Dolly Parton Hopes to Bring Families Closer Together With ‘Christmas of Many Colors’
Dolly Parton is sharing her life story with fans again this year in the form of a television movie titled Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love. This year's production follows the characters first brought to the screen last December with Coat of Many Colors and tells the tale of a Christmas miracle, when the singer's family survive a blizzard that nearly leaves them dead. The film also focuses on the spirit of Christmas and love, where Parton's father, brothers and sisters save enough money to buy her mom a wedding ring.
"I love being able to share this story with everybody," Parton told journalists at a recent press event in Nashville. "What I wanted more than anything is to show my people, to show who my mama and daddy were. We all have to come from somewhere and whatever I am or have become is because of my faith in God and the people I come from."
Parton admits that she hasn't been able to watch the film in its entirety because certain scenes are too difficult to experience again. She says that viewing her story on the big screen is almost like seeing her mother and father coming back to life.
However, during production the country icon had to watch several scenes to figure out where to place the film's music. One of the moments she says was most emotional to relive was a scene where her family is freezing to death during a bad winter storm.
"We were so cold and we were trapped in our house. The snow had blocked us in because we boarded up the windows because of the wind and the cold, not knowing it was going to be a blizzard," she tells Taste of Country with tears in her eyes. "We had run out of everything, so when we got into the part when Mama was praying and the tears froze on our little faces, when I was watching that ... it's a good kind of pain. It's sweet sorrow. I guess Parton is such sweet sorrow."
Always quick with a joke to lighten up the mood, Parton went on to explain that she has a role in the film that no one could play but her: the painted lady. Or, as she further explains, "the town trollop, or tramp, or hoe," who she based her signature look after.
"I wanted to wear makeup so bad as a kid. When I first saw this lady downtown, I thought she was beautiful and she had real tight clothes, red nails and lipstick," Parton recalls with a laugh. "I never saw anything like that. People would always say, 'Oh, she's just trash.' I'd say, 'That's what I want to be when I grow up!' When we got to do this movie ... I'm not one to be outdone. I thought, 'How could I be in this movie?' We worked it in that I could be that lady. We Hollywood'ed her up a little."
While the holiday film is an emotional one, Parton says there is also plenty of laughter and lessons to be learned by watching it. She adds that she thinks the project is meant for families, noting how many people miss heartwarming television in today's age — like past series Little House on the Prairie and The Waltons.
"I want people to feel better about themselves. I want them to feel in the Christmas spirit. I want them to feel closer to family and closer to God," she says of her hopes for viewers of her film. "The Circle of Love is really about the birthday of Jesus in Bethlehem. We want families to feel closer together. More than anything, I want people to feel the joy of Christmas and what Christmas is really about, which is Jesus and just feeling happy."
Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love airs Nov. 30 at 9PM ET on NBC.
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