Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors (2015 TV Movie) User Reviews

This is a heart warming family themed film based on Dolly Parton's early childhood life

[Ed-Shullivan · 8/10 · 14 December 2015]

This is a Christian family based film with a hint of having faith in one's religion regardless of how hard life can be sometimes. The truth being that life's journey for most of us is in fact a boiling pot of many happy times and memories that we have previously shared with our immediate family, as well as the great loss of life of one or more people/animals that are near and dear to our heart.

This is a film based on a young Dolly Parton at nine years of age growing up in the mountains of Tennessee with seven of her siblings. Little Dolly is the apparent apple of her parents' eye, even though she is full of spunk. The acting by all the main characters was more than believable with an admirable performance by a young actress named Alyvia Alyn Lind who plays young Dolly. The young Ms. Lind has already built herself a considerable resume with appearances in 16 various films and/or TV series. With this much work already under her belt I assume she must be home schooled and focused more on her acting career at the moment rather than on a typical bricks and mortar education and a typical childhood.

Excellent performances were also provided by Dolly's movie father Mr. Robert Lee Parton played by the seasoned actor Ricky Schroeder who coincidentally also got his first break at the age of 9 years starring opposite the veteran actor Jon Voight in a boxing film titled The Champ. Dolly's movie mother Avie Lee Parton was played superbly by the professional singer Jennifer Nettles, who is a member of the well-established Country band, Sugarland. Dolly's movie grandfather is the county's minister Reverend Jake Owens and played effectively by Gerald McRaney.

Dolly Parton herself narrates her own story as a 9 year old girl growing up in the Tennessee hills with her seven siblings, who lived off of the land her daddy sowed, surrounded by her parents' strong love even when tragedy hits the family hard. For those naysayers who prefer to say that this film was a bit hokey please remember this is a 90 minute film attempting to cover several months in young Dolly's life. The coat of many colors is not the focal point but only explains how Dolly wrote such a beautiful and successful song. As such what I am able to draw from this mini-biography film is that strong family based Christian characteristic that helped Dolly develop in to the beautiful and caring country and western singer that she has presented on stage, in public and private for decades, as well as her Christian faith that she has always said provides her with her inner strength.

There is good acting throughout the film, it is a good storied family film with some insight in to a young (9 years of age) Dolly Parton's family roots. Sure there are Academy Award dramas out there that are more memorable but Mrs. Sullivan and I were quite pleased with this family based biography film and as such I give it an 8 out of 10 rating.

Values on TV!

[sindiana-28257 · 9/10 · 25 December 2015]

I watched this movie on a whim, without any foreknowledge of it, and was pleasantly surprised.

Too often, producers search for universal appeal by eschewing universal truths. This film is a very rare exception. Not only does it target the Christian viewer, but it does so with a fairly good narrative, which centers on family, love, and the power of redemption.

The acting is good, and the beautiful Appalachian scenery and talented singing are both notable.

There are references to the Bible, as well as one to Lucy Maud Montgomery (the writer of "Anne of Green Gables"). I can't tell you how refreshing it is to see open appeals to faith on TV.

By contrast, I recently saw an animated Christmas special which was blatantly ashamed of Christmas, but somehow still misappropriated the word in its title. "Coat" is not properly a Christmas special, as it does not specifically revolve around that day, but, if anything, this helps prevent it from falling into clichés.

One of the finest God-honoring films my family has ever seen!

[jesussavedjoshua · 9/10 · 19 January 2016]

Recently my family watched Dolly Parton's stupendous "Coat of Many Colors" and though I have long been a fan of her music and movies, I felt she/her company have crafted one of the best God-honoring films ever offered on national television! There were parts I am not ashamed to tell you that made this grown man tear up a little. Everyone in the movie is excellent and values such as forgiveness, love, faith during difficult and joyous times (perseverance), and the power of redemption, abiding faith in God, and the focused love of family that is centered upon surrendering ultimately not to one another but to God Almighty - all came shining through this wonderful film.

Years ago I reached one of Dolly Parton's songwriters almost by accident on the phone when seeking permission to seek on of her songs "Make Love Work" in church. I was given permission and sang the song subsequently. That Sunday I left church and (riding high on the words that suggested "...we've got to try a little bit harder to make love work") - briefly reunited with my own estranged parents. I mention this as I recalled the occasion and singing the song while watching the story of Dolly's family and their strong faith and her God-given talents in "Coat of Many Colors". To all who were involved in this film - it will long remain with me and my entire family was grateful to see a true gem that sparkled on national TV with the values we hold most dear to us - especially the one that holds a vital faith in God focused clearly right up front. Thank you for all those involved....and Dolly...May God continue to bless you and use you for His glory. I hope you make Part 2 soon and share more of your life and faith. Terrific scenery/sets, acting, plot, dialogue, and a clear Godly focus made this movie terrific. It truly blessed my family. Thanks Dolly (and others).

Heartwarming story of Dolly Parton's childhood.

[TxMike · 11 December 2015]

I am not a big country music fan and I've never been a particular fan of Dolly Parton although I have always enjoyed seeing her in interviews. I never knew her story and this TV movie covers it.

Overall a very nice movie although I wish I could have seen it without the breaks for commercials. Some will be turned off for its religious theme but that is part of her story and it is presented well. Set in the 1950s when Dolly was a young girl, perhaps 10.

The title is also the title of a song she wrote, which was released in 1971. It is both a reference to the biblical Joseph and his coat of many colors, plus the coat that Dolly's mom sewed for her. A patchwork coat it had many bright colors.

Alyvia Alyn Lind, daughter of actors, is very appropriate as the young Dolly Parton. But to me the real star is non-actress Jennifer Nettles, country singer, as the mom, Avie Lee Parton. They had many children and after losing a son just after birth she went into a deep funk. When she broke out of it she started singing again and Nettles has a beautiful voice. And she shows us that as a first- timer she is a natural actress.

Old reliable Rick Schroder is the dad, Robert Lee Parton, always standing outside church on Sundays, reluctant to actually go it. And old reliable Gerald McRaney is the grandpa and also the local preacher Rev. Jake Owens.

The movie only covers a short time in Parton's life, part of a year, but it shows where she came from and how she received her influences.

Wonderful. Heartwarming, and down right cute!

[marky4792 · 10/10 · 29 December 2015]

Watching this movie gave me great insight on how Dolly Parton grew up. The cast was great and helped tell her story perfectly in my opinion, congratulations to you all. It shows her sweet, soft but yet tough side which I am sure is what has carried her until today. I learned things I did not know about her family and lessons I will carry with me to mine. It very much so is a MUST SEE! I know she can put tears in my eyes and they delivered. Thanks for bringing this life and I look forward to a miniseries coming, I know there is a lot more that can be said and music along the way to enjoy!

Mark Adams Winston-Salem, NC 27103 12/29/2015

Amazing Program with Outstanding Acting

[barbaracoralville · 10/10 · 29 December 2015]

We viewed this more or less by accident: there was not much in the way of choices. From the beginning, I was impressed by the acting, particularly of the young "Dolly Parton." We are not religious people: you don't have to be to enjoy this wholesome, well acted program with such a message of what we are here on earth to do: give love and support to others even if at first they may seem unloving and not supportive of us. The other message is that people may be poor and struggling yet that does not mean they are not able to give and receive love within and outside of their families.

Dolly, you came a long way. And I sincerely hope that "Little Dolly" has the opportunity to pursue an acting and or singing career if she chooses.

Great Christmas Movie

[lauraepley-08272 · 10/10 · 18 December 2018]

I look forward to seeing this movie every Christmas, but somehow I cannot find it to watch. What happened to the good, clean Christmas movies? This should be a yearly Movie just like Rudolf, Frosty, etc.

Faith and Family Movie

[robertmoss-62448 · 10/10 · 11 December 2015]

This movie shows the life of Dolly Parton in the beautiful Smoky Mountains. I lived in East Tennessee for seven years and love the people and the beauty of the area. This movie gives a peek at life in East Tennessee. Clean movie. Use of the word "Hell". Cute little girl to play Dolly. Movie gets me excited to go back and visit the area again. When movie comes to video, it will be apart of our family's collection. Nice to see clean movie on prime time viewing. Hopefully this will encourage the alphabet stations to put more of these types of movies instead of crude humored shows. Cool to see Dolly become a balladeer during the movie and see her at Dollywood.

Family. Laughing together and grieving together.

[Reno-Rangan · 6/10 · 24 November 2017]

A television film that I was eager to watch it since it is highly acclaimed. It is a Christian film, which won't mind, but they have highlighted that topic too strongly. What I've anticipated was something like 'Love Comes Softly'. Since it went on that way, missed the opportunity to be balanced in content. Now it is a target product for the believers. If you won't mind that, then it will be a good film that shows lots of good sides by pointing out the bads.

Based on the true story, that sets in the 1955, tells the story of a big farmer family living on the mountain, but all the focus was one of the children named Dolly. She's different than rest of her siblings. She's curious about the world, so mischievous and a good singer too. Her latest trouble takes a big price. Following, the family in a distress, that's going to change a few things forever in her life and everybody else.

First of all I know zero about the real Dolly Parton. Thanks to this film for her early life introduction, but still don't know much about her latter life. So expecting from the sequels to cover them up. For now, there's only one sequel, about the Christmas. Alyvia was really good. She reminded Abigail Breslin from 'Kit Kittredge'. The film mainly aimed for families, so they would surely enjoy it. I liked it too, but not that overexcited as before my watch.

6/10

A truly wonderful movie.

[fitforfaith-ministries · 9/10 · 7 January 2024]

Worthy is His name, and He works out all things for good, even in the difficult times of life. Sometimes we are so richly blessed, little Dolly with a big family, that we do not realize the blessing until He takes away part of it. We do not understand it, but forget that all those little children do not have to go through this hard school of life and work out their salvation with fear and trembling. They just go over into Heaven, because they do not know yet the difference between good and evil (Deu 1:39).

Remarkable actors (especially Dolly and her mother), beautiful settings, thrown back in time into a typical life of hard work and little diplomacy in words. And a story of a stubborn father, as so many out there, who refused to follow our faith, even though modeled at perfection by his wife. Her perseverance will show decisive.

* The only negative point of the movie is the scene where little Dolly argues with Theos. This dialogue is overly dramatic and the language is nearly blasphemous. The script writers should not have chosen such language. We can utter our doubts and frustrations, but this one went way too far.

Dolly inspires all

[moviesfilmsreviewsinc · 10/10 · 27 November 2021]

When Dolly Parton lost her baby brother very young she almost every night went to his grave and just talked with, and she blamed God for Larry's death, It took everything out of her, and then Dolly's mom got so depressed, all that she ddi some days was think about Larry, and just sit and do nothing and feel sad. Dolly Parton, the Tennessee songbird, has made a television movie out of the coat of rags her mama made for her, back in Locust Ridge, and of the song she later wrote about it. Like that song, it is called "Coat of Many Colors," but it is many times longer and more involved than its musical inspiration, which gets its job done in less than three minutes. The film is set in Parton's own Smoky Mountains childhood, which, as in the many songs she has written about it, is presented as alternately, even simultaneously, idyllic and impoverished -- "The Good Old Days When Times Were Bad," to take the title of another Parton song. Despite myriad challenges that fill out these two hours -- poverty, drought, worms on the tobacco leaves, bullies at school, the loss of a child, depression, marital alienation and family planning -- it's the idyllic that lingers. Dolly Parton has always had a heart to share her stories with her fans over the decades, and Dolly Parton's Coat of many Colors tells only one of her thousand stories. Like Parton's music, it manages to be somehow clear- and misty-eyed at once, a mix of the natural and the sentimental. As a mischievous innocent whose misadventures bind the film's adults together and the lens that allows them to see each other straight, little Dolly is not a hoot and a holler from the kind of parts Shirley Temple played, even farther back in history; as regards Alyvia Alyn Lind, who plays her, the words "adorable moppet" are not far off the mark. The coat of many colors is also in the Bible, Genesis 37:3 , "Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.". So there's more to this story than meets the eye. Dolly Parton has changed many lives, supported people that have nothing, Dolly grew up very poor and grew up to have everything.

Sweet heartwarming true-life story

[cgvsluis · 4/10 · 6 December 2020]

This is a sweet and endearing story about Dolly Patton's early years and the inspiration for her coat of many colors song.

Dolly's life and family was filled with love, hardship and faith.

It was generous for her to share such an inspirational and uplifting story with the world.

I was just glancing through the movie photos and I came across one with the real Judy Ogle and Dolly with the girl who played her childhood friend Judy. That filled me with such joy that they could still be friends today.

Thank you for sharing, Dolly.

Merry Christmas!

Awesome Family movie

[mgarciber · 19 December 2015]

Let me first start by saying that now days its really hard to find a family movie that can be free of sexual scenes, profanity language that at the same time can be entertaining. I enjoyed this movie from start to finish.

My family ages, 43, 39, 7,14 watched this movie together and would watch it again. The movie is not about how Dolly got famous, but more about redemption, love and how Dolly's family despite being very poor had it all ( love, GOD, faith, moral).

It leaves a strong message and cannot wait to see it again on Christmas day, as it was announced it was a hit with 13 million viewers nationwide.

Gratitude

[autogenes · 10/10 · 21 November 2020]

Thank you so much, rick! It is your heart i love best!!

I like the movie coast of many colours

[richardson-16549 · 10/10 · 19 December 2021]

Good how dolly Parton through that to up with the movie and good to tell her went she grow up it a good movie and I like her song coast of many colours the way how sing it get there in the heart.

Good her mum for make it for her if she did have the coast of many colours there would be no song of coast of many colour there be no movie to good her mum and if was. Dolly Parton there song of her there be no Dollywood And no movie of Dolly Parton like 9to5 just like coast of Many.

Mawkish is putting it mildly

[Deep-Thought · 3/10 · 10 December 2015]

"Coat Of Many Colors" takes us back to Dolly Parton's girlhood. Dolly is played by the cute-as-a-button Alyvia Alyn Lind, who obviously had parents in the grip of the current vogue of thinking they're being creative by deliberately misspelling their kids' names. We see Dolly at a time in life before she habitually wore wigs and before she developed her spectacular female endowments, when she had only a pretty face, a pretty voice, and spunk. I hate spunk. This TV movie is an example of why: It presents a treacly, sanitized, Life-Saver-colored version of life amidst the fields and valleys of Locust Ridge, Tennessee, when all the family had was love, t'baccy, music, and the Bahble. Jennifer Nettles plays Dolly's mother, a woman whose youth and beauty are ridiculous to behold, seemingly untouched as they are by the Parton family's hardscrabble existence and eight children. In voice-over, the adult Dolly – who is nothing if not a savvy, pragmatic businesswoman – professes a simple-minded faith in a loving Jesus that a lot of people are likely to find more insipid than inspiring. She attributes that faith to her mother's influence; but the glaring inconsistency is that her mother's faith didn't prevent her from languishing in a protracted state of despondency after the stillbirth of a child. It also begs credulity to think that a 15-second admonition from her husband that her family needs her could just snap Mom out of it.

Rick Schroeder puts in a dutiful performance as Dolly's father Lee; Schroeder goes through the film with an expression that strongly suggests that what he's thinking is, "Well, it's a living." Singer Jennifer Nettles hasn't acted much, but she does a serviceable job here. Aside from Dolly herself, the other characters are of necessity mere sketches.

Dolly Parton is one of the greats of American country music, but this movie is about as convincing as Cinderella. Someone really needed to drill a hole in it and let the sap out.

Wonderful job, strong message of faith

[vchimpanzee · 16 December 2015]

At the start of the movie, young Dolly walks into church with her guitar ... and enough makeup on her face to be accused of looking like a harlot. The start of a lifelong tradition.

Alyvia Alyn Lind does a great job as this somewhat naughty and rebellious girl who is basically good and has a strong faith. But she's not the best actor in the movie. More on that in a minute. Lind makes us like her and convinces us she will be someone famous, although we already knew she would be. She goes through so many trials, including bullying and the loss of a sibling she was going to take care of and love. But while her faith is challenged, she shows us the true meaning of her faith. Plus she can sing.

Regardless of what I think of Jennifer Nettles' music, as an actress I predict she will get an Emmy nomination. She is so kind and loving, though she must also be so depressed she thinks life can't continue. And then she picks herself up and moves on with life, even with all the trails and tribulations. She is not the serious, strict parent I was expecting, and yet she holds that family together. And while she doesn't have all her facts right, Avie Lee is a strong believer and like Dolly, delivers a meaningful message of faith. Oh, and she can sing too. And it's the good kind of country music too.

Rick Schroder isn't quite the father I would have expected. He has his moments and does a good job overall, but he seems kind of weak in the presence of Dolly's stern but loving father. He somehow seems secondary to his wife in holding the family together. Still, Robert Lee is challenged by adversity and can't believe in the same way his family wants him to.

Gerald McRaney does his usual fine job as the stern but loving preacher father who has never quite accepted Robert Lee. But he's trying.

Mary Lane Haskell gives us a capable and caring teacher.

There are plenty of other good performances from the kids. The bullies may not be bad people but may just need love.

Is it squeaky clean? Of course not, but what would you expect from this tough family? There are several curse words but this is probably still fine for the kids. The sex-related talk will probably go over kids heads but they might ask questions. Still, this is quite family-friendly.

It's a wonderful effort overall.

Go to church on sunday or burn in hell for eternity

[danieletottle · 5/10 · 14 September 2019]

A movie that is 20% about Dolly Parton's childhood and 80% Cristian propaganda. Every third sentence in this movie is about God, Jesus, Devil, heaven and hell and babies dying because the lord needs more angles... Highlight of the movie is Alyvia Alyn Lind who gives a solid performance and holds up the scenes she is in but the rest is a mess. Dialogues are embarrassing, scrip is just lazy. Barely watchable.