You’ve seen the big hair. You’ve heard the "Backwoods Barbie" jokes. But there is a specific moment in the documentary Dolly Parton: Here I Am where the mask—or the wig, rather—feels like it’s actually starting to slip. It’s not that she takes it off. Dolly never takes it off. It’s that you finally start to see the cold, hard steel behind the rhinestones.
Honestly, most people think of Dolly as this bubbly, accidental superstar. They see a cartoon character with a heart of gold. But Francis Whately’s 2019 film, which is still the definitive look at her life as we head into 2026, paints a different picture. It’s a portrait of a woman who is essentially a CEO who happens to sing.
Basically, if you want to understand how a girl from a one-room cabin in Locust Ridge ended up funding a COVID-19 vaccine and owning a whole theme park, you have to watch this. It isn’t just a "best of" reel. It’s a blueprint.
The Porter Wagoner Power Struggle
The meat of the movie—and what most fans get wrong—is the relationship with Porter Wagoner. Everyone knows "I Will Always Love You" is a breakup song. They think it’s about a boyfriend. It wasn’t. It was a resignation letter.
In the film, you see the archival footage of The Porter Wagoner Show. Porter was the king. Dolly was the "girl singer." In the 1960s, that was the ceiling. But Dolly didn’t have a ceiling. She had a strategy.
Whately does a great job showing how Porter tried to control her. He owned her publishing. He dictated her image. When she finally decided to leave, he sued her for $3 million. That’s a massive amount of money today, but in the 70s? It was an execution sentence. Dolly paid it. She didn't complain. She just wrote "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You" in the same damn day and moved on.
That’s the "Here I Am" energy the title refers to. It’s not a greeting. It’s a declaration of independence.
Why Jane Fonda is the Secret Weapon of This Doc
A lot of music docs just interview random celebrities who like the artist. This one is different. You’ve got Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin talking about the 9 to 5 era.
Fonda is incredibly sharp here. She talks about how Dolly refused to sign on to the movie unless she could write the theme song. Think about that. She was a "country singer" entering Hollywood for the first time, and she was already making demands that would eventually net her an Academy Award nomination.
Fonda recalls Dolly showing up on set and using her long acrylic nails as a percussion instrument to write the "typewriter" beat for the song. It’s a legendary story, but seeing the way Fonda describes Dolly’s business mind—calling her "the most strategic person I've ever met"—really changes how you view the blonde curls.
What the Film Actually Covers (And What It Skips)
Don't expect a chronological Wikipedia entry. The movie jumps around.
- The Songwriting: This is the core. It focuses on her 1971 album Coat of Many Colors.
- The 50th Anniversary: It uses her 50th-year celebration at the Grand Ole Opry as an anchor.
- The Collaborators: You get interviews with Mac Davis, Linda Perry, and even Kylie Minogue.
- The Aesthetic: She addresses the "trash" look. She literally says she modeled her look after the "town tramp" because she thought the woman was beautiful.
It’s worth noting that the film has some gaps. If you're looking for a deep dive into the Trio albums with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt, you'll be disappointed. It’s barely mentioned. Same goes for Steel Magnolias. It seems the filmmakers were more interested in the "Dolly as a solo force" narrative than the ensemble work.
✨ Don't miss: I Want to Believe: Why This Poster Still Defines Our Need for the Truth
Is She Actually Inscrutable?
There’s a funny bit where her friends admit they don't really know her. Not really.
Even her husband, Carl Dean, is a ghost. He doesn't appear in the film. He doesn't appear anywhere. They’ve been married since 1966, and some of her band members of 20 years say they’ve never met him.
Dolly Parton: Here I Am leans into this mystery. It suggests that the "Dolly" we see is a perfectly manufactured product designed to protect the real woman underneath. She’s "totally real inside," but the outside is a fortress.
She doesn’t read music. She’s written over 3,000 songs. She’s a walking contradiction.
Practical Takeaways for Your Watch Party
If you’re planning to stream this, keep a few things in mind to get the most out of it:
👉 See also: Why the Hit the Deck 1955 Cast Actually Defined the MGM Musical Era
- Watch the Nails: Pay attention to when she talks about her songwriting process. She uses those nails for rhythm more than you’d think.
- Look for the 1999 Bluegrass Pivot: The doc spends a surprising amount of time on The Grass is Blue. It was a huge risk at the time because her mainstream career was cooling off. It saved her legacy.
- The "Trash" Quote: Listen for the story about the "white trash" woman in her hometown. It explains every outfit she’s ever worn.
Dolly is 80 now (as of January 2026), and she’s still releasing music, like the recent reimagining of "Light of a Clear Blue Morning." She isn't slowing down. This documentary is the best way to understand why. It’s about a woman who refused to be a footnote in a man’s career and ended up becoming a global monument.
You can find the film on various streaming platforms, usually Netflix or BBC iPlayer depending on your region. It’s 90 minutes of your life that will make you realize you’ve probably been underestimating the smartest woman in Nashville for years.
Next Steps for the Dolly Obsessed:
To truly appreciate the songwriting discussed in the film, listen to the Coat of Many Colors album from start to finish. It’s widely considered her masterpiece and provides the emotional context for the struggle with Porter Wagoner that the documentary highlights. You might also look up the "Dolly Parton’s America" podcast if you want the sociological side of her impact that the film touches on briefly.