Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors

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Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors
Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors poster.png
Promotional poster
Genre Drama
Screenplay by Pamela K. Long
Story by Dolly Parton
Directed by Stephen Herek
Starring
Narrated byDolly Parton
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
  • Pamela K. Long
  • Sam Haskell
  • Dolly Parton
Producers
  • Hudson Hickman
  • Stephanie Johnson
CinematographyBrian J. Reynolds
Editor Maysie Hoy
Running time120 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network NBC
ReleaseDecember 10, 2015 (2015-12-10)
Related

Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors is a 2015 American made-for-television drama film based on a true story by Dolly Parton, written by Pamela K. Long and directed by Stephen Herek. [1] The film premiered on NBC on December 10, 2015. [2] The film received generally positive reviews from critics.

Contents

Plot

Coat of Many Colors details Dolly Parton's upbringing in 1955 as her family struggles to live in Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains, putting a strain on love and faith. Dolly (Alyvia Alyn Lind) aspires to be something greater but must cope with family troubles, including the premature birth and death of a baby brother. Dolly's mother, Avie Lee Parton (Jennifer Nettles) uses the baby's blanket to make Dolly her patchwork coat of many colors. Although Dolly is at first proud of it, she changes her mind after school bullies make fun of her. Meanwhile, Dolly's father, Lee Parton (Ricky Schroder) suffers a personal crisis brought about by the baby's death combined with the depression of his wife and a drought which threatened his tobacco crop. Eventually, faith brings the family together again.

Cast

Production

The coat used in the movie that is displayed in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. Coat of Many Colors coat.jpg
The coat used in the movie that is displayed in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee.

Filming

Coat of Many Colors was filmed in Covington and Conyers, Georgia, and Sevier County, Tennessee, the latter at Dollywood for introductory and closing scenes from Dolly Parton. [3] [4] [5]

Casting

Parton, whose childhood is told in the film's story written by her, is also executive producer. She spoke about the casting process, beginning with singer Jennifer Nettles, who plays her mother: "When she started reading I thought, Oh my lord, that's momma. And, she is incredible ... I didn't even know she acted." For her father, Parton already had someone in mind, Ricky Schroder, because "he reminds me so much of my daddy." In casting the younger Dolly, several hundred children auditioned. Parton stated "God's going to send her." Alyvia Alyn Lind auditioned and could "sing...act" and "cry on cue", said Parton, adding, "When she came in, it just kind of blew it all out of the water and she got the part." [3] In addition, Dolly's younger sister Stella Parton appears in the film, playing town gossip Corla Bass.

Reception

Critical reception

Coat of Many Colors received favorable reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has received a 78% rating from nine critics. [6] Among eight reviews at Metacritic, it holds a "generally favorable" score of 65 out of 100. [7]

Ken Tucker of Yahoo TV gave the film its highest praise, stating "The pastoral nostalgia that this TV-movie taps into is powerful, if maudlin, stuff. This is the time of year when sentimentality can be a warming thing, and Parton's Coat will keep an awful lot of people warm this winter." [8]

The Guardian 's Brian Moylan commented on the film's faith storyline: "For those who don’t regularly visit the house of the Lord, it will make your eyes roll like loose marbles in the back of a station wagon." [9]

David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle was the most critical but commented: "Although it's a struggle at times, you do suspend disbelief and go with it because Lind is so adorable, and you want to accept that the saccharine story line could have played out in real life just the way it's depicted in the film." [10]

Ratings

In its initial December 10, 2015 broadcast, Coat of Many Colors was seen by 13.03 million viewers and received a 1.8/6 rating/share in the 18-49 age demographic. [11] This marks the highest viewership for any television film (made for TV or theatrical) or miniseries on the broadcast networks since 2012. [12]

Awards

On April 3, 2016, Coat of Many Colors was honored during the Academy of Country Music Awards ceremony with the Tex Ritter Award, which is presented to a film released in the previous year that features country music. Dolly Parton accepted the award. [13] At the 6th Critics' Choice Television Awards, Alyvia Alyn Lind was nominated for Best Actress in a Limited Series or Television Movie. [14] It was also awarded the Epiphany Prize during the 2016 MovieGuide Awards. [15]

Sequel

In May 2016, it was announced that a sequel to the film was in the works. In Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love , Jennifer Nettles, Ricky Schroder, Gerald McRaney and Alyvia Alyn Lind reprised their roles. Stephen Herek returned to direct the sequel written by Pamela K. Long. [16] Dolly Parton herself also had a cameo. The film aired on NBC on November 30, 2016. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolly Parton</span> American country musician (born 1946)

Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily for her decades-long career in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album debut in 1967 with Hello, I'm Dolly, which led to success during the remainder of the 1960s, before her sales and chart peak arrived during the 1970s and continued into the 1980s. Some of Parton's albums in the 1990s did not sell as well, but she achieved commercial success again in the new millennium and has released albums on various independent labels since 2000, including her own label, Dolly Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ricky Schroder</span> American actor (born 1970)

Richard Bartlett Schroder is an American actor and filmmaker. As a child actor billed as Ricky Schroder he debuted in the film The Champ (1979), for which he became the youngest Golden Globe award recipient, and went on to become a child star on the sitcom Silver Spoons (1982–87). He has continued acting as an adult, usually billed as Rick Schroder, notably in the Western miniseries Lonesome Dove (1989) and on the police drama series NYPD Blue (1998–2001). He made his directorial debut with the film Black Cloud (2004) and has produced several films and television series, including the anthology film Locker 13 and the war documentary The Fighting Season.

Pamela K. Long is an American writer and executive producer. Long won several Emmys for her work on CBS soap opera Guiding Light from 1983 to 1990. She was also writer and executive producer on the NBC film Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stella Parton</span> American country singer (born 1949)

Stella Mae Parton is an American country singer and songwriter widely known for a series of country singles that charted during the mid-to-late-1970s, her biggest hit being "I Want to Hold You in My Dreams Tonight" in 1975. She is a younger sister of singer-songwriter Dolly Parton and an older sister of the late Randy Parton and former actress Rachel Parton George.

Barbara Alyn Woods is an American actress. She is known for her roles in television series One Tree Hill and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. She is the mother of actresses Natalie Alyn Lind, Emily Alyn Lind, and Alyvia Alyn Lind.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Nettles</span> American singer, record producer, and actress

Jennifer Odessa Nettles is an American singer, songwriter, actress and record producer.

Stephen Herek is an American film director. Born in San Antonio, Texas, he studied film at the University of Texas at Austin. He is best known for directing the 1989 film Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of Many Colors (song)</span> 1971 song written and composed by Dolly Parton

"Coat of Many Colors" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer Dolly Parton. It was released in September 1971 as the second single and title track from the album Coat of Many Colors.

Faith Newman is a fictional character from The Young and the Restless, an American soap opera on the CBS network. She is currently portrayed by Reylynn Caster, who assumed the role following the departure of Alyvia Alyn Lind, who played Faith for almost ten years from 2011 to 2021. Introduced during the September 30, 2009, episode, Faith is the youngest daughter of supercouple Nick and Sharon Newman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emily Alyn Lind</span> American actress

Emily Alyn Lind is an American actress. She began her career as a child actress, when she was known for her recurring role as young Amanda Clarke on the ABC series Revenge, and for her role as Ariel on the CBS medical drama Code Black. Lind has also starred in the Netflix original films The Babysitter and The Babysitter: Killer Queen as Melanie, the theatrical film Doctor Sleep as Snakebite Andi, and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire as Melody. From 2021 to 2023, she starred as Audrey Hope in the HBO Max teen drama series Gossip Girl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alyvia Alyn Lind</span> American actress (born 2007)

Alyvia Alyn Lind is an American actress. She played the roles of Faith Newman on the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless from 2011 to 2021, 9-year-old Dolly Parton in the made-for-television movies Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors and Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love, Angelica Green in the 2019 Netflix series Daybreak and since 2021, has portrayed Lexy Cross in the SyFy/USA Network horror television series Chucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natalie Alyn Lind</span> American actress

Natalie Alyn Lind is an American actress. She is known for her television series appearances, such as her recurring roles as Dana Caldwell in The Goldbergs and Silver St. Cloud in Gotham, and for her starring roles as Lauren Strucker in Fox's The Gifted and Danielle Sullivan in the first season of the ABC series Big Sky. She appeared as Norma in the Paramount+ original movie Pet Sematary: Bloodlines (2023).

<i>Pure & Simple</i> (Dolly Parton album) 2016 studio album by Dolly Parton

Pure & Simple is the forty-fifth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released worldwide on August 19, 2016 by Dolly Records and RCA Records. "Pure & Simple" is Dolly Parton's seventh #1 country album. It is her first #1 country album in 25 years.

<i>Dolly Partons Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love</i> 2016 American TV series or program

Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love is a 2016 American made-for-television drama film based on a true story by Dolly Parton, written by Pamela K. Long and directed by Stephen Herek. The film is a sequel to Coat of Many Colors and premiered on NBC on November 30, 2016.

<i>An American Girl Story – Maryellen 1955: Extraordinary Christmas</i> 2016 film by Valerie Weiss

An American Girl Story – Maryellen 1955: Extraordinary Christmas is a 2016 family-drama film starring Alyvia Alyn Lind in the title role, along with Mary McCormack and Madison Lawlor in supporting roles. The film takes place in mid-1950s Daytona Beach, Florida, centering on Maryellen Larkin's life together with her big family, longing to stand out among her siblings and other relatives, and how she helped a number of young patients at a polio ward, Maryellen herself had polio.

"Circle of Love" is a song written by country singer Dolly Parton. It was recorded by country singer Jennifer Nettles and included on her 2016 album To Celebrate Christmas.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolly Parton filmography</span>

Dolly Parton is an American country singer, songwriter and actress. She has appeared in twelve theatrically released films and has made over 400 appearances on television.

<i>Masquerade</i> (2021 film) 2021 American film

Masquerade is a 2021 American thriller film, written and directed by Shane Dax Taylor. It stars Bella Thorne, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Austin Nichols, Mircea Monroe and Skyler Samuels. It was released on July 30, 2021, by Shout! Factory.

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References

  1. ""Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors" to Air Thursday, Dec. 10 (9-11 P.M.)". The Futon Critic (Press release). August 18, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  2. Kissell, Rick (August 18, 2015). "NBC Sets Airdate for Original Movie Based on Dolly Parton's 'Coat of Many Colors'". Variety . Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  3. 1 2 Haynes, Beth (November 26, 2015). "Behind the scenes of Dolly Parton's 'Coat of Many Colors'". wbir.com. Retrieved December 10, 2015.[ permanent dead link ]
  4. Wynn, Ron (December 10, 2015). "Flipping Channels: Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors Tonight on NBC". nashvillescene.com. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  5. Ho, Rodney (December 8, 2015). "Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors (NBC Dec. 10) uses Covington, Conyers". radiotvtalk.blog.ajc.com. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  6. "Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  7. "Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors". Metacritic. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  8. Tucker, Ken (December 10, 2015). "'Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors' Is A Sentimental Beauty". yahoo.com. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  9. Moylan, Brian (December 10, 2015). "Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors: sugary TV movie sings one-note tune". theguardian.com. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  10. Wiegand, David (December 9, 2015). "Poorly made 'Coat' still warms the heart". chron.com. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  11. Porter, Rick (December 11, 2015). "Thursday final ratings: 2 Broke Girls and other CBS shows adjust down with NFL pre-emptions". tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  12. Porter, Rick (December 11, 2015). "TV Ratings Thursday: 'Coat of Many Colors' does well for NBC, 'Bones' goes below 1.0". tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  13. Dolly Parton, Katy Perry to Duet on ACM Awards
  14. "'Mad Max,' 'Fargo' Top Critics' Choice Nominations". Variety. December 14, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  15. "Winners Archives". Movieguide® Awards. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  16. Kissell, Rick (May 11, 2016). "NBC Sets Sequel to 'Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors' for This Year". variety.com. Retrieved May 12, 2016. Archived 2017-03-13 at the Wayback Machine
  17. Reiter, Annie (August 24, 2016). "Dolly Parton Shares Air Date For 'Christmas Of Many Colors'". tasteofcountry.com. Retrieved August 24, 2016.