The film follows the journey of Reginald Dwight—a talented but insecure, bespectacled musical prodigy from a repressive London suburban upbringing—to his transformation into the global superstar, Elton John. The story focuses heavily on his career-defining songwriting partnership with lyricist Bernie Taupin, showing how their friendship and Bernie's poetry became the foundation for some of pop and rock's greatest hits.
The central arc of the story is Elton's internal struggle to reconcile his rising fame and flamboyant stage persona (the costumes, the extravagance) with his personal vulnerability and the search for his identity. The narrative unflinchingly explores the immense pressures of the 70s and 80s: the grip of fame, the harrowing battle with addiction, and the profound loneliness inherent in superstardom. The film culminates in his powerful journey toward sobriety and the rediscovery of his purpose, ultimately celebrating the enduring legacy of a legend who used spectacle as armor to protect a deeply sensitive heart.
