I really enjoyed this documentary. I thought it looked great, was very well edited, and had a very cool cast & a great soundtrack. I am a fan of Dolly, but I think I'd like the film just as much if I wasn't. The personal stories of the Miq'mac family were heart-warming..when the little boy exclaimed "I did it, I read it" it drove home exactly what makes Dolly's Imagination Library such a worthwhile cause. I think its inspirational to watch and see what Dolly has accomplished with this project, and especially that it is now spreading into Canada & other countries of the world. I think the filmmaker did a great job of telling this story, not only is it about a great cause, but it's also entertaining and fun to watch. Well done :) (Plus Justin Rutledge is absolutely adorable & I was tickled pink to see him in this film).
3 Reviews
Sweet and funny!
film_fan_19879 November 2009
I saw this film during the Atlantic Film Festival last year. It was a wonderful film! I don't remember it being very long (a half hour, maybe?), but it left a nice impression of both Dolly Parton and the work she is doing for kids (who knew?) without getting too fluffy, as the previous user suggested. I particularly liked the subtlety in which the film (Dolly herself, actually) addressed her image as it relates to being a role model for children, as well as the closing song from the film, which also addressed this. I think if it had gone in another direction, it would have felt too sensational. Plus, the film was quite funny and complimented the other films nicely!
Poorly made fluff piece
ragboypizza7 April 2009
This is classified on the IMDb as a "documentary" but it's nothing more than a superficial fluff piece and not a very well-made one. It plays a promo piece for Dolly Parton's amazing charity work, the Imagination Library, which gets books to children in low-income communities to promote literacy.
With a character like Dolly Parton, you think this piece would be dynamic and fun, but it's so poorly put together, it's painful to watch. The best bits feature Dolly's sparkling personality and outrageous outfits. Less exciting are the seemingly pasted in moments with families that have benefited from the charity. The problem is you never feel you know who these people are. Where are they from and why is this charity so important to them? The interviews are drab and lifeless.
Worse, though, are the "celebrity" bits that are peppered throughout. Most of the time you're asking yourself, "who is the heck is that???" When Miley Cyrus adds her shallow two cents, it feels out of place, as if the Producer thought, well we managed to score an interview with Miley Cyrus, so we've got to throw it in! Again, the celeb interviews don't seem to tie in with the subject at hand. Just a bunch of comments about how great a person Dolly is.
See it if you're a Dolly fanatic, but don't expect anything entertaining and especially don't expect a documentary. This is fluff at best.
With a character like Dolly Parton, you think this piece would be dynamic and fun, but it's so poorly put together, it's painful to watch. The best bits feature Dolly's sparkling personality and outrageous outfits. Less exciting are the seemingly pasted in moments with families that have benefited from the charity. The problem is you never feel you know who these people are. Where are they from and why is this charity so important to them? The interviews are drab and lifeless.
Worse, though, are the "celebrity" bits that are peppered throughout. Most of the time you're asking yourself, "who is the heck is that???" When Miley Cyrus adds her shallow two cents, it feels out of place, as if the Producer thought, well we managed to score an interview with Miley Cyrus, so we've got to throw it in! Again, the celeb interviews don't seem to tie in with the subject at hand. Just a bunch of comments about how great a person Dolly is.
See it if you're a Dolly fanatic, but don't expect anything entertaining and especially don't expect a documentary. This is fluff at best.
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