The legendary singer, best known for hits like “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” died on Tuesday, August 25, from an undisclosed illness. Parton had been recently battling health issues after her husband, Carl Thomas Dean, passed away in 2025, which caused her to miss the opening of a rollercoaster at Dollywood earlier this month.
To celebrate Parton’s many achievements in film, Watch With Us has put together a list of Parton’s best movies. From kicking corporate butt with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in 9 to 5 to showing how “laughter through tears is her favorite emotion” in Steel Magnolias, Dolly was just as big a film star as she was a country music queen.
5. ‘Rhinestone’ (1984)
Sylvester Stallone and Dolly Parton in Rhinestone. 20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved.
Two years after starring in the third Rocky film, Sylvester Stallone acted alongside Parton in Rhinestone. Based on the hit song by Larry Weiss, “Rhinestone Cowboy,” from 1975, the plot revolves around Parton’s country singer character Jake Farris, who is desperate to get out of her contract with her manager. To do so, she bets him that she can turn the next guy she sees into a Nashville-style singer — but that person ends up being gruff New Yorker Nick (Stallone).
Determined to win out, Jake pushes forward in her quest to turn Nick into a bona fide country boy. Rhinestone had the bonus of churning out two hit songs for Parton via the film’s soundtrack: “Tennessee Homesick Blues” and “God Won’t Get You.” Critics weren’t big fans of this one upon release, but Rhinestone is a “guilty pleasure” film that’s consistently entertaining to watch. Parton is always charming, and it’s hilarious to watch Stallone try and fail to sing.
4. ‘Straight Talk’ (1992)
Country girl Shirlee Kenyon (Parton) leaves her life behind in rural Arkansas for Chicago, seeking employment at a radio station. But a snafu finds Shirlee suddenly sitting in the host’s seat, and her genuine aptitude for advising over the phone turns her into a call-in radio sensation. While lacking the right credentials, fans refer to her as “Doctor Shirlee,” and it catches the interest of a suspicious journalist named Jack (James Woods). As Shirlee defends her secret from Jack’s prying eyes, Jack finds himself falling for her.
While the narrative of Straight Talk is a tad formulaic, Parton and Woods’ performances elevate it into something more — even though it’s very clear that Parton can anchor the whole film by herself. The country singer is a natural at comedy, and this rom-com allows her to fully show off her chops. It’s difficult not to be charmed by the budding romance between Jack and Shirlee, and particularly Shirlee and her pink Mercedes, because what else would Dolly Parton drive?
3. ‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas’ (1982)
In small-town Texas, Miss Mona (Parton) runs a longstanding brothel known as the Chicken Ranch. Despite her job title, Mona is respected within the community and has maintained good relationships with the locals, and is looked out for by the town sheriff, Ed Earl Dodd (Burt Reynolds). But when a conservative TV reporter blows into town and exposes the Chicken Ranch, its existence is threatened, and Miss Mona and her girls have to put up a fight to protect it.
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is based on the 1978 Broadway musical of the same name, but that musical doesn’t have Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds in it. Together, the two legends have terrific chemistry, and it doesn’t hurt that they are so great to look at, too. The film is sweet, funny and genuinely sexy, and also fairly progressive for its time. Fun movie trivia: the house that serves as the Chicken Ranch was reused for Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses.
2. ‘9 to 5’ (1980)
Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin in 9 to 5 20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved.
A lot of people hate who they work for and probably wish they could enact their own form of revenge. In 9 to 5, that dream becomes reality in this popular office satire. Three working women named Judy (Jane Fonda), Violet (Lily Tomlin) and Doralee (Parton) fantasize about taking down their sexist, tyrannical boss, Franklin (Dabney Coleman). But when it starts happening through a series of accidents and miscommunications, the women actually are led to giving their boss exactly what he deserves.
While the plot is somewhat far-fetched, 9 to 5 is a supremely delightful piece of entertainment buoyed by charismatic performances from the trio of leading ladies. A true crowd-pleaser from top to bottom, Parton was singled out by critics at the time for her natural movie-star energy. The film has been reappraised in recent years and has been commended for its radical social commentary on the gender pay gap and workplace harassment.
1. ‘Steel Magnolias’ (1989)
‘Steel Magnolias’ actresses Julia Roberts, Sally Field, Shirley MacClaine, Dolly Parton, and Daryl Hannah pose for a portrait in October 1989 in Los Angeles, California. Aaron Rapoport/Corbis/Getty Images
Based on the 1987 play of the same name, Steel Magnolias chronicles a group of women in a small Louisiana community who share a unique bond with one another, eventually faced with coping with the death of someone they love. Aspiring beautician Annelle (Daryl Hannah) comes into town and assists Truvy Jones (Parton) in styling hair for the wedding of Shelby (Julia Roberts), who suffers from type 1 diabetes. There, Annelle meets the rest of Shelby’s family and friends and continues living alongside them, enduring pain and joy as the years go on.
Jason Kempin/Getty Images Dolly Parton’s late husband, Carl Dean, was a very private person, but his superstar wife still celebrated him in her music — and occasionally ribbed him too. One of the country icon’s most famous songs, “Jolene,” was inspired by an incident where a bank teller developed feelings for Dean, who wed Parton […]
Steel Magnolias earned Julia Roberts her first-ever Academy Award nomination, and she ended up winning for Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Globes. The film was highly praised for its humor and performances, in particular from Roberts as well as Shirley MacLaine and Sally Field. Steel Magnolias is guaranteed to make you cry just as well as it’ll make you laugh, but it’s a privilege to get to sit and hang out with an ensemble cast of incredible actresses doing some of the best work of their careers.
