Queen Latifah in "Joyful Noise" Movie Review

JOYFUL NOISE

Movie Review By: DeAlan Wilson

Posted January 11, 2012

Movie Opens: January 13, 2012

If you are in the mood for a good laugh, enjoy gospel music and stories of love, faith, inspiration, and hope, you will totally enjoy Oscar® nominees Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton as they team up to star in Alcon Entertainment’s and Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Joyful Noise”. A music-filled family-oriented film, this movie, written and directed by Todd Graff from his original screenplay is not only exciting and entertaining but makes us all give serious consideration to personal and social values in the midst of these difficult and trying financial times.

DOLLY PARTON as G.G. Sparrow,
KEKE PALMER as Olivia Hill
and QUEEN LATIFAH as Vi Rose Hill
in "JOYFUL NOISE"
Photo Courtesy: Warner Bros.

The small town of Pacashau, Georgia, has fallen on hard times, buildings are boarded up, businesses along the main avenue are closing down and money is short. But through it all, hope is still alive there. And the citizens of this small rural town are counting on their local church, the Divinity Church Choir, to uplift the town’s spirits by winning the National Joyful Noise Competition in Los Angeles.

DOLLY PARTON as G.G. Sparrow
and QUEEN LATIFAH as Vi Rose Hill
 "JOYFUL NOISE,"
Photo Courtesy: Warner Bros.

The choir has always known how to sing in harmony, but discord between its two leading ladies, their newly appointed choir director, Vi Rose Hill (Queen Latifah) and their fiery financial supporter, G.G. Sparrow (Dolly Parton) who is a member of the choir. While Vi Rose (wants the choir to stick with an older traditional style of choir singing G.G. thinks they should shake things up a bit with a more modern style of gospel music.

JEREMY JORDAN as Randy Garrity
and KEKE PALMER as Olivia Hill
in  "JOYFUL NOISE,"
Photo Courtesy: Warner Bros. 

Adding to the story is the surprise arrival of G.G.’s handsome and rebellious teenage grandson Randy (Jeremy Jordan) who falls “head-over-heels” for one of the local young ladies, Olivia Hill (Keke Palmer) who just so happens to be the sixteen year old daughter of the choir’s new director, Vi Rose.


A soul-stirring, musically driven movie, this film brings together the sounds of gospel, pop, country, rock and R & B with countless memorable songs all performed by Queen Latifah, Parton and the cast. A wide range of songs are used including material from writers and artists such as: Michael Jackson, Usher, Chris Brown, Paul McCartney, Sly & the Family Stone and Stevie Wonder. Dolly Parton also wrote three new original songs for the film as well.

KIRK FRANKLIN as Baylor Sykes
in "JOYFUL NOISE,"
Photo Courtesy: Warner Bros.

Other popular gospel singers including Karen Peck and Kirk Franklin make cameo appearances in the film. Their performances are not only uplifting, but add true authenticity to the film as they pay homage to the growing popularity of church choir competitions all across the U.S.

Franklin, who penned and performed his new high energy gospel song “In Love” in the film, gave a very electric performance that definitely made him stand out in the film. His energy and dance moves seem to make him jump right off the screen and into the theatre. Director Todd Graff adds, “Kirk dances like some version of Prince cross-bred with James Brown,...so charismatic.”

DOLLY PARTON as G.G. Sparrow
in "JOYFUL NOISE,"
Photo Courtesy: Warner Bros.

Other musical highlights from the film include Queen Latifah’s gut wrenching solo “Fix Me Jesus” and a beautiful new ballad penned by Dolly Parton entitled “From Here To The Moon and Back”. The film’s Grammy Award winning Music Producer Mervyn Warren says, “It’s like working a puzzle: a given song needs to …say something specific or comment upon the story.”

After seeing the film and hearing all hearing all the great new music and new musical arrangements of many old classics, I find myself longing for the soundtrack and can’t wait to get my hands on it. I am sure it will be just as soul-stirring as the film itself.

Rounding out the main cast is Courtney B. Vance who plays the church’s minister Pastor Dale, Kris Kristofferson as Bernard Sparrow and Dexter Darden as Walter Hill. Other supporting cast members include: Angela Grovey, Paul Woolfolk and Jesse L. Martin.

This film is set to open in theatres nationwide on January 13, 2012.