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By Maggie Scott

With the popularity of TV shows like “America’s Got Talent,” “The X-Factor” and “Sing-Off,” it’s inevitable that someone like Todd Graff, with two other music competition-themed films to his credit (Camp and Bandslam) would decide to make a movie based on L.A.’s annual How Sweet the Sound Gospel Competition.

Joyful Noise pays modest and moving tribute to the devotion (both in the secular and sacred sense) church choirs with awesome names like Our Lady of Perpetual Tears demonstrate in preparing themselves to raise a holy ruckus hoping to inspire the judges to award them the trophy.

New to the world of church choir competition, and favoring several other musical genres over gospel, I was not sure what to expect from writer/director Graff’s take on the jubilant faith and hard work of a group like last year’s How Sweet the Sound Gospel Competition winners— the Salvation and Deliverance Church Choir, doubtless invests to realize its fervent dreams of being the chosen one.

And, I was not sure what to expect from a film featuring one of country music and pop culture’s queens—Dolly Parton—who has not had a co-starring film role in almost 20 years (Straight Talk).  Although Joyful Noise feels like something Tyler Perry and Kenny Ortega may have collaborated on, by the film’s conclusion, I was thoroughly convinced that Graff and his cast had made me see the light.

When it’s not focused on the choir and its mountain-moving music making, Graff’s script feels both family-friendly old-fashioned and a bit forced striving for occasional relevance when it comes to family dynamics and economic realities.  The characters and scenarios are a bit fancifully represented: The absent father; the strict mother; the innocent daughter; the decent rebel; the plucky widow;  and the down-trodden town.

Besides the well-worn conceit of the “good” girl falling for the falsely maligned young rebel from out-of-town, Joyful Noise hangs its non-musical hat on the rivalry between two members of Pacashau, Georgia’s Sacred Divinity Church choir.  Pastor Dale (Courtney B. Vance) has chosen Vi Rose Hill (Queen Latifah) to lead the choir after the death of Bernard Sparrow (Kris Kristofferson); and his widow, G.G. (Parton), is not too happy about it.

Suppressed dislike of one another keeps erupting in verbal put-downs; like, “When folks get wrapped up in themselves, they make very small packages.”  It doesn’t help that G.G.’s grandson, Randy Garrity (Jeremy Jordan), has eyes for Vi’s daughter, Olivia (Keke Palmer), also in the choir.

Although branded with a vague bad boy rep, based on the rumor he was thrown out of his parents’ home, Randy quickly changes minds when he adds a jolt of energy and edge to the choir’s musical arrangements and performance. He also reaches out to Olivia’s Asperger Syndrome-suffering brother (Dexter Darden).

Vi’s de-moralized loneliness, over-protectiveness and bitterness towards her husband (who left her for another hitch in the Army); Olivia’s anger at her mother and father; G.G.’s scrappy defense of her “family;” and the pastor’s contention, after another defeat at the regional competition due to stale material. She feels that the money spent on the contest could be better used elsewhere and threatens the good people’s faith in their dream and desire to let the Lord speak through their musical voices.

With music ranging from Beatles and Sly and the Family Stone, to Michael Jackson hits—as well as three songs provided by Parton—performed with divine inspiration, Joyful Noise is both exalting and accessible.  Whether believer or non-believer, you’ll feel a bit blessed to have experienced it.  An Alcon Entertainment production, rated PG-13 for language, mild sexual content.