Carolina Cinemas Sandhills 10 will honor Dolly Parton’s life and legacy with special screenings of one of her most beloved films beginning Friday, while raising money for a cause that was close to the entertainer’s heart.
The theater will show “Steel Magnolias” once each afternoon from Friday, Aug. 28, through Tuesday. Tickets are $5, with 100% of ticket proceeds being donated to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
Carolina Cinemas owner Jeremy Welman told Moore County News that the idea came together following Parton’s death. While the theater does not hold tribute screenings for every notable actor or entertainer who dies, he said Parton was different.
“There’s a few that are just special, and I think Dolly was one of them,” Welman said. “She was sort of that next-level celebrity that everybody seemed to like.”
For Welman, Parton’s impact also carries a personal connection. Early in his career, he lived in Sevierville, Tennessee, where he opened an IMAX theater. His children attended elementary school there, giving him a firsthand look at Parton’s connection to her hometown and her efforts to support children and education.
“Of course, Dolly’s a legend there,” Welman said. “She did a lot of things for the kids and with the school books and everything.”
After deciding to hold a tribute, Welman landed on “Steel Magnolias,” the 1989 film featuring Parton as Truvy Jones alongside an ensemble cast that included Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis and Daryl Hannah.
Welman said the film has long been one of his favorites, dating back to his days as a young theater manager when it was originally released.
“It’s just a great film,” he said. “It’s just a way for her fans to see her on the big screen one last time, and I just thought it would be kind of a neat thing to do.”
From the beginning, Welman said Carolina Cinemas had no intention of making money from the tribute. Instead, the theater decided that everything collected through ticket sales would be donated in Parton’s honor.
Initially, Welman considered supporting a local library program. But after spending more time researching Parton’s Imagination Library, he learned the program has a partner in Carthage serving Moore County.
Welman said he plans to earmark Carolina Cinemas’ donation specifically for that local partner, allowing the money raised through the screenings to support the Imagination Library program serving children in the area.
“Our donation, whatever we end up donating, I can actually earmark that specifically for that partner in Carthage, which would then serve all of Moore County,” Welman said. “That was really important.”
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library provides free, age-appropriate books to enrolled children from birth to age 5. The program, which Parton launched in 1995 in her home county in East Tennessee, has since expanded to communities across the United States and internationally.
For Welman, finding that local connection made the decision to support the program even more meaningful.
“Even though it’s a global icon, we’re able to sort of bring it home and provide books for kids here in our community,” he said.
The screenings are also intended to give Parton’s fans an opportunity to experience “Steel Magnolias” the way it was originally intended, on a theater screen and alongside an audience.
While films such as “Steel Magnolias” can now easily be watched at home through television and streaming services, Welman said there is something different about experiencing a movie in a theater, particularly when the people in the audience are there for a shared reason.
“There’s something very communal about that,” Welman said. “There’s people that are going to be sitting in that theater that are all sort of sad about her passing, and it gives people a chance to talk about it and be around other people that feel the same way.”
Welman said that sense of community is one of the reasons he believes theaters can still play an important role beyond simply showing movies.
“I just feel it’s important to do these kind of things when you can and bring the community together,” he said. “And if you can raise a few bucks for the local community, that’s always a great thing to do.”
The first “Steel Magnolias” screening will be held Friday afternoon at Carolina Cinemas Sandhills 10, with one afternoon showing each day through Tuesday. Tickets are $5 each, with all ticket proceeds benefiting Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Tickets and showtimes are available through the Carolina Cinemas website.
A Moore County native who has spent more than 20 years telling stories across North Carolina and beyond. He’s worked with CNN, WRAL, and CBS 17, and now serves as a Video Journalist for ABC11. Patrick has a passion for breaking news and has earned multiple awards for his coverage. He’s also a certified NWS SKYWARN Storm Spotter and was among the first news videographers in the state to become an FAA-certified drone pilot.
