A&E Biography Review: ‘Dolly Parton’ Airing Sunday, April 12th

Review by David Ferguson

Airing April 12, 2020 on A&E (2 hours)

Greetings again from the darkness. She’s been described as both cartoon character and superhero, and this too-short biography does its best to show us the flesh and blood under the big-hair wigs, tight blouses, and flamboyant make-up. Regardless of your personal opinion, a tip of the cap is due to Dolly Parton as she enters her seventh decade of entertaining.

From Smoky Mountain poverty to global stardom, Dolly’s success story stems from two traits: talent and determination. We hear her state that she considers herself a songwriter first (it’s therapy), and then we hear her say she longed to be a star from early childhood. It’s an interesting dichotomy that is never really addressed, but we do get a mostly chronological breakdown of her career … starting when she hit Nashville in 1964 at age 18. Having her classmates laugh at her ambition (much like what Elvis went through), she was more determined than ever, and released her first single, “Dumb Blonde” in 1966, the same year she married Carl Dean. We even see rare photographs of Carl, a near recluse during their now 50 plus years of marriage.

Adding a bit of structure are clips from Dolly’s first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry in 1969, and then again from her 50th year Opry celebration in 2019. Along the way, we get interviews from many, including session musicians she played with, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly’s biographer, Mac Davis, and songwriter Linda Perry. Ms. Fonda’s input is especially detailed as she recollects her time with Dolly visiting the backwoods area she grew up in.

There are some terrific old clips of young Dolly Parton, including her time on The Porter Wagoner Show … and yes, Porter’s jackets are still gaudy and showy even in the faded clips. The film walks us through the timeline of some her greatest hits, including “The Bridge” in 1967, “Jolene” in 1973, and “I Will Always Love You” in 1974. There is an interesting bit of Elvis trivia included here, before it moves on to Whitney Houston’s smash hit cover for the 1992 film, THE BODYGUARD. Dolly even offers some very gracious compliments of Whitney’s record.

As much as we enjoy seeing the old clips, the show would have benefitted from a bit more background on Dolly’s family and roots. She’s labeled a simple, poor mountain girl and one of 12 kids in the family, but when she describes her illiterate father as the smartest man she’s known … we want more. She was 10 years old the first time she performed on stage, and now says she has written more than 3000 songs!

Dolly is described as never wanting to make anyone feel badly, so she keeps her political and social views private. Ms. Fonda describes Dolly as a feminist based on how she has lived her life, and recalling how their 1980 movie 9 TO 5 came together is captivating. Dolly’s theme song for the movie became an anthem for working women, and hearing her talk about how she shared the lyrics daily with co-stars Fonda and Tomlin is quite funny. The film was released three years after Dolly’s first pop hit, “Here You Come Again” (written by the prolific husband and wife songwriting team of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil), making her a global superstar entertainer with rabid fans.

There is a brief mention of the opening of Dollywood in 1986, and her Imagination Library, and we learn of her professional slump in the late 1990’s followed by a Bluegrass comeback. What seems to be short-changed here is her success with Kenny Rogers, any discussion of her plastic surgery, and proper credit for her business ventures, other movies, philanthropy, and focus on childhood literacy. A 2 hour TV special can’t be expected to cover it all, and it’s clear that Dolly Parton is so much more than a pretty face and unique singing voice; she’s a role model for what can be accomplished with some talent and determination.