Dolly Parton’s Christmas On The Square: Guide To All The Music and Songs

One of the most hotly-anticipated Christmas movies for 2020 is the festive musical Dolly Parton’s Christmas of the Square, starring Dolly Parton, Treat Williams, Jenifer Lewis, and Christine Baranski as the Scrooge-like Regina Fuller. Directed by Debbie Allen, the film features 14 new songs written by Dolly Parton, and the country diva even performs a few numbers herself as she plays Angel, a heavenly being whose mission on Earth is to make sure that Regina mends her ways.

Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square was made by Netflix and is available on the streaming service from November 22nd, adding to their already extensive collection of festive films.

14 “Christmas Is”- Dolly Parton, Christine Baranski, and Ensemble

The film opens with a jolly ensemble song and dance number about all the things that are important at Christmas, with Parton’s Angel character leading the singing while dressed as a homeless person. All the main characters living in the fictional town of Fullerville get their chance to croon, from the sassy hairdresser Margeline to Pastor Christian and his wife Jenna as they sing about their hopes of having a baby.

This is also where we meet Regina Fuller for the first time, as she travels around the town handing out eviction notices so that the town can be cleared for a new mall.

13 “You”- Josh Segarra and Mary Lane Haskell

The residents of Fullerville aren’t taking this lying down, however, and they soon organize a “Resist Regina” protest, with the Pastor (Josh Segarra) and wife Jenna (Mary Lane Haskell) leading the way. Preparations for the protest give the cute couple the chance to sing a love song to each other about how much they love each other and how they were meant to be together.

It’s a rather unnecessary interruption at this point in the film, but love songs are Dolly’s forte so why not give her the chance to show off her songwriting chops?

12 “Queen of Mean”- Jenifer Lewis

It turns out that hairdresser Margeline is not just one of the victims of Regina’s mall plan, but she is also Regina’s oldest friend.

Margeline heads to Regina’s mansion to give her a haircut and takes the opportunity to tell her pal just how terribly she is behaving, reminding her that she wasn’t always heartless and that she is even evicting her childhood sweetheart Carl (Treat Williams) from his general store. The song is just as sassy as you would expect from the no-nonsense black friend in the movie.

11 “Keeper of Memories”- Treat Williams

Regina has one more eviction notice to deliver, one intended for her old boyfriend, Carl. While Regina is dismissive about the junk he sells in his general store, Carl reminds her that all these items were important to someone once, singing about the precious memories that various Fullerville residents have bestowed upon the things that now sit on the shelves of the general store. Regina leaves after handing over the eviction notice, and Carl sings sadly about his memories.

10 “Everybody Needs an Angel”- Dolly Parton

When Dolly Parton finally reveals herself to Regina as Angel and explains her mission to try and make her change her ways, Parton sings a schmaltzy number about an old story that Regina’s father used to tell her about an old lamplighter.

Dolly certainly looks the part as a heavenly being, and the song is designed to pull at the heartstrings, though it doesn’t quite manage to turn Regina from Scrooge into Santa Claus—yet!

9 “Wickedest Witch of the Middle”- Ensemble

The townsfolk all gather together in the church for their “Resist Regina” meeting, which soon turns into an unexpectedly joyous sing and dance number about all the terrible things they are going to do to get rid of the “wicked witch.” Their singing is interrupted by an angry Regina, who announces that everyone now needs to be out of their homes by Christmas Eve.

8 “Try”- Josh Segarra, Mary Lane Haskell, and the Ensemble

A deflated crowd is rallied by Pastor Christian and his inspirational rendition of a song all about fighting on even when things look hopeless. His version is more of a slow and rousing ballad, but the same song is reprised later in the film by Margeline when it is given an up-tempo makeover to make it sound more like a gospel tune.

7 “Fairy Tale”- Selah Kimbro Jones and Christine Baranski

After leaving the town meeting, Regina heads into a local bar where she meets Violet (Selah Kimbro Jones), the obligatory cute, no-nonsense child, and the two sing the duet “Life Is Not a Fairytale.” After the song, Violet reveals how her mother died, and Regina realizes that her tough attitude to running Fullerville may have a hand in the tragic accident.

We start to see a human side to Regina for the first time, but Angel knows there is still work to do.

6 “Everybody Needs an Angel”- Dolly Parton

Angel realizes that she is going to need some help with her mission and recruits Regina’s kind-hearted assistant Felicity (Jeanine Mason) to become an honorary angel. Parton sings a fun and lively tune about being an angel, with poor Felicity magicked from pillar to post in one of the film’s more humorous sequences. Felicity is now signed up to help Angel with her scheme to soften Regina’s heart.

5 “Rearview Mirror”- Dolly Parton

A health care sees Regina in the hospital for some tests, where she reminisces about what went wrong between her and Carl, and the tragic episode which led to the breakdown of the relationship between her and her father. While we see scenes in flashback from when Regina was forced to give up her baby for adoption, Dolly sings about the importance of always looking forward, rather than looking in the rearview mirror and reliving what went on in the past.

4 “A Father’s Prayer”- Matthew Johnson

As Regina leaves the hospital, Violet is being brought in by ambulance with her father Mack (Matthew Johnson) after a car accident. Regina tells Felicity to arrange for Violet to have the best surgeon, and she calls on Angel to do what she can to save the child.

As Mack sits by his daughter’s bed, he sings the emotional ballad “A Father’s Prayer” as he pleads for Violet to be saved. This is arguably the best song in the movie, and the tune is emotionally delivered by Johnson.

3 “When an Angel Knows Your Dreams”- Dolly Parton, Mary Lane Haskell, and Ensemble

Another ensemble number, this scene starts with Dolly as Angel singing to each of the townspeople about their dreams: the Pastor and his wife, who want their baby, and Margeline, who wants to save her business.

The song ends with all the Fullerville residents gathered in the town square holding candles, while Dolly takes center stage on the bandstand for her big musical finish. While they sing, Regina makes a shocking discovery at her house when she finds that the son she had adopted is Pastor Christian.

2 “Forgive Me”- Christine Baranski

Pastor Christian is leading the Christmas service when he reveals to the town the news about his mother, and that Regina has changed her mind about evicting them from the town. Dolly sings her final number, welcoming Regina into the church before Baranski has her big musical moment asking the town to forgive her for what she has done. As anyone who has seen Mamma Mia will know, Baranski is not much of a singer, but she does a decent job with her finale.

1 “Christmas on the Square Reprise” – Ensemble

The film finishes with a reprise of Christmas on the Square, a song which briefly featured in the opening scenes. All is well in Fullerville, with Violet on the road to recovery and all the residents able to stay in their homes and keep their businesses open.

This modern musical take on the classic Dickens tale A Christmas Carol is a warm and fuzzy feel-good movie with some great tunes and an eye-catching performance by Dolly Parton.