Dolly Parton’s contribution to modern society is immeasurable. Not only is she one of the most prolific songwriters of all time, but she also has the rare ability to bring people together across the most unlikely of lines. Most recently she demonstrated her saintliness when she donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to fund research for the Moderna vaccine. It seems as if she can do no wrong.
Dolly may be an icon, but her new Netflix movie “Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square” is not good by most metrics. Some movies, especially cheesy Hallmark-style movies, are ironically “good” because they demonstrate such a profound ignorance of the proven conventions of film that it results in an enjoyable experience. Unfortunately, this movie lacks some of the charming aspects of these ironically lovable films.
The story is a mess of the faux-anti-capitalist Christmas tales we have grown accustomed to. It follows a callous, Scrooge-like woman named Regina (Christine Baranski) who is selling her hometown, which her father owned, to developers who want to build a supermall. This plot comes straight out of the 80s, a decade in which malls were profitable. Of course, the townspeople are angered by the loss of their homes and actively but futilely fight against her. Dolly Parton appears first as a houseless woman, but then is revealed to be an angel meant to help Regina find it in her heart to not be a ruthless capitalist.
My main gripe with this movie is actually that there isn’t enough Dolly. The strongest parts of the film are primarily her vocal performances, which more closely resemble the spiritual ballads we are used to hearing from her. Her character’s sweet disposition and funny one-liners add personality to an otherwise boring script and cast.
Despite the charm of Dolly’s solo performances, the rest of the film is too music-heavy. Normally, this critique of a film or play is undeserved and leads me to believe that the reviewer is either not familiar with or does not appreciate the format of a musical. That being said, there are too many underwhelming, if not plainly bad, musical numbers that distract from what the film is doing best: indulging in its silliness. Rather than add to the campiness, the songs attempt to ground the movie in real emotion but fail because of lackluster acting. However, director Debbie Allen’s choreography does give visual interest to otherwise tedious group numbers.
This movie is at an unappealing crossroads of ridiculous and bland — the plot points are profoundly silly but delivered with little enthusiasm by an uninspired cast, which doesn’t make for the fun, ironic watch you might be craving during Christmas time. The movie is more suited to just being background noise while cooking or wrapping presents.
As Dolly conceded in the final episode of the hit podcast “Dolly Parton’s America,” despite her greatness as a businesswoman, entrepreneur and cultural icon, she is a songwriter at her core. If “Christmas on the Square” demonstrates anything about its creator, it’s her ability to write a classic Dolly Parton song. All in all, the main thing that makes this movie good is that one gets to watch America’s angel having a good time on screen. And she deserves it.
