The Irony of Dumplin’ (2018)
On December 7, 2018, Netflix premiered Dumplin’, a Netflix original movie based on Julie Murphy’s book. Although the story was set in Texas, the film was shot in Marietta, Georgia. I know this for two reasons: 1) The movie profile in IMDb.com states it, and, more importantly, 2) I saw the filming at the Cobb County Civic Center. While streaming the movie, I couldn’t get past the tragic irony of one scene.
Dumplin’ stars Danielle MacDonald as Willowdean, the plus-sized daughter of the Miss Teen Bluebonnet’s coordinator and former winner, Rosie (played by Jennifer Aniston). The movie weaves together classic Dolly Parton songs illustrating the relationship between Willowdean and her Aunt Lucy (Hilliary Begley), while emphasizing the distance between mother and daughter. It’s a cute PG-13 film that fills the void left by the holiday pressures.
As I mentioned, I knew of the movie from one of my weekday commutes. As I stopped into my local QT for fresh brewed iced tea, I noticed the large film crew occupying the civic center. I live in film-friendly Georgia and the even friendlier Marietta, where I’m told that the town square resembles towns in Texas and New Mexico. While watching the movie, I enjoy spotting locations. Enter the irony.
At one point Rosie drops off Willowdean at her high school. The Marietta Middle School, grades 7 and 8, provides the backdrop for the school. The school sits across the narrow Winn Street, at the corner of Polk Street. On the other side is St. James Episcopal Cemetery. The church purchased 20 acres in 1844 and created a “grave yard” on 1 ¼ of the property. The first burial was in 1850. Many notable people are buried in the cemetery; however, today it is more known as the final resting place for Patricia (Patsy) Ann Ramsey and her beauty queen daughter JonBenet.
Both were beauty pageant contestants. Patsy (nee Paugh) Ramsey was Miss West Virginia 1977. She died at the age of 49 from ovarian cancer. Her daughter was brutally murdered early Christmas Day in 1996. She was only 6 years old. Her murder remains unsolved.
Hence the irony. The screen shot shows Willowdean, Miss Teen Bluebonnet contestant, walking inside the fictional high school shot in Marietta, Georgia, across the street from where two former beauty queens are buried. Tragic.
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Wish I had a love button for this one. WOW! What great insider info about a very tragic tale. And here’s my connection…I grew up in CO. However, at the time of Jon Benet’s murder, we were in AZ, but we were back home for the holidays and we were on a bus up to the hills to gamble with my dad . He was reading the paper and Job Benet’s face was plastered all over the front. Everyone was reeling from the death. And the firm I worked at in Phoenix represented the father in another case yeas later. I was on the elevator with him. I never forget a face, but I’m horrible with names. But I instantly knew his. It wasn’t until I got off on my floor and everyone was buzzing about him being in the building that it clicked though. Such a sad, tragic, mysterious unsolved case. I LOVE that you spun it into such an amazing article. THANK YOU!
The 6 degrees of separation really works with this one!