Movies like The Book Lady (2008)
The best movies like The Book Lady (2008) are Dolly Parton: Here I Am (2019), Respect (2021) and Dumplin' (2018). If The Book Lady hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Greatest Showman (2017)7.9/10 from 10,323 votes
- NewestWhitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022)Released 2022
Dolly Parton: Here I Am (2019)
Dolly Parton leads a moving, musical journey in this documentary that details the people and places who have helped shape her iconic career.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRespect (2021)
The rise of Aretha Franklin’s career from a child singing in her father’s church’s choir to her international superstardom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDumplin' (2018)
To prove a point about measuring up and fitting in, Texas teen Willowdean “Dumplin’” Dickson enters a local pageant run by her ex-beauty queen mom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCoal Miner's Daughter (1980)
Biography of Loretta Lynn, a country and western singer that came from poverty to fame.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWhitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022)
The joyous, emotional, heartbreaking celebration of the life and music of Whitney Houston, the greatest female R&B pop vocalist of all time. Tracking her journey from obscurity to musical superstardom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Buddy Holly Story (1978)
A chronicle of the rise and brief career of rock 'n' roll star Buddy Holly, who aspires to play music the way he wants it to sound. Holly and his band, the Crickets, are first invited to record in Nashville, where they encounter creative differences with the producing staff. Later they play a major booking at the Apollo Theater, scheduled there under the mistaken assumption that they're a black band. Holly's career eventually goes solo -- until the tragic day the music dies.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDolly Parton's Christmas on the Square (2020)
A rich and nasty woman returns to her hometown to evict everyone but discovers the true meaning of Christmas thanks to the local townsfolk – and an actual angel. Features 14 original songs with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisMr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown (2014)
James Brown changed the face of American music forever. Abandoned by his parents at an early age, James Brown was a self-made man who became one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, not just through his music, but also as a social activist. Charting his journey from rhythm and blues to funk, MR. DYNAMITE: THE RISE OF JAMES BROWN features rare and previously unseen footage, photographs and interviews, chronicling the musical ascension of “the hardest working man in show business,” from his first hit, “Please, Please, Please,” in 1956, to his iconic performances at the Apollo Theater, the T.A.M.I. Show, the Paris Olympia and more.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Thing Called Love (1993)
A group of newcomers to the country music business seek love and stardom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors (2015)
"Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors" is based on the inspiring true story of living legend Dolly Parton's remarkable upbringing. This once-in-a-lifetime movie special takes place inside the tight-knit Parton family as they struggle to overcome devastating tragedy and discover the healing power of love, faith and a raggedy patchwork coat that helped make Parton who she is today. The film is set in the Tennessee Great Smoky Mountains in 1955. It is neither a biopic nor a musical about Dolly's whole life and performing career, but rather a family-oriented faith-based story about the incidents in her and her family's life around the time she was nine years old.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Joker is Wild (1957)
A Prohibition-era nightclub crooner has his career is cut short when his throat is slashed by a mob boss.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisNashville (1975)
The intersecting stories of twenty-four characters—from country star to wannabe to reporter to waitress—and their connection through the music business in Nashville, Tennessee.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWild Rose (2019)
A young Scottish singer, Rose-Lynn Harlan, dreams of making it as a country artist in Nashville after being released from prison.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisI Saw the Light (2016)
Singer and songwriter Hank Williams rises to fame in the 1940s, but alcohol abuse and infidelity take a toll on his career and marriage to fellow musician Audrey Mae Williams.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Greatest Showman (2017)
The story of American showman P.T. Barnum, founder of the circus that became the famous traveling Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisAll Eyez on Me (2017)
All Eyez on Me chronicles the life and legacy of Tupac Shakur, including his rise to superstardom as a hip-hop artist, actor, poet and activist, as well as his imprisonment and prolific, controversial time at Death Row Records. Against insurmountable odds, Tupac rose to become a cultural icon whose career and persona both continue to grow long after his passing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPure Country (1992)
Dusty Chandler is a super star in the country music world, but his shows have the style of a '70s rock concert. One day he takes a walk - out of his overdone concerts to find his real country roots. He's helped and hindered by friends and staff, but pushes on in his search for a real music style as well as a real romance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCadillac Records (2008)
The story of sex, violence, race and rock and roll in 1950s Chicago, and the exciting but turbulent lives of some of America's musical legends, including Muddy Waters, Leonard Chess, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Etta James and Chuck Berry.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWhitney (2018)
Examines the life and career of singer Whitney Houston. Features never-before-seen archival footage, exclusive recordings, rare performances and interviews with the people who knew her best.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSidney (2022)
This revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier—iconic actor, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Featuring interviews with Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Halle Berry, and more.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Book Lady?
The closest matches to The Book Lady are Dolly Parton: Here I Am (2019), Respect (2021) and Dumplin' (2018). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Book Lady?
Start with Dolly Parton: Here I Am (2019), the closest match to The Book Lady.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Book Lady?
The Greatest Showman (2017), rated 7.9/10 by 10,323 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Book Lady?
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Book Lady?
Yes: Dolly Parton: Here I Am (2019), Respect (2021) and Dumplin' (2018).
How are movies similar to The Book Lady chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Book Lady, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.