Gay Film Fest: For the Love Of Dolly / Camp Michael Jackson June 17, 2006

For the Love of Dolly profiles Dolly Parton's greatest fans. These fans are so devoted to Dolly that she knows them by name. David is a developmentally disabled young man whose parents say his "friendship" with Dolly has pushed him into exceeding his doctors' expectations. Patric and Harrel are a gay couple for whom Dolly is the common ground. Harrel hopes one day to sell the beautiful Dolly dolls he makes in Dollywood. Another fan, Melissa, has adopted Dolly as a mother figure after a difficult childhood. The movie takes the viewer into the fans' homes - which are museums of memorabilia - and follows their preparations for the annual Dollywood grand opening parade.

Camp Michael Jackson presents us with a less optimistic view of fandom. The fans have set up camp in Santa Maria, California, where the King of Pop is on trial for child molestation. One is spending her inheritance to stay in a nearby hotel and support another fan. Another is a local single mother whose son must dash to the courthouse to have his school papers signed. A third is a young Bay Area woman dying of cancer who focuses her remaining energy on her love of Michael. The film's liveaction footage captures the fans scrambling each morning to catch a glimpse of the often tardy arrival of the star. But the ultimate goal is to be invited into Neverland, which the fans describe as heaven on earth.

-CAMERON SCOTT

Official Website: http://www.frameline.org/festival/30th/filmsevents.html