A living legend in the country music world, 11-time Grammy winner Dolly Parton recently celebrated her 76th birthday. A two-time Academy Award and six-time Golden Globe nominee, Parton’s filmography as an actress runs the gamut between beloved hit dramedies and questionable musicals. Fans of Parton also love her roles in television films and feel-good Christmas movies, and many of those titles have received decent ratings from fans.

Due to her fame and impact on the Country-Western music genre, Parton has been the subject of a few documentaries and has appeared in films about her musical peers, including documentaries about Linda Ronstadt and Kenny Rogers. But what Parton feature film appearances are ranked the highest by fans?

10 Christmas On The Square (2020) – 5.2

Christmas on the Square follows a wealthy woman who returns to her hometown and sells the land to a developer. Starring Christine Baranski, Jenifer Lewis and Parton, the Netflix Christmas movie musical feels right at home during viewers’ annual holiday movie marathons filled with titles by Lifetime and Hallmark. Christmas on the Square also features 14 original songs from Parton.

Baranski plays the wicked Regina Fuller, who rediscovers the magic of Christmas thanks to the townspeople and a legitimate angel, played by Parton in sky-high heels and an embellished white suit. While not the most groundbreaking film in Parton’s filmography, Christmas on the Square did win two Emmys, including one for director and choreographer Debbie Allen.

9 Straight Talk (1992) – 5.8

Parton plays a Southern dance instructor who heads to Chicago and accidentally becomes the host of a telephone helpline in Straight Talk. Shirlee Kenyon is known for her advice and she becomes a hit with callers, but her boss makes her pretend to be an actual therapist. An investigative journalist who met Shirlee earlier tries to uncover her secret, going so far as to date her. But much like the rest of Chicago, he’s unable to resist her charm.

Along with starring in the romantic comedy, Parton also wrote original songs for Straight Talk and gives a charming performance. James Woods plays her leading man, Jack Russell, and his sarcastic persona serves as a foil to Parton’s kind-hearted Shirlee.

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8 Joyful Noise (2012) – 5.8

Starring alongside Queen Latifah, Courtney B. Vance and Keke Palmer, Parton plays a strong-minded woman who begins leading a church choir following her husband’s death in the 2012 musical Joyful Noise. G.G. Sparrow must work with Latifah’s Vi Rose Hill to help the choir reach the national “Joyful Noise” competition. The two butt heads throughout the film, but eventually come together to help the choir win the competition.

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Joyful Noise was praised for the charismatic lead performances from Parton and Latifah, but not much else. Along with its 5.8 rating on IMDb, it currently has 32% on Rotten Tomatoes, though its audience score is 65%. Even with these lower scores, Joyful Noise is one of Parton’s best movies.

7 Gnomeo & Juliet (2011) – 5.9

Lending her voice to the aptly named Dolly Gnome character in Gnomeo & Juliet, Parton stars alongside James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Maggie Smith and Michael Caine in this fun retelling of the famous Shakespearean play. Dolly Gnome announces the lawnmower race between Gnomeo and Tybalt and her Southern drawl sticks out among the other gnomes’ more Shakespearean accents.

Following the titular pair of garden gnomes from feuding yards, Gnomeo & Juliet is a great Shakespeare movie for beginners to the playwright and offers a kid-friendly take on the tragic story of star-crossed lovers. The sweet animated film received nominations at the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice and Satellite Awards for the song “Hello, Hello,” performed by Lady Gaga and Elton John. At the Annie Awards, Gnomeo & Juliet also received four nominations.

6 The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas (1982) – 6.0

A musical romance starring Parton and Burt Reynolds, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas isn’t as vulgar as its title might imply. As Mona Stangley, the proprietor of the Chicken Ranch brothel outside Gilbert, Texas, Parton is given one of her meatiest acting roles in which she gets to show off her singing and dancing talents. Mona proves herself to be a respectable and kind-hearted citizen of Gilbert, even if some don’t agree with her business.

Reynolds plays her leading man, Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd, who helps Mona try to save the brothel after Melvin P. Thorpe exposes the business on his TV show. Sheriff Dodd may not be the role he’s best known for, but one of Burt Reynold’s most memorable movie quotes comes from the film. Parton’s turn as Mona earned her a Golden Globe nomination.

5 The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom (2011) – 6.3

In the coming-of-age movie The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom, the country singer provides a voice cameo. Written and directed by Tara Jones, the film follows 11-year-old Elizabeth as she grows up in 1970s Winnipeg, Canada. She and her friend Annabelle can’t wait to grow up, hoping they get Parton’s “big boobs” after they make it through puberty. But while doing a school project, Elizabeth discovers she’s adopted.

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This discovery causes the young girl’s world to turn upside down, with Elizabeth daydreaming about having Parton as her real mother. After trying to bike across the border to see the singer perform, Elizabeth and her mom end up forming a stronger bond on the car ride to Parton’s Minneapolis concert. Though Parton only appears on-screen via old performance footage and album covers, her warm and accepting presence is felt through The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom.

4 9 To 5 – 6.9

Alongside her now longtime friends, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, Parton rounds out 9 to 5’s lead trio of office workers who are fed up with their sexist boss. The singer makes her film debut as Doralee Rhodes, the married secretary who receives the brunt of Frank Hart’s flirtatious and sexual comments. Along with the newly-hired Judy Bernly and the over-looked and over-qualified Violet Newstead, Doralee ends up living out her fantasy of getting back at Frank.

A female-driven tale about empowerment that premiered decades before the #MeToo movement, 9 to 5 feels like a comedic precursor to films like Promising Young Woman and Hustlers. For her timeless, catchy theme song, Parton earned an Academy Award nomination and won two Grammys. For her performance as Doralee, she earned two Golden Globe nominations.

3 Steel Magnolias (1989) – 7.3

Steel Magnolias, based on Robert Harling’s play of the same name, follows a group of women from smalltown Louisiana and how the loss of one of their friends impacts their lives. As part of the drama’s impressive ensemble cast, Parton shines as beautician and town gossip Truvy Jones. Sally Field and Julia Roberts play M’Lynn and Shelby, the mother-daughter duo at the center of Steel Magnolias’ heart and its eventual tragedy.

The film has since become a classic, thanks in part to the lasting star power of its cast. Roberts has a Golden Globe for her performance as Shelby, and Steel Magnolias won the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Dramatic Motion Picture. Field, Shirley MacLaine and Olympia Dukakis all earned award nominations for their performances in the ensemble drama.

2 Dolly Parton: Here I Am (2019) – 7.4

Dolly Parton: Here I Am, the 2019 documentary about the legendary country singer, includes interviews with Parton and her friends discussing her impressive career. With 11 Grammys and her own theme park, Parton has become a national treasure and this documentary explores the path that made her a star, including her debut on The Porter Wagoner Show in 1967.

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Throughout the documentary, viewers get to hear about the people and places that impacted the singer and influenced her career. Jane Fonda, Kylie Minogue and Linda Perry are among the people interviewed in the documentary. The late Whitney Houston, whose cover of Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” became a smash hit, appears via archive footage.

1 Linda Ronstadt: The Sound Of My Voice (2019) – 8.2

Parton was one of many musical peers interviewed for Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice. In the 1960s, Ronstadt made a name for herself in the world of folk-rock. Singers Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris and Don Henley and director Cameron Crowe are among the interviewees.

Lifelong friends and fans of each other’s music, Ronstadt, Parton and Harris collaborated on three albums (Trio, Trio II and The Complete Trio Collection). They won two Grammys for their work together. Getting to hear from two of Ronstadt’s close friends and collaborators helps make The Sound of My Voice a wonderful documentary about an influential talent.

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Samantha Savery
(44 Articles Published)

Samantha Savery is a film and television writer who enjoys both big blockbusters and small indie films. She’s a fan of period pieces, movie musicals and supporting female filmmakers. Her work tends to focus on film and television, but she has experience writing about pop culture and the arts as a whole. Her desert island movies include Kiki’s Delivery Service, Hercules, Funny Face, Little Women and the Paddington franchise.

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