Ranking The Best Dolly Parton Movies

Dolly Parton left this astral plane today and ascended into her much-deserved time in Heaven. We will always miss her and love her, but we're lucky enough to have her music and her movies, which will live on forever.

It's hard to eulogize someone who did so much.

Dolly Parton was world-renowned as a country music icon and philanthropist; her film career includes some of the most beloved comedies and dramas of the 1980s and '90s.

Her music and the songs she wrote have played over timeless scenes and inspired characters and creators of all walks of life.

Dolly was synonymous with warmth, wit, and a level of sincerity that few could uphold, but she always did.

Today, I want to go through all the movies she's been in and celebrate her work.

Let's dive in.

1. 9 to 5 (1980)

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• Director: Colin Higgins
• Writer: Patricia Resnick & Colin Higgins
• Cast: Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, Dabney Coleman, Elizabeth Wilson

This was Dolly Parton's acting debut, and she hit it out of the park right away. She played Doralee Rhodes, a secretary falsely rumored to be sleeping with her misogynistic, tyrannical boss.

So what's a gal to do when in trouble?

She teams up with her co-workers, Judy (Jane Fonda) and Violet (Lily Tomlin), to kidnap their boss and run the office themselves. And it goes swimmingly well.

The whole movie is anchored by Parton's legendary Oscar-nominated title song and remains a landmark feminist comedy.

2. Steel Magnolias (1989)

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• Director: Herbert Ross
• Writer: Robert Harling
• Cast: Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, Julia Roberts

Another banger that lets Dolly be Dolly. It's set in a small Louisiana town where a group of women gather at Truvy’s beauty shop and talk about their lives. Parton plays Truvy Jones, the big-haired, big-hearted salon owner who acts as the glue holding the group together. This movie has a wonderful script that plays on big jokes, big drama, and gives us one-liners like "There is no such thing as natural beauty."

3. The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982)

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• Director: Colin Higgins
• Writer: Larry L. King, Peter Masterson, & Colin Higgins
• Cast: Dolly Parton, Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Charles Durning, Jim Nabors

Crazy to admit, but when I was a kid, I saw the title and rented it because I thought it was going to be salacious. Anyway, it was actually an endearing musical where Parton stars as Mona Stangley, the proprietor of a long-standing, beloved brothel known as the "Chicken Ranch." When a crusading television commentator (Dom DeLuise) targets the establishment, Mona must team up with her lover, the local sheriff (Burt Reynolds), to keep the doors open. I feel like this movie is most famous for an arrangement of "I Will Always Love You" that blows your mind.

4. Straight Talk (1992)

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• Director: Barnet Kellman
• Writer: Craig Bolotin & Patricia Resnick
• Cast: Dolly Parton, James Woods, Griffin Dunne, Michael Madsen, Philip Seymour Hoffman

Parton takes center stage as Shirlee Kenyon, a small-town dance instructor who moves to Chicago and accidentally lands a job as a radio talk-show host. She gives that Parton no-nonsense advice under the guise of being a trained psychologist. But she's really just a wise woman. Shirlee becomes an instant sensation, even as an investigative reporter (James Woods) tries to uncover her true identity. It's a romantic comedy that allows Parton to play the hits, so to speak. And it really works and is charming.

5. Joyful Noise (2012)

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• Director: Todd Graff
• Writer: Todd Graff
• Cast: Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, Keke Palmer, Jeremy Jordan, Courtney B. Vance

This movie follows two stubborn women (Parton and Queen Latifah) who clash over the direction of a small-town Georgia church choir following the sudden death of its director. It's kind of the perfect showcase for powerful voices. Parton brings seasoned musicality, comedic sparring with Latifah, and finding common ground when it comes to faith, community, and second chances.

Summing It All Up

Dolly was a pillar of all entertainment and left a huge hole in our hearts upon her passing. We will always love her, and these movies will be on repeat whenever our lives need a little sparkle.

Let us know what you think in the comments.