Few entertainers can tug at our heartstrings quite as much as Dolly Parton.
The country music legend has been a national treasure ever since she first burst onto the
scene with her hit debut album Hello, I'm Dolly.
After executive producing and starring in Dolly Parton's Heartstrings, a 2019 anthology
series that breathes new life into her most cherished song titles, Parton will soon have
us singing once again — this time, with her new holiday film Dolly Parton's Christmas
on the Square.
But to celebrate her signature cheer a little early, let's take a look back on her most
memorable movie moments so far.
Just as her first record still shows us why Dolly Parton has had such a long and illustrious
career, so does her very first movie role.
Parton is one of the three leads in the classic 1980 workplace dramedy 9 to 5, alongside Jane
Fonda and Lily Tomlin.
Parton stars as Doralee Rhodes, a secretary who is constantly harassed by her boss, Franklin
Hart, Jr.
She and her two co-workers soon form a bond after each being mistreated by their boss,
but not before Doralee seizes on her chance to confront him directly for his offenses
to her.
In his office, Doralee takes Hart to task for encouraging others in the company to think
they have a secret romantic relationship.
She memorably threatens to take action if he doesn't discontinue the innuendo and rumors.
"I'm gonna get that gun of mine, and I'm gonna change you from a rooster to a hen with one
shot!
Don't think I can't do it!"
The story only gets wilder from there, but this early scene proved that Dolly Parton
was just as comfortable on the big screen as on a big stage.
Steel Magnolias will probably always find its way into prestigious acting highlights reels,
because the 1989 drama is full of memorable monologues and blistering one-liners that
have stood the test of time.
In particular, Dolly Parton's character Truvy Jones has some very quotable asides.
"You've got little hairs and fuzzies all over you."
"There's so much static electricity in this room, I pick up everything but boys and money."
Truvy is a southern salon owner whose shop is the centerpiece for much of the film's
action.
The events of the story begin with her giving a job to Daryl Hannah's awkward town newcomer
character Annelle.
Annelle enjoys quite an unusual introduction to Truvy when she arrives to discover her
in a robe and curlers, engaging in a full-on shouting match with her husband Spud.
"Excuse me.
And pick up my green dress at the cleaners!"
"Am I interrupting something?"
"No, I'm just screaming at my husband.
I can do that anytime."
The moment sets the stage for the quirky social dynamic of the townspeople and reminds us
that Parton serves up her very best sass with a smile.
In the 1991 TV movie Wild Texas Wind, Parton plays a talented country singer on the rise.
Her character Thiola Rayfield leads a band called Big T and the Texas Wheel.
While on the road, she catches the attention of Gary Busey's character Justice Parker.
Justice admires her talent and offers to become her manager — only Justice has a dark personal
history and resorts to violence against Thiola when he's angry.
In one of the most gut-wrenching scenes of the movie, Thiola confronts Justice about
the fact that he lost control of himself and struck her, delivering a heartbreaking speech
about how she grew up watching the same thing happen to her mother.
"I watched my momma go through this and I swore this would never happen to me."
"Everybody fights!"
"Everybody don't hit!"
Parton may usually be an uplifting screen presence, but as this scene proves, she's
perfectly at home in an emotional role.
Dolly Parton's second silver screen appearance remains one of her most iconic roles.
In the 1982 musical comedy film The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Parton headlines as Miss
Mona Stangley, a brothel owner whose establishment is protected by sheriff Ed Earl Dodd, portrayed
by Burt Reynolds, because she has a longstanding romantic connection to him.
But things begin to fall apart between them when Mona's Chicken Ranch is exposed by a
television reporter who goes to great lengths to capture footage of college football players
celebrating their win with her employees.
The sheriff has political ambitions and becomes irate when he learns that she kept the place
open, despite promising him she'd close until the media attention dissipates.
They ultimately make up when Ed Earl confesses his love and proposes.
Unfortunately, Mona can't bring herself to accept.
She launches into a beautiful bittersweet performance of "I Will Always Love You", a
song that totally captures the heartache of walking away from true love.
Through both the lyrics and her heartbreaking onscreen performance, Parton cemented this
scene as one of the best of her career.
Perhaps that's what makes her change of heart at the very last second so satisfying.
One of Parton's most hilarious movie appearances is her cameo for the 2005 comedy Miss Congeniality
2: Armed and Fabulous.
In the film, Sandra Bullock's FBI agent Gracie Hart is in Las Vegas investigating the kidnapping
of Miss United States, and she spots Dolly Parton in the halls of a casino.
She becomes convinced this Parton is an imposter who must be questioned.
"Excuse me, Fake Dolly, hi, hello.
FBI here.
Yeah, I just would love to have a few words with you."
Hart confronts "Fake Dolly," and Parton makes a break for it.
After a chase, Hart physically tackles Parton in the busy shopping hub of the Venetian Resort.
Despite others stepping in to explain that she is indeed the real Parton and that she's
in town for a press tour, Hart still isn't convinced.
"There is no world tour, and this is not Dolly Parton.
Okay, look, look.
These are absolutely --"
"What are you doing?
That hurts."
"Why did you run?"
"Because some crazy woman was chasing me."
Dolly Parton can clearly do physical comedy, and that prowess is on full display in the
2012 musical dramedy Joyful Noise.
Parton stars as G.G.
Sparrow, the widow of a late choir director who feuds with Queen Latifah's Vi Rose Hill
over who should get to direct the choir after his passing.
The competition between the two women intensifies, and G.G. eventually confronts Vi during her
restaurant shift, Their conversation starts civilly enough, but it goes downhill when
Vi implies that G.G. is phony inside and out.
"Well I am who I am."
"Maybe you were five procedures ago.
Now you're whoever you need to be to make everybody love you.
Ooh, G.G.'s so larger than life.
Well it pisses me off."
G.G. goes on the offensive to stage a good old-fashioned food fight, all while retaliating
with everything she hates about Vi.
Of course, the anger in the scene can't mask the fact that the two are clearly having a
great time.
"You're breaking my hair.
Will you stop; it took me a half a day to do this."
"I could tear this hair up right now.
Wouldn't you like that?
Huh?"
"My doctor does good liposuction too if you'd like his card."
"Get this on here.
Yeah, put that online, ha ha."
Thanks for watching.
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