Thunderstruck A Truckstop for the Soul

The unexpected pleasures of Joyful Noise

By Steve Beard

I never would have written parts for Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah in the same screenplay. But I’m glad Todd Graff did. Then again, I never would have guessed that Todd Graff, a Jewish screenwriter and director, would have produced such a high-energy and entertaining film about gospel choir competition. But I’m glad he did.

Let’s just get this straight, Parton and Latifah are a marvelous duo—two Oscar nominated women with charisma, talent, and charm enough to light up any screen. Parton plays the role of a free-spirited widow named G.G. Sparrow, while Latifah plays a far more conservative mother trying to raise two children on her own.

In Joyful Noise, both women are members of a small choir in Pacashau, Georgia, that is attempting to beat insurmountable odds in order to compete in a national church choir competition. Like a perfect storm, the church is surrounded by unexpected and catastrophic waves from all directions. Throw in a little dash of teenage romance, Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton’s hilarious bickering, and a fantastic soundtrack of great gospel music and you have got two hours of Joyful Noise.

“We were inspired,” Dolly Parton told Thunderstruck. “I pray every day that God will let me be a blessing and a light in the world and let me do things to uplift people. And working in this film, there were always these wonderful little things that were happening—little coincidences that I called ‘God winks’ or ‘God smiles,’ just to let you know that God’s hand was in it. I felt inspired to be able to work around so many good hearted people, so many people who were sincere in their faith.”

Despite the fact that this is a mainstream film from a mainstream studio for a mainstream audience, it was refreshing to see that references to Jesus were not sanitized from the script in an awkward nod to political correctness or what passes as anemic pluralism. Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah even teamed up to lobby the director to scratch a few zesty expletives from the film.

“I appreciated being a part of a film where the word God was used—where you could say Jesus,” Queen Latifah observed during our interview. “I’ve been doing this for a while now, and so often I see the name Jesus or the word God omitted or changed. Everyone is trying to placate to every religion or non-religious person—Christian or Jewish or Muslim or Atheist—it has always gotta be some kind of broad brush painting for everyone.”

Of course, this is a film about a choir at a Christian church in Georgia—and all of the drama, the hanky panky, the politics, and funny idiosyncrasies that are often part of church life. Look, I should know; I grew up in a parsonage.

“It was just refreshing to do a movie that is based in Christianity for a change,” Latifah continued. “To really be able to enjoy that, to enjoy the music, to the enjoy the faith.” She even observed that although she was going through difficult struggles during the time of the filming, she found it to be a blessing to be on the set and find strength in her role and attempt to “hear God talk to me doing a movie. Nothing against anyone else’s beliefs, but it was refreshing and inspiring to me to be able to do that.” She is convinced that no matter a person’s creed or national background or circumstances, Joyful Noise can inspire you.

Both Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton grew up with a steady diet of church and faith and music (as did their powerful young co-star Keke Palmer). You could genuinely tell that they enjoyed having their careers dovetail with being able to express their faith through an entertaining and uplifting film.

“We’re all sinners, but that is why we have this religion to forgive us and help us,” Parton observed. “We try to be perfect, we strive to do better, but it is an inspiration to know that we were doing something that would uplift people during this hard time in the economy. That’s what this story was all about. For me personally, it just made me feel good to be involved in something great and mighty and something bigger than us.”

Ironically, director and screenwriter Todd Graff didn’t grow up around high-powered gospel music. Instead, he grew up listening to his mother lead a Jewish ladies choir in his home two days a week. When I asked him how he would describe their style of music and singing, he deadpanned, “Lots of minor chords.” He even jokingly responded that his love of gospel music had something to do with it utilizing major chords.

Although she had not been in a movie in 20 years, Graff wrote the part of the flamboyant GG Sparrow just for Dolly Parton. When I asked her about the first time she read the script, she responded: “I could not let anyone else play that character....It was me. I had to do it. It was perfect for me. I have been looking for something great. I have been praying for something great.”

“How else would you explain it? This Jewish guy writing a film about Jesus,” Parton observed. Her bright smile lights up the room. “God was good to me...He’s worked through the Jews before.” Like everything else that radiates about Dolly Parton, her laughter is as infectious as her faith.

 Steve Beard is the creator of Thunderstruck. 

 This film has been rated PG-13 for some language including a sexual reference.