Dolly Parton is one among the most successful musicians ever. She’s known for her charitable heart and gold-plated smile, but she has also enjoyed some on-screen success.
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Parton made her Hollywood debut in 1980’s iconic film, The First Time. “9 to 5,”She also co-wrote the hit song “Rags to Riches”, for which she was also credited with the creation of the title song. She’s been in many movies since then. She also has two television features which tell her personal rags-to riches story and was a part of the creation of the
Netflix
Original movie “Dumplin’,”This is a testament to the impact her songs have had on teenage girls.
To celebrate Parton’s 76th birthday, we have ranked her movies from worst to most popular, based upon Rotten Tomatoes reviews. We omitted several Christmas and TV specials from Parton’s movies that didn’t have reviews. All scores were accurate as of January 20, 222.
Dolly Parton, in her lowest-rated film, tries to turn Sylvester Stallone from a country star into “Rhinestone.”
20th Century Fox
Synopsis:Jake Farris (Dolly Parton), in an attempt to get out her performance contract at The Rhinestone makes a wager with her manager that she will turn any man he selects into a country superstar. She’ll be working hard if her manager picks Nick Martinelli (Sylvester Stallone) as her New York cabbie.
Janet Maslin The New York TimesParton’s acting was exceptional, but the film was not outstanding as a whole.
“As Mr. Stallone wends his way through barnyards and country cabins, the material retains some comic potential. But as the inevitable romance springs up between the two stars, their lack of rapport becomes all too noticeable,”Maslin wrote.
Sandra Bullock takes on Parton in 2005’s film “Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous.”
Warner Bros.
Synopsis:In the first “Miss Congeniality”Film, FBI agent Gracie Hart was captured as a Miss United States participant undercover by Sandra Bullock. Now, weeks after her infiltration. “Miss Congeniality 2,”Hart is trying to balance her personal and professional life with her newfound fame from the beauty pageant. Hart also has to solve another beauty-related mystery. Parton stars as Hart in a chase scene ending with Hart pushing Parton to the ground, despite her false belief that she was a contestant.
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post WriteIn 2005 “Like its predecessor, ‘Miss Congeniality 2’ is by turns a predictable and outlandishly contrived take on the Pygmalion myth.”
She also appeared in the 1993 film as herself “The Beverly Hillbillies.”
20th Century Fox
Synopsis:Jed Clampett, portrayed by Jim Varney, accidentally discovers oil on his Arkansas property. He sells the land and moves his family from Arkansas to Beverly Hills. The family finds themselves like a fish without water. They must adapt to their new environment while fighting off a greedy banker (Dabney Cole) who wants to profit from them and steal their money. Parton sings “If You Ain’t Got Love”Jed at a birthday party
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader Write, “Four writers worked on the script, and they all should hang their heads in shame.”
Dolly Parton portrays the mother of an investigator who is too cautious to investigate claims. “Frank McKlusky, C.I.”
Touchstone Pictures
Synopsis:Frank McKlusky (Dave Sheridan), a claims investigator, is haunted by the loss of his father. He tries to live life as calmly as possible. He is a helmet-wearing, protective father who lives with Dolly Parton and takes no risks. Frank’s partner was killed and he is forced to lead a more adventurous life.
The Oklahoman’s Steve Lackmeyer WriteIn 2003, “What might make ‘Frank McKlusky, C.I.’ worth renting is that it is so horribly bad. I laughed. I laughed quite a bit at jokes that have been done before in much better movies, starring much better casts. It’s not ‘Citizen Kane,’ but it might just be the next ‘Howard the Duck.'”
Parton sings in the Choir alongside Queen Latifah “Joyful Noise.”
Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images
Synopsis:Vi Rose Hill (Queen Latifah), the church’s former choir director, died. Vi rose hill (Queen Latifah), offered the job. G.G. (Dolly Parton), disagrees with Hill’s style choices and believes she is entitled to the job. Before competing in a national contest, they will have to come to an agreement.
“‘Joyful Noise’ comes alive in the performance scenes but the dramatic dialogue is so insipid that even good actors sound as though they’re reading from a generic cut-and-paste script,”According to Metro’sAnn Smith.
She was a voice actor in the film’s 2011 soundtrack “The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom.”
Palomar
Synopsis:Elizabeth, 11 years old, (Julia Sarah Stone), discovers she is not her biological child and dreams of Dolly Parton as her mother. In her quest to meet Parton, Elizabeth rides her bike from Winnipeg, Canada to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her mother Macha Grenon saves her, and they bond as they drive to the US.
The Globe and MailLiam Lacey described this film as “an ingratiating but overly contrived Canadian coming-of-age tale.”
In “Straight Talk,”Dolly Parton’s character Shirlee falls for a job as host on a radio show about advice and must hide the fact that she has no credentials.
Buena Vista/Getty Images
Synopsis:Shirlee Kenyon, Dolly Parton’s daughter, moves to Chicago and takes up a job at a radio station. Unexpectedly, she finds herself in charge of a call-in radio advisory show. Although she doesn’t have any credentials as a therapist or a license, her callers love and she is soon being called. “Doctor Shirlee.”While life seems perfect in her new town, Jack Russell (James Woods), investigative journalist is convinced that something is wrong.
2015 ReviewDavid Nusair, Reel Film Reviews “Straight Talk”As “an agreeable yet hopelessly forgettable little romcom.”
Parton was Miss Mona Stangley (a brothel proprietor who tried to keep the business open) in 1982.
Rich Mahan/Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service/Getty Images
Synopsis: Ed Earl Dodd, Burt Reynolds, was sheriff for many years. He had an arrangement with Miss Mona (also known as Burt Reynolds), which allowed her to run the county. “Chicken Ranch,”The brothel was a pillar of the community and illegally located outside of town. A journalist arrives in town to expose the operation. Earl and Miss Mona’s relationship are put at risk by the Chicken Ranch.
“There are a few funny jokes, some raunchy one-liners, some mostly forgettable songs set to completely forgettable choreography, and then there is Dolly Parton,” Roger Ebert was a legendary film critic. “If they ever give Dolly her freedom and stop packaging her so antiseptically, she could be terrific.”
Parton starred as Dolly Gnome, an animated film from 2011. “Gnomeo and Juliet.”
Touchstone Pictures
Synopsis:Modern interpretation of Shakespeare’s classic. “Gnomeo and Juliet”This shows the rivalry between the gnomes from the Red Gardens and Blue Gardens. A young Gnomeo (James McAvoy), Blue, and Juliet (“Emily Blunt”), Red, fall in love, but must overcome familial obstacles for their relationship to succeed.
In 2011, Rafer Guzmán of Newsday Write, “Uneven is the course, as the Bard might say, but the ride is plenty of fun.”
“Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love”The second TV film about Parton’s childhood.
NBC
Synopsis:Alyvia Alyn Parton’s (Alyvia Alyn Lin) father Ricky Schroder buys Dolly Parton’s wife Jenny Nettles the wedding ring of their dreams. But, it threatens her family’s Christmas. Dolly’s Uncle Billy, (Cameron Jones), encourages her to use the talent she has to sing and leave her poverty to become a musician.
Hank Stuever The Washington Post wrote, “These numerous, disorganized plot points attempt to make up for the flimsy dialogue and hammy acting – flaws that weren’t nearly so evident in last year’s movie.”
She plays the role of an angel in the Christmas musical film “Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square.”
Netflix
Synopsis: Regina Fuller (Christine Baranski), a wealthy person, returns home to her hometown in order to sell it to a mall builder. Dolly Parton (an angel) visits her to try to persuade the woman otherwise.
Sarah Boesveld The Globe and Mail wrote, “Christmas on the Square lets the viewer kick back and indulge in all things Parton.”
Parton was the star of the documentary film (2010) as herself “Hollywood to Dollywood.”
David Livingston/Getty Images
Synopsis:Gary Lane and Larry Lane, twin brothers, have created a script in tribute to Dolly Parton. They drive Jolene, their RV, across the country for five days to Parton’s Dollywood theme park in order to deliver it to their idol.
The Hollywood ReporterReviewers describe the film as “a very good movie.” “casually charming road trip doc about aspiring screenwriters desperate to meet their show biz idol.”
In “Steel Magnolias,”Dolly Parton portrays Truvy, a salon worker who experiences the emotional highs & lows of life along with close friends.
Aaron Rapoport/Getty Images
Synopsis:“Steel Magnolias”A group of women visit a beauty parlor in their small Louisiana town. The women experience the highs and lows of weddings, as well the loss of friends. Each of these events causes them to grow.
Angie Errigo of Empire Magazine wrote, “A good film for the soft-hearted more than the paean to womanly strength that was its motive.”
Parton is the TV Film’s 2015 Narrator “Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors,”It tells her childhood story.
NBC
Synopsis: “Coat of Many Colors”A 9-year old Parton (Alyvia Alyn) lives in rural Appalachia and dreams of being a star. It also depicts her family’s struggles and growth following a tragedy that has affected each member of their family in a different way.
Variety’s Brian Lowry wrote, “‘Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors’ is a TV movie like mama used to make – a relentlessly faith-based holiday confection geared toward an audience that had reason to feel underserved by network television.”
Dolly Parton was the first actress to make her acting debut in the hit 1980 film. “9 to 5.”
Twentieth Century Fox
Synopsis:Jane Fonda and Parton star as three secretaries who kidnap their boss and take over the company. They implement a variety of policies to make the company more egalitarian and enjoyable. Parton contributed the iconic song of that name to the film’s soundtrack.
Roger EbertThe film “is a good-hearted, simple-minded comedy that will win a place in film history, I suspect, primarily because it contains the movie debut of Dolly Parton. She is, on the basis of this one film, a natural-born movie star, a performer who holds our attention so easily that it’s hard to believe it’s her first film.”