Following the release of Christmas of Many Colors, the country legend is back with another new made-for-tv movie!
Dolly Parton already made her name as an incredible country artist, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman – so why not create a dazzling series of movies that are based on the stories behind her songs?
Well, in a new interview Parton talks about her newest upcoming movie for NBC, but this one is a marked departure from her pair of family-centric films, Coat of Many Colors and Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love.
The upcoming feature film will be centered squarely on her home-wrecking character from her 1973 hit, “Jolene” and as Parton explains, is a reflection of her dedication as a writer to stay true to the storyline – no matter what people think.
“Jolene” became one of the biggest hits of Parton’s career and quickly earned its spot as one of her unforgettable signature songs. Since its release in 1973, she has sold millions of copies and a seemingly endless number of country singers have covered this classic hit.
The song speaks of an incredibly beautiful woman named Jolene, who gets confronted by another woman whose husband is at risk of being stolen by Jolene and her beauty. Throughout the lyrics, the narrating woman begs Jolene, “please don’t take him even though you can”.
It is this more mature storyline and questionable behavior of the woman that created the framing for the movie. Of that, Parton says, “I can’t hold back on who Jolene is”, describing her as a “home-wrecker”.
“I can’t worry about what people think. I’m not pretending to be anything. I’m a sinner, I’m a saint, I’m a seeker, I’m like most people out there,” Parton tells Rolling Stone Country. “I can’t limit myself as a writer to worry about people saying, ‘Oh, I thought she was so much better than that and now she’s done this movie about a whore.'”
While a lot of people might think they want to avoid this “movie about a whore” that Parton is working on, she reveals that there’s a twist to the film and warns some, saying “Anyone thinking the subject is too scandalous, better hold their tongue – or at least wait until they see the film for themselves.”
The song, “Jolene” is one of the most critically acclaimed pieces of music to arise in the last 50 years, and her recent collaboration with five-part a cappella group, Pentatonix, recently received a Grammy nomination as Best Country Duo or Group Performance.
Watch Rolling Stone Country’s report and interview clips with Parton here, and be sure to check out a sneak peek at Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love below!