Paul Dano) sings with his band at church services, and at school is the leader of a campaign to introduce Intelligent Design into the curriculum. But we sense, and maybe the pastor does, that the energy Paul is channeling into Christian activism could turn against the church in a flash. Paul and his band perform a song one Sunday that enrages the pastor. Not long after, the son goes missing. The pastor, his family and the congregation pray for his safe return, but the Lord is not in a position to answer their prayers.

At some point during this set-up, we realize "The King" will not be a movie about the hypocrisy of the pastor. Pastor David is about as good a man as is possible, under the circumstances, although there is room for improvement. And Elvis is not a blameless victim.

I have slipped over crucial sections of the movie, because things occur that should come as a complete surprise to you. One thing that will not astonish anyone is Elvis' ability to sneak into Malerie's bedroom almost at will. We know from "Down in the Valley" and countless other movies that the bedrooms of teenage girls are sadly lacking in security, and that their parents sleep the sleep of the dead. Malerie falls in love with Elvis, but his feelings for her are a good question: He knows, and she doesn't, that they have the same father.

"The King" descends so deeply and steadily into evil that it generates a dread fascination. After Paul disappears, the preacher reaches out to Elvis, acknowledging him in front of the congregation, treating him as a son, inviting him into his house. Because at any moment we possess more information than anyone except Elvis (and more insight into Elvis than he will ever have about himself), we see mistakes being made for perfectly reasonable motives. The preacher's decision comes under the heading of forgiveness and charity, but no good can come of it.