Dolly Parton: Here I Am
By Jessica Taggart Rose
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Documentary
Themes: Artist’s life, music, stardom, love and loss
Runtime: 1 hour, 29 mins
Viewed: At home on iPlayer
Reviewer rating: ****
A film about Dolly Parton’s life and career that reveals her vision, tenacity and brilliance as a musician while demonstrating what a beautiful human she was.
I watched Dolly Parton: Here I Am less than a month before she died on 25 August 2026, aged 80, after a brief battle with cancer. It confirmed what an exceptionally talented songwriter and musician she was, displayed her radiance as a person and demonstrated how she was completely inclusive of all her fans. She will be missed by so many people from so many different walks of life.
I’ve been a fan of Dolly’s music for as long as I can remember. I grew up listening to her on the car radio with my younger brother as our Mum drove us around in her brown Datsun Sunny in the 80s. Her songs ‘Jolene’ and ‘9 to 5’ are absolute favourites. Yes, her roots were in country music but she transcended genres to become one of the biggest stars of all time.
The film touches on the fact that Dolly was deeply loved by the gay and trans communities and a supporter of LGBTQ+ rights. While she didn’t outright describe herself as a feminist, she certainly showed strong feminist values throughout her life and career. She was a self-determining woman who knew what she wanted in life and achieved it in a heavily male-dominated industry.
“You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try.” – Dolly Parton
Her work ethic and business sense came across strongly. I was struck by accounts of her constantly writing songs, wherever she was, whatever she was doing. Across her career she wrote more than 3000 songs.
My big confession is that I didn’t know before watching the film that she was the songwriter behind ‘I Will Always Love You’. I adored hearing her version of that song and the story behind it.
She was also incredibly funny and very quick with her quips in interviews, saying herself that she thought she could have been a comedian. I knew a little about her generosity and support for children’s charities but have learned much more through the film and since her death about just how much she did for so many causes.
While the documentary is overwhelmingly positive and barely touches on what Jane Fonda alludes to as the ‘dark side’ of Dolly’s life, this 2019 film by Bafta-winning producer/director Francis Whately is still a brilliant watch.
Watch the documentary on BBCTwo.
Read more about Dolly’s life and career in The Guardian.
