Dolly Parton is an American treasure that continues to provide heartfelt entertainment for the masses. The actress and country-western singer/songwriter has accrued nearly 600 movie soundtrack credits dating all the way back to 1967. In 1982, Parton scored her first acting role in the classic comedy 9 to 5, for which she also received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song for the title track.
In recent years, Parton has turned into the de facto Christmas host for a slew of holiday specials and variety shows. The newest examples include Christmas on the Square, which premiered on Netflix on November 22, 2020.
Joyful Noise (2012) 32%
Although the Rotten Tomatoes audience-score is more than double, critics weren't too fond of the choral movie musical Joyful Noise. The film pits Parton against Queen Latifah over the new musical direction their collective choir is heading in.
Parton plays G.G. Sparrow, a small-town choir singer in Georgia forced to work with Vi Rose Hill (Latifah) following the death of the church director. At odds over how they want to operate the choir, the two must cooperate when budget cuts threaten to shutter their church.
Straight Talk (1992) 42%
In one of her rare leading roles, Dolly Parton toplined a stellar ensemble in the rom-com Straight Talk, in which her character, Shirlee Kenyon, rises to prominence as the host of a telephone helpline.
After accidentally filling in for the regular host, Shirlee becomes an instant sensation for her ability to speak candidly and help people with their problems. Her success takes her to Chicago, where a local reporter named Jack (James Woods) begins digging up dirt on Shirlee's past.
The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas (1982) 50%
Despite the crass title, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is one of the most heartwarming Parton movies of all. The musical rom-com features a tight-knight community that fights for their traditional brothel when a TV reporter deems it the "Devil's Playhouse."
Costarring Burt Reynolds, Parton plays Mona Stangley, the singing and dancing headmistress of the brothel in peril who works with the local sheriff to undermine the nosy reporter trying to demonize their establishment. Parton earned a Golden Globe nod for Leading Best Actress.
Gnomeo & Juliet (2011) - 56%
With one of the most distinct voices in the history of Hollywood, Parton aptly played Dolly Gnome in the 2011 animated film Gnomeo & Juliet. The impish Shakespearean adaptation follows two lovelorn garden gnomes contending with their burdensome environment.
Emily Blunt and James McAvoy star as Gnomeo and Juliet, two lovers from opposite ends of the yard who must contend with their disapprovingly raucous neighbors who do not want them to live happily ever after.
Dolly Parton's Christmas Of Many Colors: Circle Of Love (2016) - 57%
Dolly Parton's newfangled role as America's annual Christmas maven continued with Circle of Love, the sequel to Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors. The movie is partly based on the wild true story of Parton's family trapped in a Tennessee blizzard during the holidays.
With inclement weather bearing down, the story traces Dolly's father and his dogged attempt to give his wife the elegant wedding he could never afford. While Alyvia Alyn Lind portrays Parton in the film, Parton plays The Painted Lady, a sex worker with a heart of gold who befriends Dolly in the story.
Dolly Parton's Christmas On The Square (2020) 58%
Parton's most recent movie has been well-received enough to crack her top five movies of all time, according to Rotten Tomatoes. Based on the stage play she co-wrote and composed the music for, Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square is currently streaming on Netflix.
The film follows the greedy exploits of a Scrooge-like woman named Regina Fuller (Christine Baranski), who, after her father's death, coldly tries to sell her small town, regardless of what means to the local citizens. Parton plays Angel, one of the town's biggest champions.
Steel Magnolias (1989) 68%
Based on the Robert Harling play, Herbert Ross' Steel Magnolias is a female-driven coming of age tale that focuses on Shelby (Julia Roberts), a diabetic beauty preparing for her wedding day in Louisiana.
When Shelby decides to have a baby with her groom-to-be, she seeks advice from the charming Southern Belles in her life who spend time in the popular, homespun Truvy Jones' beauty parlor. As Shelby confides in those closest to her, they offer advice, gossip, and profound life-lessons to help her prosper.
9 To 5 (1980) 82%
Parton's first feature film still ranks among her top three, according to Rotten Tomatoes. Costarring with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, 9 t0 5 is the definitive workplace harassment satire and timely tale of female empowerment.
When Judy (Fonda), Violet (Tomlin), and Doralee (Parton) are subjected to lecherous misogyny by their sexual-harassing boss Frank Hart (Dabney Coleman), the three women concoct various schemes to teach him a lesson. A hilarious series of hijinks ensue as Frank is put in his place and tormented even worse than ever thought possible.
Linda Rondstadt: The Sound Of My Voice (2019) 89%
The musical achievements of legendary country-rock singer Linda Ronstadt are the celebratory subject of The Sound of My Voice, a documentary featuring several fellow singers such as Dolly Parton, Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, and more.
Directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, the sweeping biopic charts the career path of Ronstadt as she stormed onto the folk-rock scene of the 1960s before becoming one of the most famous female rock singers of all time.
Inequality For All (2013) 90%
In a rare non-musical movie, Parton participated in the 2013 documentary Inequality for All, a glimpse into the ever-widening wage and wealth gap between the richest and poorest people in the United States.
Directed by Jacob Kornbluth, the film follows U.S. Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich, as he travels the country probing for answers regarding the massive financial inequality the country continues to see year after year. Several self-empowered female entertainers are depicted through their archived fictional characters, such as Parton in her role as Doralee from 9 to 5. The film won a Special Jury Prize for Documentary at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.