Movie review: ‘Joyful Noise” soars when it sings, plods when it talks
As long as the exuberant cast of “Joyful Noise” is raising its collective voice in song, this corny but open-hearted gospel glee-fest has the power to stir some souls.
If this were simply a concert film of inspirational pop and faith music with powerhouse performers Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah leading the way in righteous voice, or even a documentary on the real-life House of Blues Joyful Noise Gospel Contest, an online talent search open to anyone that the spirit moves, it would probably soar on its own merits.
It’s only when writer-director Todd Graff’s clichéd tale of warring small-town matriarchs and forbidden young love intrudes on the heavenly sounds of choirs singing that “Joyful Noise” loses its transcendent air.
The hokey, by-the-numbers story is set in small-town Georgia and centers on church choir members G.G. Sparrow (Parton), a wealthy, “glamorous granny,” and Vi Rose Hill (Latifah), a working mom with an absentee military husband. They have very different ideas of how to approach the upcoming National Joyful Noise Choir Competition.
As cutting-edge G.G. and old-school Vi Rose bicker and compete for the gospel upper hand, young love enters the picture in the form of Vi Rose’s wholesome teen daughter Olivia (energetic and tuneful Keke Palmer) and G.G.’s bad-boy grandson (hunky Jeremy Jordan of Broadway’s just-closed “Bonnie and Clyde”).
A comic and solemn cast of supporting players – from Courtney B. Vance as the dour church pastor to Angela Grovey as a lovesick choir member to Kris Kristofferson as past choir master and G.G.’s late husband – dodge in and out of the proceedings without great impact.
Some cynics at early screenings have been quick to dismiss this hybrid musical and comedy-drama as “Glee for Baptists.” But that’s glib and unfair. If the formulaic story of rural American adversity, faith, bonding and triumph fails to inspire (despite some appealing performances), the musical content is almost enough to lift the story above its mundane mechanics.
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