Dolly Parton : C'est Noël chez nous

If you ask anyone why they wanted to watch this movie, you'll probably be told it was because of Dolly Parton; after all, that's also why I turned it on.

The opening musical scene is generally where most viewers start to have regret for tuning in. I too was a bit overwhelmed with this bright, overly jolly, and way to long of an opening musical number (of that caliber) to start a down-home, feel good Christmas story. Unlike most reviewers here, I stayed tuned-in to see where this was going to go from here. I just wasn't about to give up on Dolly Parton yet.

This movie does have its ups and downs, but I started to realize that this is definitely 'I'm always happy and grateful' Dolly style and quickly dropped my preconceived idea of what this movie was going to be.

From the 30-minute mark going forward I started enjoying the story more and more, but I found myself looking at my phone during many of the following musical numbers, only to find myself watching again when the story returned. Not every musical journey was bad, and they did tie into the story itself, but in Dolly fashion they were very exuberant and busy on the screen.

Christine Baranski was a joy to watch in this film, and I believe they could have made this movie great without the musical numbers and a bit more of the storyline. With Dolly steering the musical direction of the film, she could have had a few beautiful and soon-to-be Holiday classics or even had a great duet with Christine. However, this movie was intended to be an off-Broadway style film with a simple storyline and lots of over-the-top numbers, and they certainly achieved their goal.

It's clear to me Ms. Parton and the entire cast wanted to cheer us all up through the musical numbers and have fun too. After all it's 2020 and why not watch a Holiday musical comedy with a few laughs and snarky quips sprinkled through the movie while adding a touching conclusion and good performance by Christine Baranski.

It tries, I guess.

I can't say I enjoyed 'Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square' at any moment, though it does have (minor) peaks and (major) troughs. Some parts are OK, a couple of the songs fit and there's one nice scene between Christine Baranski (Regina) and Selah Kimbro Jones (Violet). Parton, meanwhile, is fine in her role.

However, the rest is a slog to watch. Far too much emphasis is put on the musical numbers. Yes, it obviously needs them but you must also have more meat on the bones if you're going to make a film out of it. The plot is tedious to watch unfold, as you know what's coming and it doesn't do anything to throw you off the scent.

If you just want a music-filled film then head this way, if not it's probably best to avoid.

I love Dolly. I don't particularly like Christmas movies in general. To be honest, this wasn't my favorite movie - it was too sugar coated and boring to watch for the most part. The songs are also kind of forgettable, after watching the movie, I can't actually remember even one of the melodies. And there was a LOT of this very mediocre music to fill the space. However, when the movie was approaching the end, the plot took some very touching and heartfelt turns, which actually made me cry. So if you decide to give this film a shot, just be sure to watch it until the very end, however clumsy the beginning might feel. It really surprised me positively towards the end, even up to tears, which was the last thing I expected to happen, based on the most part of the movie. PS. I love you Dolly, just keep being you.

Remember this isn't a big budget movie this is based on a stage play and it plays that way on screen too. It's a sweet story with a message. People need to get off their high horse when it comes to reviews. This is meant to be fun and entertaining with a moral. That's the basics. I love the effort and heart put into this story.

I find musicals difficult to review as I always find myself trying to disentangle the singing from the acting, which, of course, does not work. Overall, it is a fun movie, especially if you like musicals. It is not a very original story, of course, as the "Scrooge" plot has been done many times. The twist here is it is done in a musical. Regarding the story, I did find the plot around building a mall a bit funny, given that they have been closing across the country. Anyway, the choreography (in the song and dance scenes) is fun and engaging. Indeed, the strongest scenes, I felt, were those when the full cast participated (e.g., the opening scene, the church scenes, the closing scene). The individual performances, I thought were mixed. The lead, Christine Baranski (as Regina) and Treat Williams (as Carl), both had good performances, even though they are not what I would call naturally good singers. Josh Segarra, playing the pastor, could really sing, but his acting was rather weak. I was unimpressed with Jeanine Mason's (as Felicity, the other angel) performance overall. The producers could have cast a stronger actor for this role, a pity really. Jenifer Lewis (as Margeline) and Matthew Johnson (Mack) were excellent, great voices/singing. And there was a cute performance by Selah Kimbro Jones as Violet; I really enjoyed her scene with Regina. Overall, a fun movie. However, if you are not a fan of musicals, you should probably sit this one out.