If you are looking for a movie that combines music, faith, family, laughter, a little romance and plenty of heart, Joyful Noise is one I would definitely recommend adding to your watch list.
Released in 2012 and directed by Todd Graff, Joyful Noise is a musical comedy-drama centred around a small-town church choir in Pacashau, Georgia. The community is struggling financially, and the choir is facing the possibility of being shut down. Their hope is to win the National Joyful Noise Competition and bring some much-needed encouragement and pride back to their town.
But the biggest challenge isn't necessarily the competition itself. It is the clash between two very strong-minded women.
And this is where the movie gets really entertaining.
The two women at the centre of the story are Vi Rose Hill, played by Queen Latifah, and G.G. Sparrow, played by Dolly Parton. After the death of the choir director, Vi Rose takes over the choir. G.G., the director's widow, believes she should have had more say in what happens. The two women have very different personalities and very different ideas about how the choir should sound.
Vi Rose believes in tradition. G.G. believes that tradition should not stop you from trying something new.
Their disagreements create plenty of funny moments, but underneath all the arguments is something much more meaningful: both women genuinely care about their community, their families and their faith.
One of the biggest reasons I would recommend this movie is Dolly Parton.
Dolly plays G.G. Sparrow, and honestly, she brings so much personality to the role. G.G. is confident, outspoken, funny and completely unafraid to say exactly what she thinks. That makes her a wonderful character for Dolly to play.
What makes it even better is seeing Dolly share the screen with Queen Latifah. The contrast between the two characters gives the movie much of its energy. Their chemistry and musical performances are among the film's biggest attractions. Contemporary reviews also highlighted the strength of their performances and the musical numbers.
And if you already love Dolly Parton, you get the added pleasure of watching her do what she does so naturally: entertain, sing, make you laugh and occasionally deliver a little wisdom along the way.
Of course, you cannot talk about Joyful Noise without talking about the music.
This is a gospel choir movie, but it doesn't restrict itself to traditional gospel music. The film mixes gospel with contemporary pop influences, creating some wonderfully energetic musical performances. The choir even performs gospel-inspired versions of familiar popular songs.
The result is a soundtrack that feels joyful, uplifting and very accessible, even if you are not normally someone who watches gospel musicals.
There is something particularly wonderful about watching people who may be struggling with life come together through music. Singing becomes more than entertainment. It becomes a way of expressing faith, hope, frustration, love and community.
And that is really the heart of the movie.
Although the National Joyful Noise Competition provides the main storyline, there are several smaller stories happening at the same time.
Vi Rose is raising two teenagers and trying to protect her family while dealing with her own struggles. Her daughter Olivia, played by Keke Palmer, is talented and independent and does not always see eye-to-eye with her mother.
G.G.'s grandson Randy, played by Jeremy Jordan, also arrives and becomes romantically interested in Olivia. Their relationship adds another layer to the story, particularly because the adults have their own ideas about what is best for the younger generation.
There is also Walter, Vi Rose's son, whose character brings another dimension to the family story.
So while the movie is wrapped in music and comedy, it touches on some surprisingly real themes: parenting, grief, financial hardship, generational differences, relationships, faith and learning to accept that sometimes another person's way of doing things may have value too.
Perhaps the message I enjoyed most about Joyful Noise is the idea that harmony does not mean everyone has to sound the same.
That is true in music and, perhaps even more importantly, it is true in life.
Vi Rose and G.G. are very different women. They disagree, they clash and they certainly know how to get under each other's skin. But eventually they have to realize that their differences don't necessarily have to divide them.
They need one another.
And perhaps that is one of the loveliest messages hidden underneath all the singing and comedy: sometimes we create something beautiful precisely because different people bring different voices to the same song.
Joyful Noise is not a complicated movie, and it certainly isn't trying to be a serious theological exploration. In fact, critics were divided about the storyline, with some finding the plot predictable while praising the musical performances.
But sometimes you don't need a movie to be complicated.
Sometimes you simply want something that makes you smile.
Something that reminds you about faith.
Something that makes you want to sing.
Something that reminds you that difficult seasons don't last forever.
And sometimes you just want to watch Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah arguing, singing and trying to save a church choir!
So if you enjoy feel-good movies with music, humour, family, faith and a little bit of romance, I would definitely recommend giving Joyful Noise a try.
And if you are a Dolly Parton fan, that's even more reason to watch it.
After all, with Dolly Parton, Queen Latifah and a gospel choir involved, you already know you're going to get plenty of joyful noise.
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