Dolly Parton: 5 Essential Movies

Dolly had already been a major country singer and songwriter, as well as a constant presence on TV and The Tonight Show, for close to a decade when Jane Fonda recruited Parton to play Doralee Rhodes, the secretary to who threatens to turn Dabney Colman’s male-chauvinist-pig of a boss “from a rooster to a hen.” Parton’s big-screen debut earned her a Golden Globe nomination right out of the gate, with everybody singling out the movie’s revenge-fantasy sequence when Parton lassos and hog-ties Colman like she was a state rodeo champ. But it’s the scenes of the three women bonding that make this film sing; you’d have thought that she’d been making comedies with her costars Fonda and Lily Tomlin for years. Speaking of singing: Parton had been clicking out a rhythm on her acrylic nails in between takes, occasionally pairing it with lyrics about the trials of working women. The result would end up becoming the movie’s iconic theme and a No. 1 hit on both the country and adult-contemporary charts. What a way to make a living. —David Fear

Nothing speaks to the big-screen appeal of Dolly Parton like this film adaptation of the 1978 Broadway musical, in which Dolly starred role as Mona Stangley, the often-bedazzled owner and madam of the Chicken Ranch. Her musical prowess shines in “A Lil’ Ole Bitty Pissant Country Place,” where Parton cheerfully explains to viewers that she runs an establishment patronized by a “nice quiet crowd” where the beds are clean, the girls are beautiful, and there’s “nothing dirty going on.” And while her chemistry with leading man Burt Reynolds is less splashy than the lingerie-clad chorus lines, the use of Parton’s 1974 hit “I Will Always Love You” adds an emotional resonance of film  — proving that little whorehouse would be nothing without her.  —CT Jones

As Truvy Jones, the town’s new coiffed beautician, Parton acts as the grounding force in the town’s social life — her chair is where gossip starts, and where friends and strangers reveal their biggest secrets and darkest mistakes. in the ultimate tear jerker about the immovable strength of female friendships, Parton fits seamlessly in with a who’s who of heavy hitters — including Sally Fields, Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine, and Daryl Hannah — as well as adding brevity and laughs to a film with a hell of an emotional undercurrent. “Honey, time marches on,” she declares as Truvy Jones. “Eventually you realize it is marchin’ across your face.” —CTJ

Shirlee is just a good old-fashioned country girl who’s blessed with the gift of gab and trying to start her life over in Chicago. Hired as a receptionist at a talk-radio station, she’s mistaken by some producers as a self-help doctor and accidentally put on the air. The twist: Her folksy, homespun wisdom and hard-earned life experiences turn her into the Windy City’s most popular advice-giver and a celebrity. If only that jerk of a journalist (James Woods) wasn’t so intent on trying to out her as a fraud! Yes, this early Nineties comedy is extremely corny — and it’s also sort of the perfect star vehicle for Parton, who puts her comic timing and sense of compassion to great use here. —DF

Parton stars as G.G. Sparrow, the wife of cherished choir leader (Kris Kristofferson) in a small Georgia town. When he dies unexpectedly, she’s forced to let her underdog choir member Vi Rose (Queen Latifah) and her daughter Olivia (Keke Palmer) lead their gospel choir to victory at the annual competition. The film is chock full of Dolly-isms about her signature style: “Who cares if I’ve had a few little nips and tucks? God didn’t make plastic surgeons so they could starve!” The whole thing ends with a glorious extended biscuit fight between Parton and Latifah. It was a rare chance for viewers to see an older Parton having a hysterical round of fun. —CTJ