Starting over is never easy, but it’s often something that needs to be done if someone wants to truly find happiness. There’s nothing quite as simultaneously exciting and terrifying as a fresh start, especially when it sees you venturing far beyond your comfort zone, willing to play yourself in a precarious position in which life may be difficult for a while, but in the hopes that a blend of tenacity and ambition will get you to the point of achieving a specific goal, whatever it may be. This is the theme that propels Straight Talk, the charming romantic comedy written by Craig Bolotin and directed by Barnet Kellman (whose previous and subsequent work is mainly restricted to brief stints on a wide range of television shows, and a few feature films, none of which have much cultural cache, or are even that well-known at all), which tells the story of a lovable woman named Shirlee Kenyon who decided to run away from her bland life in working-class Arkansas and head out to Chicago, where she hopes to find a better life, leaving behind her husband and all the negative aspects of her life that made all the prior years so challenging – and in the process she find herself accidentally falling into a job that not only brings her fame and fortune but allows her to finally liberate herself from the lacklustre existence she had longed to escape for several years, all by a series of hilarious accidents and mishaps that prove to be the most important part of her journey. Just about as conventional as a romantic comedy can get, but yet so delightfully entertaining and kindhearted, Straight Talk is a surprisingly compelling film with a lot of genuine heartfulness, which is not something we necessarily expect from something that follows a formula quite this strictly, adding layers of genuinely soft-hearted, sweet humour to a story that could have been far more cynical had it not featured one of the most effortlessly charismatic and lovable figures in all of the industry in the central role.

One can always tell if a film was designed to be a starring vehicle for someone who was not primarily known to be an actor since everything about it will orbit around proving their mettle as on-screen performers. Straight Talk is not the first instance of a film being structured around giving a musician the chance to prove that they can also act – and it isn’t even the first wonderful performance given by Dolly Parton, who had previously done excellent work in films like The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Steel Magnolias, not to mention her scene-stealing supporting work in 9 to 5, an incredible debut for any actor, let alone one who was initially reluctant to enter into the film industry. However, in all of these films, Parton was either paired with a more notable actor, or played supporting roles, which were mainly built around her humility in the refusal to see herself as a movie star, and also because she seemed to be someone more adept at smaller roles, where she doesn’t drive the narrative but rather makes invaluable contributions in smaller parts. However, Straight Talk was the one film that went against all of this – she was the only lead, and she didn’t have anyone on which she could depend to help her along, with the likes of James Woods and Griffin Dunne being good, but only serving to support her, rather than help define the film alongside her. Needless to say, when you are born with as much natural charisma and magnetic energy as Parton, it’s difficult to not give an endearing performance. It may not be challenging work in the traditional sense – there is nothing Parton does here that is particularly daring or different from the image she has spent over half a century cultivating, but instead, she depends on her inherent charm and ability to play this kind of lovable protagonist – and the result is so utterly delightful and compelling, her joy in being able to play this part being truly contagious. She proves that she can very effectively lead a film, which was never in doubt (you cannot possess that much magnetism and beguiling glamour without being able to captivate our attention and keep us engaged.

Despite being quite an entertaining film, it is important to note that Straight Talk is the very definition of a conventional, straightforward romantic comedy, the kind that takes very few risks in favour of reaping the generally positive results of being reliable since audiences often enjoy this brand of charming humour that never aspires to reinvent the genre, but instead, offer us a familiar sense of warmth that makes it a perfect diversion from the surrounding world. This is a film that hits absolutely every familiar beat, so for those expecting something more subversive or challenging, this can be quite frustrating, since it doesn’t do anything we haven’t come across countless times before. However, the key distinction is that no one involved in this film seemed to be under the impression that what they were doing was ever expected to be revolutionary or challenge the very conventions that it frequently depends on as a narrative crutch. There is nothing inherently bad about a film making use of very reliable traits to the point where it is often quite plain and unremarkable on a narrative level, granted that it never seemed to be aiming to be particularly different. There is a lot of value in those films that just closely follow the rubric and adhere to the conventions, since they offer an almost comforting sense of consistency, for which there is always a place in the conversation, especially in a genre that intends to be entertaining more than it does experimental. Straight Talk feels so deeply conventional, to the point where we can essentially lay out the entire film’s premise from the first moment of the central premise – but this is hardly a concern, since everything that surrounds it is so effortlessly charming, we can easily excuse the lack of originality in favour of just embracing the comfort and joy that defines this film and makes it so wonderfully effervescent.

Unfortunately, as much as the collective cultural devotion to Parton’s work makes one reluctant to criticize anything she has done, Straight Talk is not a film without its shortcomings – as mentioned previously, the film was written and directed by people with very little prior experience, and while this is not immediately a cause for concern (especially since some of the greatest works in cinema are developed by the wunderkind who make a major impact from the start), and as a result it can feel like it is just following the pattern without doing anything particularly noteworthy with it. However, the key difference here (and indeed the concept that drives most of the film) is that everyone involved does their absolute best to elevate the material. Parton in particular seems to be very invested in the film’s success, doing whatever she can to lift what is a by-the-numbers romantic comedy. There are about a dozen new songs that she recorded for the film’s soundtrack, and while none of them is particularly noteworthy, they are at least worth the price of admission – and who of us would reject the opportunity to see a film that not only stars Parton but gives us 90 minutes of new music? It is just as earnest and lovely as we’d expect, and it becomes very much about seeing how this story can utilize Parton’s persona without becoming too experimental or self-aware, which is always a threat with stories like this, where they cast someone known for having a big personality, but then attempt to reinvent their image or reputation by having them do more than was necessary. Straight Talk allows Parton to be herself, which helps keep it engaging and entertaining, much more than we may have expected at first.

Straight Talk is certainly not a film that aims to be inventive or revolutionary in any way. There is an argument to be made that its decision to remain firmly within the conventions of the genre was the smartest, since it allows the personality of its star to shine above everything else, surrounding Parton with a surprisingly decent group of supporting actors (which includes performances from esteemed filmmaker John Sayles and master of the spoken word Spalding Gray), allowing them to buttress her charming performance that may not be particularly complex but is at least wildly entertaining and very funny, much like the film as a whole. There isn’t too much complexity that drives Straight Talk, nor are any of its features all that experimental or even that interesting if we remove Parton from the equation (which would have resulted in a significantly different film – the entire story is built from her very specific persona and charisma) – but yet it all feels so enthralling if we can handle some of the more predictable ideas that propel the film, especially those that relate to questioning the nature of the media, and exploring the morality of the story being told. It’s an entertaining and very funny parable with many hilarious moments and a happy ending – and considering that this seems to be exactly what the film was aiming to be, every moment that is supplementary to this only strengthens the argument and makes this an even more engaging, heartwarming excursion into the realm of romantic comedy, which may not have been changed by this film, but was certainly given one of its more charming and effervescent entries.