Dolly Parton is finally back on the big screen after two decades, starring in the new film, 'Joyful Noise,' opposite Queen Latifah. But the Country Music Hall of Fame member says she stayed away from film roles for that long not because of lack of opportunity, but because she never found a role that had a message she wanted to share -- until now.

"The film is uplifting and I want people to go away feeling better than they did when they got here, because times are hard right now," Dolly tells FOX News. "Everybody's been feeling a little scared and a little down, and the economy has been bad and people don't know what to think. We just seem to have lost all our morals and principles and values these days."

The iconic entertainer, who plays G.G. Sparrow, the widow of a choir director who wants to take over her late husband's role, says the film was a chance for her to share her own spiritual beliefs. "People are looking for something a little more stable; people are feeling like they need to get closer to God," she notes. "So [the movie] has got a lot of heart, a lot of soul. It's about community, it's about pulling together and it's about believing in something bigger and better than you."

Dolly says she tries to live out her faith, whether or not she is in the spotlight. "I believe those scriptures and I believe that through God all things are possible," she asserts. "Christ strengthens me. I remember all those things and I use them. I lean on that. I wake up every day and new dreams present themselves to me -- new plans and new opportunities. I dream big, I work hard, and I'm sure there will be tons more things for me to do."

'Joyful Noise' also gave the singer-songwriter a chance to team up with good friend Kris Kristofferson, who plays her husband in the film. "I was excited about him being in it, I love him. Different names were thrown out, but when I heard Kris I thought, 'Why not?' People love him, he is great onscreen and a great movie star. We've known each other since we were both very young in Nashville."

Dolly says that while she's open to other film roles, by her own design she's restricted when it comes to the parts she'll accept.

"I would have my limits; I wouldn't do something that was just totally offensive to my fan base," she explains to The Boot. "I own a family theme park and I have the Imagination Library books for children's programs, so I wouldn't want to do something that is just god-awful raunchy! But as an actress, I would be able to do something certainly more edgy than this. This is wonderful. This plays right to my audience, right to my fan base and right to my own beliefs. But no, I don't limit myself. I'm a singer, a writer and an actress -- when I find something that I feel good enough about doing."

'Joyful Noise' hits theaters this Saturday, January 13. Check showtimes here.

Watch the 'Joyful Noise' Movie Trailer


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