3000 Miles to Graceland 2001

The cinematic journey begins with a sleek red Cadillac, driven by the charismatic Michael (Kurt Russell), pulling into the dusty parking lot of the Last Resort Hotel and Cafe. As he checks into his room, a mischievous young boy named Jesse (David Kaye) can’t resist pilfering one of the bolts from Michael’s vehicle. The boy’s mother, Cybil (Courtney Cox), intervenes, reclaiming the bolt and sparking an instant attraction between her and Michael. Their passion is palpable as they surrender to each other in a fiery encounter. Unbeknownst to them, Jesse has already taken advantage of their intimacy, sneaking into Michael’s room to pilfer his wallet.

As the night wears on, a convoy of cars arrives at the hotel, disgorging four enigmatic figures who bear an uncanny resemblance to the King himself, Elvis Presley. This quartet of Elvis impersonators – Murphy (Kevin Costner), Hanson (Christian Slater), Gus (David Arquette), and Franklin (Bokeem Woodbine) – has a singular purpose: to conspire with Michael and another cunning operative, Jack (Howie Long), a helicopter pilot with ties to the plan. Inside an abandoned airplane hangar, they gather around five identical suitcases, each containing a guitar and a crucial component of their scheme.

As Michael returns to the Last Resort, he’s met with the unwelcome news that his wallet has gone missing. Cybil confronts Jesse about the theft, only for the boy to retreat into his bedroom, where he attempts to retrieve the pilfered item. However, Michael is one step ahead, retrieving his wallet from a hidden crawlspace above Cybil’s head. Their tumultuous relationship reaches new heights as they once again succumb to their passion.

As international Elvis Week descends upon Las Vegas, Michael dons his finest Elvis attire and reunites with his cohorts at the Riviera casino. Murphy’s plan is to execute a daring heist in broad daylight, with Michael and his “Elvis” friends posing as the King himself. With the stakes high and the tension palpable, this motley crew of con artists prepares to pull off the ultimate Elvis-themed caper.

As the quintet navigates towards their ultimate goal, a sudden recognition sparks when someone identifies Murphy (character name not provided). The would-be conversationalist’s attempts are swiftly silenced as Murphy delivers a brutal knockdown, leaving him with a shattered nose. With the trio drawing closer to their destination, Michael momentarily breaks away and slips into an elevator, where he sets about rewiring the system. Meanwhile, Murphy and his cohorts burst into the room, brandishing machine guns, and claim the prize – all under the watchful gaze of security cameras that promptly alert the hotel’s authorities and Vegas PD.

As they make their way through the casino, the foursome is closely trailed by hotel security personnel, who are itching to pounce. The plan is to eschew a messy exit onto the streets and instead aim for the roof, where Jack (character name not provided) awaits via helicopter. Murphy and his gang near the elevators, where Michael has been patiently waiting. A cacophony of gunfire erupts as security personnel are quickly overwhelmed. Michael’s elevator door swings open to reveal a vulnerable security guard with his back turned; instead of delivering a fatal blow, Michael chooses to knock him out cold.

The five men converge on the elevator, but their joy is short-lived as a Vegas PD officer begins peppering them with gunfire, gravely wounding Franklin (character name not provided). Murphy instinctively responds by dispatching the officer with a precise headshot. The gang manages to reach the roof, where they engage in a frenzied firefight with law enforcement and security personnel until Jack arrives on the scene, swooping in to pluck them from danger. As they flee the chaos, Murphy’s attempts to tend to Franklin’s mortal wounds prove futile; with his friend gone, Murphy callously ejects the lifeless body into the helicopter’s path.

The remaining trio – Gus (character name not provided), Michael, and Murphy – retreat to Michael’s hotel, where Jesse (character name not provided) has been silently observing their escapades. Hanson (character name not provided) begins counting the spoils, which total a staggering $3.2 million. The three men divvy up the loot, reserving a percentage for Jack’s anticipated arrival. However, Murphy takes exception to Hanson’s suggestion that they split Franklin’s stash, insisting that no one claims it as their own. In a shocking turn of events, Murphy coldly dispatches Hanson with a bullet to the chest, leaving Gus and Michael to dispose of the body.

With Hanson’s corpse in tow, the trio conceals the money in the crawlspace before embarking on a morbid journey to bury their friend in the desert’s desolate vastness.

As Murphy speeds away from the scene of the crime, his conscience is momentarily jolted when he collides with a coyote that had wandered onto the deserted road. The sudden impact sends Murphy’s vehicle careening off the asphalt and into a ravine, where he slumps unconscious against the steering wheel. Meanwhile, news of the daring heist spreads like wildfire, captivating the attention of two bumbling federal marshals, Quigley (Thomas Haden Church) and Damitry (Kevin Pollak), who stumble upon Murphy’s true identity. Their investigation reveals that Murphy harbors a peculiar fixation - he believes himself to be the illegitimate son of Elvis, a notion rooted in his DNA test results, which yielded inconclusive results, leaving only two men claiming paternity, including Murphy.

Back at the hotel, Michael awakens from his apparent demise and embarks on a trek back to his room. As he removes his bulletproof vest, two slugs are revealed to be lodged within its protective padding. In a state of heightened frustration, Michael searches for the stolen cash, only to discover that it’s vanished into thin air. His anger redirected at Cybil (who had been enjoying Jesse’s company), Michael storms her apartment and snatches Jesse, threatening to call the authorities unless she complies with his demands. However, Cybil’s demeanor shifts when Michael produces the missing money, prompting her to hang up the phone. Michael decides to silence her with a $100,000 bribe, but Cybil counteroffers, insisting that she accompany him on this escapade.

As Murphy regains consciousness and sets off in the opposite direction, he finds himself devoid of the loot. Meanwhile, Michael, now accompanied by Cybil and Jesse, navigates the highway. He enlightens her about the money’s marked status, explaining that his partner, Murphy, had negotiated a deal with J. Peterson, a real estate mogul in Idaho, to exchange the cash for 70 cents on the dollar.

Murphy, however, is hot on their heels, his malevolent presence leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. He dispatches the attendant at a roadside gas station after acquiring a promiscuous young woman, who shares a carnal encounter with him. Next, he engages in a shootout with a highway patrol officer, killing the cop but sustaining a grazing wound from the stray bullet.

As Michael, Cybil, and Jesse sat down to enjoy a meal at the restaurant, Cybil cleverly executed a daring escape, pilfering Michael’s wallet and car. A frantic chase ensued, with Michael hot on her heels, only to be thwarted by Cybil’s cunning getaway. Left stranded and penniless, Michael was forced to rely on Jesse’s resourcefulness as they navigated the unfamiliar terrain without wheels or funds. In a bold move, Jesse turned to pickpocketing to scrape together some cash and even managed to swipe a sleek Dodge Ram for their beleaguered friend.

Meanwhile, Cybil covertly contacted J. Peterson (Jon Lovitz), uttering the password “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” Peterson, anticipating her arrival, waited patiently, only to be blindsided by Murphy’s sudden appearance, reciting the same phrase. In a tense standoff, Peterson explained that Cybil had indeed preceded him in their agreement, prompting an incensed Murphy to unleash a tirade of taunts and intimidation.

As Michael and Jesse arrived at the designated meeting spot, they found themselves face-to-face with the eerie scene: Peterson’s lifeless body lay adjacent to that of his young, alluring secretary. The reality hit Jesse like a ton of bricks as he sobbed uncontrollably, mistakenly assuming the victim was his mother. However, Michael’s sharp instincts soon unraveled the mystery.

In a masterstroke of detective work, Michael outsmarted Murphy by reporting his car stolen and subsequently orchestrating the culprit’s capture. Unfortunately, Michael himself was arrested for driving a stolen Dodge Ram. As fate would have it, he found himself incarcerated in the very same cell as Murphy, where the cunning con artist regaled him with tales of his earlier misconception regarding Michael’s demise.

Just as Michael began to unravel the tangled web of deceit, Jesse stepped forward, securing a lawyer on their friend’s behalf and negotiating an arrangement that would make them partners. With bail secured, Michael walked free, but not before Murphy exploited their shared predicament by using Jack to secure his own release.

As Michael and Jesse claimed their stolen car, they discovered the shocking surprise waiting in the trunk: Cybil, trussed up yet very much alive. He whisked her away along with Jesse, depositing them at a hotel before setting off on his newfound dream – a life of leisure on the open water.

As Murphy emerges from his fugitive status, he embarks on a new journey - one marked by chance encounters. His first pickup comes in the form of a die-hard college football fan, whose fervor is matched only by his attire and face paint. However, when their path intersects with a roadblock, Murphy’s desperation takes over, and he silences the superfan forever. With the man’s identity assumed, Murphy dons his clothes and convinces the authorities that he’s just another enthusiastic supporter. The ploy works, allowing him to escape detection.

Undeterred by this brief setback, Murphy presses on, only to catch a glimpse of Cybil and Jesse cruising down the highway in their car. He seizes the opportunity to commandeer the vehicle, using Jesse as leverage to ensure Cybil’s cooperation. His demands are straightforward: she must fetch Michael and, more crucially, the sought-after funds.

Meanwhile, Cybil tracks down her estranged husband, Michael, who’s currently residing on his boat. Her impassioned plea falls on deaf ears at first, but eventually, Michael’s resolve crumbles, and he agrees to intervene on behalf of their captive daughter, Jesse.

Murphy, however, has other plans. He reconnects with Jack, who’s enlisted the services of a one-man army in the form of Hamilton (Ice-T). The reunion is short-lived, as Michael appears, brandishing a firearm and prepared to trade his freedom for Jesse’s safe return. In a tense standoff, Murphy and Michael engage in a prisoner swap, only to reveal that the payoff - a pile of newspaper clippings - was nothing more than a ruse.

The situation quickly spirals out of control as Quigley and Damitry lead a massive SWAT team into the fray. Murphy finds himself surrounded, but he refuses to back down, grabbing a shotgun and unleashing a barrage of gunfire that leaves Michael clinging to life. The subsequent gun battle claims another casualty: Jack, who sacrifices his life to shield Murphy from harm.

As the marshals close in on Murphy, Hamilton appears out of nowhere, swinging through the room like a human wrecking ball and taking down cop after cop. Quigley, however, proves immune to the onslaught, dropping Hamilton with a well-placed bullet.

With his ally fallen, Murphy is left alone to face the authorities. Undeterred by the prospect of certain death, he opens fire on the SWAT team, but his defiance ultimately proves futile. A hail of bullets rips into him, ending his desperate bid for freedom.

In a surprising twist, Michael, donning a bulletproof vest, escapes serious injury as Cybil and Jesse commandeer an ambulance to spirit him away. The trio sets sail once more on Michael’s boat, their journey marked by a sense of liberation and the knowledge that they’ve finally outsmarted their pursuers.