TV Reviews : Michele Lee Makes a Great Dottie West

“Big Dreams & Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story” is about as subtle as a honky-tonk tune, but thanks to Michele Lee, who plays the hard-living, hard-loving late country star with irresistible gusto, this bio-drama is easier watching--and listening--than most.

Told in a gimmicky mix of drama and real-life commentary from such country music luminaries as Chet Atkins, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn, West’s life is covered from her difficult Tennessee farm childhood and her ground-breaking success in the male-dominated Grand Ole Opry, to her crossover success as a sexy, glittery Vegas pop star, her million-dollar IRS troubles and her tragic, accidental death in 1991.

Writer Theresa Rogerton and director Bill D’Elia maintain a tabloid touch, as the specter of sexual abuse by her father hangs over West’s troubled life here--her divorces, her penchant for young men, her drinking and her compulsive overspending.

But Lee, gorgeous in gingham, spandex and Bob Mackie originals, doesn’t overplay the pathos and effortlessly conveys West’s down-home appeal and frank sexuality. When she and Kenny Rogers (he plays himself in the film) get together, sparks fly.

And, while her accent may roam, Lee’s full, sophisticated vocals are a pleasant reminder of this TV queen’s credentials as a ‘60s Broadway musical star.

* “Big Dreams & Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story” airs at 9 p.m. Sunday on CBS (Channels 2 and 8).