Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love

Year: 2016

Actors: Alyvia Alyn Lind, Jennifer Nettles, Gerald McRaney, Dolly Parton

Duration: 85 min

Once again, Dolly Parton's family is struggling. It is almost Christmas and the children's presents will total about $25. That's a lot of money for these people. But Dolly's mom won't get anything. She'd like the wedding ring at Mrs. Bass' store and Lee (who once called a ring just metal) would like to give it to her, but the family just doesn't have the money for something like that.And it's time for the Christmas pageant. Dolly wants so much to be Mary and the other girl gets to do it every year. Her best friend Judy is expected to be the rear end of the donkey. But Dolly asks that Judy be the angel Gabriel, and it causes problems with their friendship since Judy seems to think Dolly is saying Judy isn't good enough for her.Dolly does get the part of Mary, but Rudy is Joseph and that's not ideal. Judy does get to be Gabriel but it doesn't make her happy, and she and Dolly will have lessons to learn about friendship. Meanwhile, the patient Miss Moody takes Goody's headache powders, again and again.The Parton kids figure out they can get their mom that ring if they sacrifice their Christmas gifts. And sell everything in sight. And if Dolly cleans Miss Moody's fabulous house (no, teachers aren't paid that well; it was her parents'). And if Dolly sings on the street--and of course she's very good. Uncle Billy comes for a visit and Lee does not approve of his way of making a living. Uncle Billy, a singer, reminds his sister Avie Lee that she could have been a celebrity if she had kept singing. And we do get to see she is really good as she performs with the family. And Uncle Billy wants to see Dolly get the chance her mom never had. Dolly will even skip school to do it. Lee won't hear of his daughter having that kind of life.A new complication: a painted harlot appears dressed all in red with a red Thunderbird and way too much makeup. Mrs. Bass wants that sinful woman to go away. But she keeps coming back, giving Dolly encouragement and even money. Which Mrs. Bass takes away from the little girl because the money (apparently) came from sinful behavior. The painted angel, as Dolly refers to her, returns several times but is never anything but wonderful.Lee can't get his truck to work and that means trouble for the family, since selling wood he has cut is the only source of income, unless he goes to the mine. There are good-paying jobs there, but it is dangerous work.More sacrifices are made, more generous gifts given, more lessons learned about the true meaning of Christmas.And so Christmas arrives. Has the family made enough money for the ring? Forget that. Lee is determined to provide for his family, so he makes that terrible choice. And the family has one crisis after another, and some of these are life-threatening.

Genre: Action   Drama   Family