Joyful Noise

What it's about:

The small town of Pacashau, Georgia, has fallen on hard times, but the people are counting on the Divinity Church Choir to lift their spirits by winning the National Joyful Noise Competition. The choir has always known how to sing in harmony, but the discord between its two leading ladies now threatens to tear them apart.

Their newly appointed director, Vi Rose Hill (Latifah), stubbornly wants to stick with their tried-and-true traditional style, while the fiery G.G. Sparrow (Parton) thinks tried-and-true translates to tired-and-old. Shaking things up even more is the arrival of G.G.'s rebellious grandson, Randy (Jeremy Jordan).

Randy has an ear for music, but he also has an eye for Vi Rose's beautiful and talented daughter, Olivia (Keke Palmer), and the sparks between the two teenagers are causing even more heat between G.G. and Vi Rose.

What the critics thought:

"Lots of talented young singers decorate the scenery, notably Jeremy Jordan who has vocal and acting chops that shine even in this bucket of Glee Goes Gospel cornpone."
- Peter Travers, Rolling Stone


"Despite some mawkish dialogue, there's something to be said for leaving the theater with a smile. Can I get an amen?"
- Stephanie Merry, Washington Post


"Queen Latifah, a formidable actress who's almost always better than her movies, easily dominates this..."
- Lou Lumenick, New York Post