Dolly Parton is here to save lives and save Christmas. The country legend has been busy this year and has recently made headlines for her million-dollar donation to Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine development. Not even a week after Moderna’s announcement of a 94.5% effective vaccine, Parton’s 2020 Christmas special was released on Netflix.
Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square follows Regina Fuller (Christine Baranski), the town Scrooge. Regina inherited the small town of Fullerville from her father, after his death earlier in the year. As the town prepares for the Christmas holiday, Regina announces her plans to sell it to a mall developer. She hands out eviction notices to everyone who lives there, without a feeling of remorse. She is met with opposition from the entire town, including the Pastor Christian Hathaway (Josh Seggara) and her childhood best friend and hairdresser Margeline (Jenifer Lewis).
The wonderful Dolly Parton comes into this film as Angel, an actual angel. She first appears as a homeless woman, whom Regina looks right past. However, when she reveals herself to Regina, she works to help her see the beauty of the town, and reunite her with an old partner, Carl Pellman (Treat Williams).
The film opens with a large-scale musical number in the town Square, featuring a diverse group of townspeople. As you can imagine, many other musical numbers follow suit.
This movie follows many classic Christmas tropes, such as the Scrooge character being visited by an angel to try and give her a change of heart. These themes are a bit played out, but you know what you’re getting into when you choose to watch the film.
This film focuses on the importance of love, family, togetherness, kindness, and of course, Christmas. At the beginning of the film, Regina is rude, dismissive, and seemingly impossible to get through to. However, as the film progresses, we get to see Regina’s wonderful character development. Through many twists and turns, and with the help of Angel, Regina has the potential able to find kindness in her heart.
If you’re a fan of Dolly Parton and cheesy, extravagant, musicals, this is the movie for you. It’s fun, lighthearted, and just the right amount of ridiculous. It also touches on faith and Christianity; a religion Dolly Parton has always been proud to share. This is exactly the kind of silly Christmas movie we need after a year like this. Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square is streaming now on Netflix.
