Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square is a 2020 American Christmas-themed musical film directed and choreographed by Debbie Allen. Starring Dolly Parton (making her final film appearance in her lifetime prior to her death in 2026), Christine Baranski, Jenifer Lewis, and Treat Williams, the plot follows the wealthy Regina Fuller (Baranski), returning to her hometown to evict the residents and sell the land to a mall developer. Netflix released the film on November 22, 2020. At the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, Christmas on the Square won the award for Outstanding Television Movie.
Contents
Plot
In a small town, Regina is ready to evict everyone on Christmas Eve to make way for a mega-mall. Dolly Parton is tasked as the angel to help change her mind and help change the lives of everyone who lives there.
Cast
Dolly Parton as Angel
Jenifer Lewis as Margeline
Lariah Alexandria as Young Margeline
Josh Segarra as Pastor Christian Hathaway
Jeanine Mason as Felicity Sorenson
Mary Lane Haskell as Jenna Hathaway
Treat Williams as Carl Pellam
Andrew Brodeur as Teenage Carl Pellam
Christine Baranski as Regina Fuller
Matthew Johnson as Mack
Selah Kimbro Jones as Violet
Douglas Sills as Jack Fuller
Vivian Nixen as Bessie
Braxton Alexander as Kenny
Yvonne Valadez as Dr. Martinez
Kim Hale as Pie Lady
Mary Donnelly-Haskell as Lenore
Stephen Caudill as Dr. Lundquist
Donald Corren as Dr. Marshall
Jacob Moran as Gilbert
Carol Swarbrick as Granny Hoover
Stacy Ann Rose as Rose
Brandon O'Neal as Andy
Mark Daniel Chmiel as Phil the Mailman
Brandon Hudson as Randy
Production
The film was shot in Atlanta, Georgia in the summer of 2019.
Songs
Parton wrote all of the songs featured in the film. A soundtrack album was not released, although Parton did record versions of "Christmas Is" and "Christmas on the Square" for her 2020 album A Holly Dolly Christmas. "Try" was originally featured on Parton's 2014 album Blue Smoke.
"Main Title" – Orchestra
"Christmas Is / Christmas on the Square / Gotta Get Out / Maybe, Just Maybe / So Sorry" – Dolly Parton, Christine Baranski, Josh Segarra, Mary Lane Haskell, Jeanine Mason, and Ensemble
"You" – Josh Segarra and Mary Lane Haskell
"Queen of Mean" – Jenifer Lewis and Christine Baranski
"Keeper of Memories" – Treat Williams
"Everybody Needs an Angel" – Dolly Parton
"Light Your Lamp" – Dolly Parton
"Wickedest Witch of the Middle" – Josh Segarra, Mary Lane Haskell, Jenifer Lewis, Treat Williams, Matthew Johnson, and Ensemble
"Try" – Josh Segarra, Mary Lane Haskell, Jenifer Lewis, Treat Williams, Matthew Johnson, and Ensemble
"Fairytale" – Selah Kimbro Jones & Christine Baranski
"Maybe, Just Maybe" (Reprise 1) – Christine Baranski
"A Father's Prayer" – Douglas Sills
"Everybody Needs an Angel" (Reprise) – Dolly Parton and Jeanine Mason
"Rearview Mirror / Happy Town / Just Dance" – Dolly Parton, Christine Baranski, and Ensemble
Reception
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 63% based on 35 critic reviews, with an average rating of 5.7/10. The website's critics' consensus reads, "Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square isn't quite up to its star's standards, but its overwhelming good cheer and campy self-awareness may be just what viewers are looking for." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 51 out of 100 based on 7 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.
Caroline Framke of Variety praised the film's musical boost from vocalists Jeanine Mason and Jenifer Lewis, stating, "Even when Parton’s songs start to blend together, they get a boost from the likes of Jeanine Mason and Jenifer Lewis belting them," while also criticizing the script as "sickly sweet and, in a 20 minute stretch of critical twists and turns, genuinely bizarre." Wesley Morris of The New York Times noted that the film's songs blend "wit, wisdom and attitude" but they lack memorable hooks, while praising Debbie Allen's direction for its "overcaffeinated yet effective" energy, though faulting the plot for being too overstretched with multiple crises which are abruptly resolved.