A well made documentary focusing on some of dollys more iconic songs and rolls, and just the persona that is Dolly Parton. Great use of archival footage and interviews from fellow musicians and friends.
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Calicodreamin8 October 2020
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ellelldee21 February 2020Everyone loves Dolly. What's not to love? She's sort of overabundant in every way--talent, ambition, work ethic, hair, boobs, humor, intelligence, personality, and from what we see, at least, in kindness. The movie shows us how staunch she is about boundaries and keeping herself to herself. Despite the splashy look and persona, Dolly is very much in control of her career and life. Her skill at evading questions she does not want to answer is astounding. She reveals exactly what she wants to and nothing else.
Which makes it all the more puzzling why a major highlight of her career was not even alluded to: her collaboration with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, which was hugely successful and brought her a whole new audience, since Linda especially was a major star, far bigger than Dolly at the time. It is how I myself became aware of how good Dolly was, since I did not listen to country music. I was turned on to Dolly because of Linda Ronstadt.
At one point in the film, a great deal of made of Dolly's crossover from country to pop, and basically the entire credit is given to Mac Davis and his--and later Dolly's--managers. But in fact, it owed much more to her association with Linda Ronstadt, who was the best selling female artist of the 70s and another powerhouse talent. I have no idea what legal or other spats have taken place, but the omission is quite glaring. As I was watching the movie, I was looking forward to it, and then suddenly we leap from from the 70s to the late 1990s. Not a peep about possibly the most successful phase of her career. It was a popular, critical, and artistic triumph. But it is not even mentioned in passing in the movie.
I'm sure Dolly had a firm grip on this movie, so one can only assume that she did not want or was not allowed to include it. It's too bad, because the story is incomplete without it. -
pikiniki11524 October 2020Was it odd that Kenny Rogers and her movies with Burt Reynolds and Sylvester Stallone were left out? I learned a lot more about Dolly Parton in this.show. I loved her movie Coats of Many Colors.
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kapetre-0019123 June 2020Such a wonderful songwriter and I'm glad that's what was brought out in this show. Wonderful archival footage. BUT what on earth was Kylie Minogue doing there?
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jfrazier41417 December 2020Fills in a lot of gaps for an old rock and roll fan who's grown to respect her songwriting immensely over the years. Great mix of interviews, performances and clips. However, I was confused about the overuse of interviews with Linda Perry and Kylie Minogue. Granted, Perry collaborated with Dolly for one hit single in 2018, but from her time on-screen, you might think that she had produced Dolly for decades. I also can't find any connection between Minogue and Dolly in my research. What would have pushed my rating higher would have been to include the glaring omission of her musical collaborations with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris. Their memories would have been much more revealing. The absence of her significant contributions to the movie Steel Magnolias is puzzling as well. She easily held her own in a movie that was bursting with talented actors. All in all, though, this one is worth a look.
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joaquinerana13 January 2020Just a movie to watch how amazing and cute is Dolly Parton! She is so lovely, and talented. If you are her fan you must watch it. Dolly is stunning
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mikeiskorn21 October 2021This was a brilliant documentary filled with great interviews with Dolly and old footage pieced together to give us a little insight to some of her biggest hits and how she became the star she is. I really enjoy it even though I wouldn't necessarily say I am the biggest fan.
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pcampionz24 October 2020I just watched the documentary on Dolly Parton and i thought I would rate it on IMDb and lo and behold I see that it has a 7.2 rating. Really? Anyone not rating this a 10 must be on crack! It's a documentary!!! And it was well done! I am from Detroit where we were brought up listening to KISS, Ted Nugent, MC5, and other hard rocking bands. I was never a country guy, and I am still not much of one. But Dolly Parton is a different kind of country, maybe because she is just so genuine and she has become an American icon, like apple pie and Chevrolet. With the shape of our country in these times, we really need more Dolly Partons! So glad Dolly has embraced us for close to 60 years. A wonderful documentary, THANK YOU Dolly for letting us see you with your hair down!
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AsianTalentHollywood28 October 2020Seeing how planned out her career is and was and how driven she was is fascinating and shows what depth she has as a person. If you if are not a country music fan, you can't help but love her and you will love at least some of her songs.
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BABSBunny2417 February 2021This was great fun to watch and im not even a dolly fan. Ofc i know a few of her songs, this was the first time learning so much about her. I've always respected her humanitarian work but wow, her rags to riches story is awesome especially since she's stayed so humble and kind. Did some digging afterwards and i couldnt find a bad story about her. Thats not to say she's perfect, though i think it speaks volumes when she is always so patient and kind to the ppl she interacts with when ppl with half of her success have been known to let the money turn them into jerks.
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kateann102724 December 2020Dolly Parton has to be one of the most celebrated and prolific songwriters of her generation, with 50 years in show business, a true triple threat, performer, songwriter, actress and of course, humanitarian. She has paved the way for many female singer-songwriters to advance into multi-genre careers while never losing her humility, kindness and positivity. This documentary is a snapshot of her life, past and present, and how she has changed the face of the traditionally male dominated country music industry with her unapologetic realness and talent. She is truly an inspiration to songwriter storytelling with 3,000 songs under her belt and a fearless approach to living and evolving as a human being and an artist.
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TheOtherUprising23 May 2023You see a lot of documentaries that chronicle a series of impactful events in the life of the subject that led them to be where they are. This one is not like that. There is not much about Dolly's background beyond explaining that she came from humble means and knew from a very young age that she wanted to be a performer.
This is more about who Dolly Parton is as a person. Her motivations, her approach to life and how she manages her career as a musician. You come to understand why you never hear a bad a word about her, she's impossible not to like. And as Jane Fonda talked about as a result she is loved by a wide swath of people from very different backgrounds.
Not being much of a country music fan I didn't know how much of an incredibly skilled song writer she is and the diversity of songs she has done. Even having done songs with very dark themes like The Bridge that you wouldn't necessarily associate with her. I appreciated that the documentary includes a good sampling of the music she has done.
She is an incredible talent and you really get the sense that she is someone that is very self aware. She knew what she wanted and went out and got it. Can't help but respect that. -
beverleyhunniford16 January 2021I think over the years we all aware the Dolly story. This has some reminders. A few surprises. Some old facts. All in all a fascinating documentary. Today we have the ability to pause almost everything we watch (bar live theatre of which there is currently none). It's tells you something when you don't want to stop/pause watching for any reason.
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spronkcourtney18 February 2023I recently became more informed about Dolly Parton's impressive career, both in her early years and in her more recent projects. While I was grateful to find out more about her, I was disappointed to find that there was no mention of her friendship with Kenny Rogers. This was a significant part of her life that was left out, and it is strange that it was not included.
Kenny Rogers has since passed away, so I'm even more puzzled as to why Dolly Parton would not mention her friendship with him. It is a mystery that I hope I can get to the bottom of one day. Although I may never know why Dolly Parton chose to not include her relationship with Kenny Rogers in her story, I will always remember the impact he had on her life and career. -
baunacholi-8615918 January 2022What a treat to watch this touching and multi layered documentary about one of the biggest stars in the entertainment industry. Following Mrs. Parton through all decades (as of now) through her career, hearing from close friends background stories or simply get lost in the songs and more importantly the lyrics was truly amazing. What a wonderful, charming, intelligent and professional person... thanks for having us and granting a bit of an insight.
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bqgspqc24 January 2022There were parts of the documentary that was a little slow, but not most of it. Dolly is such an amazing human and this documentary shows that. She's had a spectacular career, which is evidenced in this documentary.
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Most humans on this planet probably know this iconic performer yet this film highlights her journey's ebbs and flows like the unrelenting waves on the shore. It is a capitvating inspiring documentary with great footage and songs laced together with interviews by musicians, managers, movie co stars and others. I didn't know she is married to her husband for all these years. I am a renewed fan of Dolly planning to visit Dollywood someday and hopefully see her in concert, God willing. This movie is a treat to ve shared. Enjoy.
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lynne-jamieson11 February 2022She is a truly amazing human being. A really interesting documentary and opens your eyes to just how talented this lady is. I wish/ hope to see her play live one day.
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marlenamarley19 July 2022As a child, I remember telling someone that I didn't like country music. My mom, having overheard, corrected me. "Yes you do! What about Loretta Lynn? Patsy Cline? Johnny Cash? DOLLY PARTON??!" She was correct on all accounts, but she saved Dolly for last (and with extra emphasis) because I've always been enamored with her. How could you not be?? Side note: if you're a fan of classic country and somehow haven't seen it already, Coal Miner's Daughter (starring Sissy Spacek & Tommy Lee Jones) is another country stardom origin story that was beautifully told. Spacek even performed all her own vocals, making her role that much more impressive. But that's another review for another day. I digress.
This documentary exemplifies and articulates not only the adoration so many feel for her, but it showcases the roots of her wonder. For me, I loved Dolly already, but this documentary made me feel a special sort of reverence and elation at seeing so clearly how she was *born* to do this, and as such, ensured that she was unstoppable in the pursuit of her dreams (all while being an incredibly kind and caring human being).
If you're already a Dolly fan and want to immerse yourself in all that you love about her, give this a watch. If you're curious about her and want to learn more about why she's so loved around the world, give this a watch. If you're a humanitarian, a feminist, or just generally appreciate creative talent and appreciate that talent being recognized, give it a watch. If you're just bored and wanna spend an hour and a half learning about a wildly interesting, quick witted, incredibly gracious, pervasively intelligent person and the journey she's been on in pursuit of her dreams, give it a watch.
At one point in the documentary, an interviewee described her as a savant, which hit the nail on the head. This film was a wonderful celebration/exploration of such a bright light in the universe, and I walked away from it with a renewed sense of appreciation for the sheer *force* that is Dolly Parton.