The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom

Misleading title and casting list....only had a voice over cameo from Dolly. Even if that wasn't bothersome, the movie was confusing and poorly written, shot, and acted. Just kind of a mess with a jumble of plot lines that don't connect. The color grading was over the top and there was too much shaky cam.. It gets points for creativity I guess, but the film strongly seems to be "trying too. hard." It was a waste of my evening to watch it, wish I could get that time back. I mean, the only reason I watched it was because it said it had Dolly Parton in it, but I never even got to see her, other than in stock footage! This movie didn't seem to know what it wanted to be about.....coming of age? Social justice? Identity? Adopted child rights? Bad parenting? Bullying? Overall the movie needed to cut out the Dolly Parton stuff, and have a script overhaul.

Last weekend I took my children to see this movie in Vancouver. My daughters are 12 and 9 so the story really spoke to them both. Without giving anything away, it's safe to say that the movie tells the very complex story of the relationship between a mother and her daughter. It's a great commentary on real-life mother/daughter relationships. We love our kids so much that sometimes it's just really hard to admit that they have minds of their own. The 3 of us agreed that it was a wonderful film. It didn't hurt that our friend played the main character either :) Julia Stone was amazing in her role as Elizabeth. I'd recommend this film to anyone. The entire audience was engaged throughout and even the boys enjoyed the movie. Great job Tara!

It's 1976. Elizabeth Alison Gray (Julia Sarah Stone) is an 11 year old from the Canadian prairies. She discovers that she was adopted by her parents. She starts to believe that Dolly Parton is her mom and sets off on her bicycle to Minneapolis to find her. Her adoptive mother Marion goes off to find the runaway girl.

This is Canadian indie filmed in Winnipeg. Julia Stone is a cute new actress with plenty of screen presence. The title is whimsical. There are some quirky characters. There are good songs especially if you like Dolly Parton. It has some stuff on the plus side. On the other hand, the story can be slow. There are too many silent moments intended to add atmosphere. It isn't as dramatic as it could have been. There isn't much of a plot. It's kinda cute and touching.

A touching movie with a lot of drama and emotions. A lot of unnecessary parts, but very moving altogether. The editor really deserved to win an award for the editing done in this. The furniture and clothing of the actors definitely reflect the sixties. Which is surprising, because not many movies do such a good job of doing so. You can really feel the pain and emotions of this, not just by the actions and lines of the actors, but also by the lighting and certain scenes shown in the movie. It altogether has a good message about knowing that it doesn't matter where you've come from, but that you will always have a family. It was even more inspirational when Dolly Parton herself responded to the little girl's letter, giving her a little ray of hope.

This delightful new film is a tribute to Canadian talent! What a wonderful cast and we certainly hope to see more from writer/director Tara Johns - a Canadian gem! Set in the prairies one is delivered to the open scape of the imagination of a young girl who wishes her mother was fabulous Dolly Parton. As daughter and mother set out on routes of self-discovery, we are swept away with the emotions and beauty of a film that is both intimate and authentic. The set design and costumes are so detailed that those of us who lived in the seventies feel immediately at home. Vancouverite Julia Stone does an amazing job and Macha Grenon is breathtaking. It is an outstanding treatment of a tale of lost identity, and a must see film for all!