I'm a huge Dolly Parton fan and you guys and gal did a brilliant job covering this movie. It was a hilarious dissection of the film!!
First off, I'm glad you all gave Dolly high regards for the "national treasure" that she is, as a talented singer & performer; and for making the movie watchable cause I'd agree with you all on that as well. What you didn't mention was that she wrote several of the songs contributing lyrically to the film, and I've heard her mention in interviews that it's the soundtrack that no one "ever heard" cause clearly she prides herself in her songwriting. Of note, Butterflies, God Won't Get You, One Emotion After Another, What a Heartache, and Tennessee Homesick Blues are all songs she wrote (the last one going to #1 on Country charts). She co-wrote these songs with Stallone which I find hard to believe, Be There, Stay Out of My Bedroom, Sweet Lovin' Friends, and Woke Up In Love. [songs written by other people Too Much Water -- Randy Parton, The Day My Baby Died -- Rusty Buchanan, Goin' Back To Heaven -- Stella Parton and Kin Vassey, Drinkin' Stein -- Stallone, Waltz Me To Heaven -- Floyd Parton.]
In 2010, the LA Film Fest honored Stallone for his career, and during a Q&A Rhinestone was mentioned. What I do recall him saying was that the original idea behind the film was the Pygmalion effect. He went on to praise Dolly highly for her contribution to the film and her overall talent and beauty. However, he didn't reveal anything more than admitting he couldn't sing and wish the movie would go away.
Dolly has always said in interviews that although the movie was not a success, it was a personal success for her because she had been having major health problems in the 18 months prior to shooting the film, and working with Stallone, partly due to his healthy regime and his big personality, helped her come out from the poor health.
I have a TODAY Show interview from 1984 (I don't see it posted on YouTube) where it's mentioned that VARIETY reports production costs had reached 28 million (and that's while prod was still going on) and that the film had been plagued by problems. It's mentioned that the original cinematographer had been replaced only a few days into shooting in NY (but doesn't say why), and the director replaced two weeks later in TN (but doesn't say why). Bob Clark was brought in as director and bad weather in TN forced production back to shooting in LA. Bob Clark notes that the concept had been changed since his taking over the film and much of the earlier footage shot by the original director wasn't useable. Stallone states that the "personality shades" of the character are the closest to his real self than anything else he'd done up to that point, "the ad libs, the jokes and the absurdity... cause I've got a different slant on life an odd outlook".
The question of NYC being a country mecca was brought up. Obviously it isn't, and never was. However, in 1984 the idea of the "Urban Cowboy", as well as the evolving sound of Country music at the time and growing urban popularity thanks to variety shows such as Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters etc. were popular in American culture. I think Rhinestone was playing off of the idea that there could be a country club as big and popular as the Rhinestone Club portrayed in the film.
