Dolly Parton Movies
Born January 19th 1946, Dolly Parton has risen from relative poverty to become one of the most famous and wealthy country music stars in the world. Easily recognizable for her flamboyant platinum blonde wigs, vivid makeup, petite physique, and extra-large breasts -- which figure prominently in her humorous on-stage remarks -- Parton has shown a real knack for marketing herself in creative, lucrative ways that belie the downhome mannerisms and apple pie sweetness of her public persona. Parton's ventures range from a songwriting career,a semi-successful crossover to pop music, a sporadic acting career, a 100-million-dollar company, Dolly Parton Enterprises, and her ultimate self-promotion, the Dollywood musical theme park in Tennessee, which has become so popular since it's opening in 1986 that in 1997, it was largely responsible for the closing of its only rival, Opryland.Parton's singing career began with television appearances in Knoxville at age 12. The following year she had a recording contract and was appearing at the Grand Ole Opry and at age 21, she had her first hit song, "Dumb Blonde" (1967). It was, however, Porter Wagoner who made her a star when he hired her to duet with him. Together, they toured the country, made records, and appeared numerous times at the Opry. She went solo in 1974 and soon had a string of hits, including the semi-autobiographical "Coat of Many Colors." During the '70s, Parton was a favorite on talk shows and music specials. In 1980, she made her acting debut opposite Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dabney Coleman in the hit revenge comedy 9 to 5. As in most of her subsequent acting endeavors, Parton essentially played herself. She wrote and performed the film's title song and earned an Oscar nomination. She has since continued composing and singing in her films. Parton offered one of her best acting performances as a big-hearted beautician in Steel Magnolias (1989).
Parton would continue to selectively revisit the realm of acting over the coming years, appearing in Frank McKlusky, C.I. and Joyful Noise, as well as on TV shows like Hannah Montana. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
This light, gentle comedy from director Todd Graff stars Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah in the tale of a small-town choir determined to win a national choral competition. As the choir leaders, G.G. Sparrow and Vi Rose Hill (Parton and Latifah) band together and set out to win at any cost, supported by their eager young participants (Jeremy Jordan, Keke Palmer and others). ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, (more)
- 2011
An adopted 11 year old girl from the suburbs becomes convinced that country singer Dolly Parton is her biological mother, and embarks on an epic quest to seek out her true identity with her adoptive mother in hot pursuit. The year is 1976: Parton is burning up the country music charts, and imaginative pre-teen Elizabeth (Julia Stone) has just discovered that her parents aren't who they seem to be. Determined to get back to her roots, Elizabeth runs away from home, and never looks back. Meanwhile, her adoptive mother (Macha Grenon) realizes she hasn't been doing the confused girl any favors by hiding the truth, and searches desperately for Elizabeth in hopes of getting a second chance to become a real family. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Julia Stone, Macha Grenon, (more)
The animated tale Gnomeo & Juliet knowingly follows the quintessential star-crossed lovers tragedy Romeo and Juliet, with the unexpected twist of making the characters garden gnomes that can move when human beings aren't watching. Though Gnomeo (James McAvoy) and Juliet (Emily Blunt) belong to feuding garden-gnome families, they meet and fall in love. But the clans' shared animosity is exacerbated when Tybalt (Jason Statham) dies in part because of actions taken by Gnomeo to defend a friend whom Tybalt was attacking. After getting some sage advice from a statue of William Shakespeare (Patrick Stewart), Gnomeo attempts to set things right, and win the heart of the lawn ornament he loves. The supporting cast includes the vocal talents of Michael Caine, Hulk Hogan, and Maggie Smith. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, (more)
When the President's dog is unintentionally left behind at a dedication ceremony, he embarks on an exciting adventure that leads him to foster child Danny Milbright. When Danny realizes his canine pal is none other than the "first dog" himself, Danny runs away from his foster home, and towards the White House. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- 2005
- PG13
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FBI agent-turned-reluctant beauty queen Gracie Hart (played by Sandra Bullock) is taking on both bad guys and high glamour again in this sequel to the comedy smash Miss Congeniality. After her undercover mission at the Miss United States pageant becomes public knowledge, Gracie becomes something of a celebrity, and the FBI uses her notoriety to generate positive PR for the bureau; however, Gracie would like to get back to some solid police work, especially after scuffling with fellow female agent "Sam" Fuller (Regina King), who isn't impressed with Gracie. Despite their differences, the two find themselves working side by side when two of Gracie's pals from the pageant -- contest winner Cheryl Frasier (Heather Burns) and master of ceremonies Stan Fields (William Shatner) -- fall victim to kidnappers. As she did on the first film, Sandra Bullock served as both producer and star for Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, while director John Pasquin's credits include several episodes of the situation comedy George Lopez, also produced by Bullock. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sandra Bullock, Regina King, (more)
A quintet of Dolly Parton super-fans are profiled in this documentary from first-time director Tai Uhlmann. Through intimate interviews and archival home-movie footage, Uhlmann seeks to learn what exactly has led these people to develop such an affinity for the country & western singer. Parton herself also appears. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
The first film by Duncan Tucker, Transamerica stars Felicity Huffman as a pre-operative transsexual named Bree (whose given name was Stanley). One week before going under the knife, Bree learns that she fathered a boy who is now 17 and is in trouble with the law. Bree would like to ignore this information, but is forced to meet the young man, Toby (played by Kevin Zegers), by her analyst Margaret (Elizabeth Peña), who will not allow the surgery to happen unless Bree meets him and confronts this aspect of her past. Upon meeting, the son believes that Bree is simply a do-gooder. She buys a car and the two road-trip back to her home in Los Angeles, Bree all the while attempting to keep from Toby the truth of the situation. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Felicity Huffman, Kevin Zegers, (more)
- 2004
This release features ten music videos from some of the biggest country music superstars of all time. Included are the promotional clips for Waylon Jennings' "Wild Ones," Dolly Parton's "Potential New Boyfriend," Alan Jackson's "Chattahoochee," and Martina McBride's "Wild Angels." ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- 2004
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A jazz chanteuse with a taste for pop, country, and blues at their best, Norah Jones became an overnight sensation in 2002 with the release of her album Come Away With Me, which earned both critical acclaim and blockbuster sales. In 2004, Jones was touring in support of her well-received second album, Feels Like Home, when she and her band arrived at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium for a special concert appearance, which was captured by a camera crew for home-video release. Norah Jones and the Handsome Band: Live in 2004 features Jones joined by guests Dolly Parton and Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, as well as former bandmates Kevin Breit and Richard Julian. Selections include "Don't Know Why," "Creepin' In," "Who Am I To You," "The Prettiest Thing," "Carnival Town," and ten others. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Norah Jones
- 2003
Directed by Steve Goldmann, Our Country chronicles the development of country music from its origins in the last century all the way up to modern times. This IMAX feature is packed with footage of country musicians, and includes music ranging from Jimmie Rodgers to Lyle Lovett and Dolly Parton. Proving that country music is not just a phenomenon of the south, 100 years worth of classic hits are performed in locations as diverse as the Appalachian mountains, the California deserts, and the canyons of Utah, as well as the legendary Grand Ole Opry. Other noted musicians in Our Country include Loretta Lynn, Earl Scruggs, Dwight Yoakam, Vince Gill, Crystal Gayle, Trisha Yearwood, Alan Jackson, and the Dixie Chicks. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
Dolly Parton: Live and Well documents two concerts Parton played on December 12 and 13, 2002, at the Celebrity Theater located in her very own tourist attraction, Dollywood. She plays a total of 22 songs that are taken from nearly every phase of her lengthy career. The set list includes such classics as "I Will Always Love You," "9 to 5," "Jolene," "Rocky Top," and a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven." ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dolly Parton
David Sheridan, comic actor and star of MTV's Buzzkill, co-created this goofy comedy with debut screenwriter Mark Perez as the first in a two-picture deal with Disney. Frank McKlusky (Sheridan) is an insurance claims investigator who has been zealously safety conscious since witnessing a horrible motorcycle stunt gone awry in his childhood, an accident that left his father (Randy Quaid) comatose. Frank still lives at home under the watchful eye of his mother (Dolly Parton) and wears a helmet everywhere he goes. When his partner is killed, Frank is forced to leave his safe and secure life behind, go undercover, and crack the case, which he discovers is a sinister conspiracy. Unfortunately for the villains, Frank turns out to be a first-class bumbler in the Inspector Clouseau mold. Frank McKlusky, C.I. co-stars Kevin Pollak, Andy Richter, and Enrico Colantoni. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dave Sheridan
Chet Atkins was a hero of country music, not just for his fingerpicking guitar solos but also for his studio wizardry. Throughout his career, Atkins recorded nearly 70 records and won 13 Grammy awards. This program captures the remarkable career of this musician through a blend of interviewers and performances. Featured are Atkins' appearances with musicians such as Dolly Parton, George Benson, and Peter Frampton. ~ Rob Ferrier, Rovi
Soul diva Jackie Washington is determined to hit the comeback trail but seems to be having trouble finding the on-ramp in the mock-documentary comedy Jackie's Back. Jackie (played by Jenifer Lewis) was a Rhythm and Blues singer who had a few late '60's and early 70's hits, including "Yield" and the memorable "Look At Me (My Love For You Has Only Made Me Love Me More)," but she's spent much of the 80's and 90's playing the "Where Are They Now?" circuit. However, Jackie has organized what she hopes will be a gala comeback concert, and filmmaker Edward Whatsett St. John (Tim Curry) is on hand to film the event, and discusses the high and (frequent) low points of Jackie's career with such friends and well-wishers as Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli, Penny Marshall, Jackie Collins and Dolomite himself, Rudy Ray Moore. Meanwhile, Jackie's big gig is not going quite the way she planned. Directed by Robert Townsend, Jackie's Back was produced for the Lifetime Cable Network and originally aired June 14, 1999. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jenifer Lewis, Tim Curry, (more)
Dolly Parton stars as an up-and-coming country & western singer (a role that obviously stirred up some memories for her) in this made-for-TV drama. Leanna Taylor (Parton) ran away from home when she was a teenager to escape her abusive family, hoping to find a career in Nashville as a singer. Years later, Leanna still finds herself struggling along the margins of the music business, despite her talent. Leanna's boyfriend and manager, Hank (John Terry), has been with her for the past 15 years, and is still promising that her big break is around the corner. However, Leanna finds herself becoming infatuated with Bobby (Billy Dean), the handsome new guitarist in her backing band. Bobby believes Leanna has the talent to go on to bigger and better things, and urges her to fire Hank as her manager; Hank, however, is certain that if he loses Leanna as a client, he'll lose her as a girlfriend as well. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dolly Parton, John Terry, (more)
- 1998
This specially-recorded karaoke disc features hit songs made famous by some of the leading female artists in country music. Songs include Crazy, You Don't Even Know Who I Am, Girls Night Out, How Can I Unlove You and I Try To Think About Elvis. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- 1997
If there is any doubt that this made-for-TV movie is the authorized biography of singer Barbara Mandrell, the fact that the singer plays "herself" in the wraparound sequences should settle all bets. Otherwise, former Brady Bunch regular Maureen McCormick is seen as Barbara, whose life is chronicled from her early years as a musical prodigy (she played the accordion) to her first blush of TV stardom in the company of her sisters Irlene (played by Mandrell's real-life daughter Jaime Dudney) and Louise (Portia Dawson), moving ever forward to her solo superstardom and climaxing with her near-fatal 1984 car accident. The remainder of the drama details Barbara's spectacular post-crash comeback, which involved not only intense physical rehabilitation but also extensive spiritual therapy. Also showing up as themselves are Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. Coproduced by Mandrell's husband Ken Dudney (herein played by Greg Kean, Get to the Heart: The Barbara Mandrell Story made its CBS network bow on September 28, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1996
The "Holiday Special" episode of The Magic School Bus focuses on the importance of recycling, and includes guest star Dolly Parton (as the voice of Murph) singing four seasonal tunes by Peter Lurye. Just before school gets out for winter recess, Wanda prepares to attend the Nutcracker by bringing a toy soldier along with her. However, during a class trip to Murph's recycling plant, Wanda's toy gets recycled into bits of plastic. She cannot attend the Nutcracker without her toy, so she places the blame on recycling. Ms. Frizzle whips up a fun activity to teach Wanda the value of recycling, which ends up causing every recycled thing in town to fall apart -- including the magic school bus. The kids must fix the bus in order to get Wanda to the theatre in time to see the Nutcracker. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
Dolly Parton stars in this light-hearted story as Ruby Diamond, a singer who unexpectedly dies in an auto wreck and finds herself meeting the man at the pearly gates. Ruby discovers she did not rack up enough good deed points to enter the kingdom of Heaven, but she's given a second chance to come back to Earth and help others in hopes of proving she deserves angel status after all. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dolly Parton, Roddy McDowall, (more)
- 1995
The struggle of country music's mother-daughter duo The Judds is told in this made-for-television drama. Kathleen York stars as Naomi Judd (then known as Diana Judd) a single mother of two daughters, who turned to music as way to help positively influence her increasingly belligerent and rebellious eldest daughter Wynonna (then known as Christina). The movie chronicles Naomi's struggle to provide for her daughters (the youngest is actress Ashley Judd), the singing duo's rise from Nashville fame to national celebrity, the ups and downs that accompanied a working family relationship, and Naomi's eventual retirement from the music business. The movie was based on Naomi's autobiography Love Can Build A Bridge. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi
- 1993
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Bill Monroe was inarguably the single most important and influential figure in the history of bluegrass music. Fusing the fiddle and madolin sounds of the Eastern Kentucky Hills with the guitars of rural blues and adding a streamlined speed and emotional passion to the music, Monroe was truly the father of bluegrass and a brilliant musician by any standards. This program features performances by Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys, with interviews and performances from a host of special guests, including Dolly Parton, Lester Flat, Emmylou Harris, Ricky Skaggs, Jerry Garica, John Hartford, Marty Stuart, Del McCoury, Peter Rowan, Tim O'Brian and noted bluegrass authority Paul McCartney. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bill Monroe
Penelope Spheeris directed this compulsively faithful film adaptation of the popular 1960s television series. The familiar story 'bout a man named Jed Clampett (Jim Varney), a poor mountaineer who barely kept his family fed, continues to follow the TV show's format. Jed discovers oil on his Arkansas property and overnight becomes a multi-millionaire. He moves his family to Beverly Hills, wanting to turn his daughter Ellie May (Erika Eleniak) into a sophisticated woman. At his new Beverly Hills mansion, he meets Mr. Drysdale (Dabney Coleman), a kow-towing banker, and Drysdale's assistant, the repressed crone Miss Hathaway (Lily Tomlin). Jed announces that he would like to re-marry, and that leaves the door open for Drysdale's scheming lackey Woodrow Tyler (Rob Schneider) and his fortune-hunting partner Laura Jackson (Lea Thompson) to make the moves on Jed. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Diedrich Bader, Dabney Coleman, (more)
Dolly Parton and James Woods as the screen's hottest new romantic team? That's only one of several casting surprises in this romantic comedy. Shirlee Kenyon (Dolly Parton) has had enough of life in her small Arkansas town, not to mention her small-minded Arkansas boyfriend Steve (Michael Madsen). So she decides to head for the big city of Chicago, where she applies for a job as a receptionist at a talk radio station. However, she arrives at the studios just as the staff are frantically searching for the psychiatrist hired to host a call-in show for people seeking advice with their personal problems. Shirlee is put on the air by mistake, and, while she lacks a degree in psychology, she has common sense to spare, and her no-nonsense advice makes the show a hit. Soon "Doctor Shirlee" is the talk of the town, but reporter Jack Russell (James Woods) senses that she might not be all she's supposed to be. Jack does some investigating and finds out the truth about Shirlee, but by this time the two have met and he's fallen in love with her. Will Jack obey his responsibilities as a journalist, or follow his heart? Straight Talk's supporting cast includes filmmaker John Sayles, monologist Spalding Gray, actor and producer Griffin Dunne, and future Lois Lane Teri Hatcher. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dolly Parton, James Woods, (more)
- 1991
Dolly Parton goes dramatic in Wild Texas Wind--with plenty or songs in her repertoire to gloss over the script's shortcomings. This made-for-TV movie costars a curiously hammy Gary Busey as the manager of a country western band fronted by Parton. Through his business acumen, Parton's aggregation goes to the top. But the price of fame is Parton's peace of mind; she enters into a love affair with Busey, who proves to be psychotically abusive. Despite constant beatings, Parton stands by Busey until she gains the gumption to stand alone. C & W fans may not cotton to the storyline of Wild Texas Wind, though they'll probably be appeased by the musical performances of Dolly Parton, Ray Benton and (in a cameo) Willie Nelson. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1989
This 1989 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Dolly Parton, who also serves as the musical guest. ~ Skyler Miller, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dolly Parton
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