By Geno McGahee
I had absolutely no idea what to expect from DOLLY PARTON’S MOUNTAIN MAGIC CHRISTMAS, but with Dolly Parton in it, I’m sure I would find something that I liked. Parton has always had this spirit and nice nature that translated to her music and acting and it is present in this new release.
Parton is planning a big network show and calls upon all her friends to help her make it right. She is very family-focused and wants this special to bring joy to everyone no matter what their financial situation is. The messages in this film are much needed in a world of constant fighting.
As much as I don’t like Jimmy Fallon, he does well with Dolly in his one song and you can see why he was popular on SNL. It’s a shame that he turned into what he has on his late night show. He has plenty to offer and this side gig showed that he can have fun and be likable. They should take the handcuffs off of him on his talk show.
Dolly continues to seek help on this special and meets up with notables like Willie Nelson, Billy Ray Cyrus and Miley Cyrus. They all have songs together and even though I’m not a fan of this sort of music at all, I found a certain amount of charm in this film and the songs.
The main purpose of this film seems to be to make people happy and to let all the negativity go. Dolly is in a position where she doesn’t need to do this but it’s important for her to share her love of the holiday but also her love and hope for humanity. In a world of social media warfare and constant negativity on the news, this is a fresh breath.
The film is a little strange and is mostly a musical, but it’s so different that it’s almost in its own category, but that’s not a bad thing. This is a good holiday movie for the family and might get people to reflect on the family feuds that they have and maybe it’ll help them to start solving them.
I recommend DOLLY PARTON’S MOUNTAIN MAGIC CHRISTMAS. It’s not perfect. It’s going to drive some atheists crazy with the continued Jesus references, but it’s got so much heart and Dolly has a lot of kindness to share. You can feel it. I liked this movie a lot more than I anticipated.
