Grand Theft Parsons

Let's get three common misconceptions out of the way...

(1) This is NOT a Gram Parsons biopic.

(2) This does NOT feature a lot of Gram Parsons music (only 2 songs, I think).

(3) Quentin Tarantino had nothing to do with this movie, even though you may have gotten it in your "Touch of Tarantino" DVD box set.

So, you ask, what the heck IS this movie? Answer: It's a black comedy about the 2 days following Gram's death, based on the recollections of Gram's road manager Phil Kaufman. In that respect, it stays very close to Mr. Kaufman's account (he gives an interview on the DVD where he tells the story, basically reiterating everything that happens in the movie verbatim). So if it deviates from the truth, don't blame the filmmakers. Blame Phil Kaufman for not telling it like it was.

Really, though, the accuracy shouldn't make any difference. If we want facts, we'd be watching a documentary, not a movie. So in the same way AMADEUS took wild liberties with the truth and still made for great cinema, GRAND THEFT PARSONS should also be enjoyed purely for its entertainment value.

I don't know the first thing about Gram Parsons, his music or the bizarre circumstances following his death. But I can tell you I loved this movie. It's basically about a bunch of people fighting over a corpse. But don't expect a madcap comedy like "Weekend at Bernies". This has a very subtle style of humour, more like the deadpan comedies "Midnight Run" or "Groundhog Day". It's also a bit of a road movie, carrying a vibe much like "Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas".

Some of the gags had me laughing out loud. It wasn't so much what they said as how they said it. With great acting all around, not a moment went by that I wasn't enjoying the show.

Gram Parsons fans, don't expect a movie about Gram. But at the same time, if I were a hardcore GP fan, I think I would get a real kick out of this movie, seeing that Gram raised hell not only in life, but even in death.

"Grand Theft Parsons" is the story of the kidnapping of Gram Parsons' body by Phil Kaufman, his friend and road manager, to fulfill the country music legend's wish to be cremated in the California desert. Thanks in large part to terrific performances by Johnny Knoxville (as Kaufman), Christina Applegate, and Michael Shannon, and side splitting cameos by Mary Pat Gleason, Jonathan Slavin, and Clint Culp, writer Jeremy Drysdale and director David Caffrey manage to pull off the rarest of feats – a factually based black comedy that not only succeeds, but triumphs, hilariously yet tastefully.

The tale begins with Parsons' drug overdose in the cheap motel in Joshua Tree, California. Kaufman dupes the reluctant Larry Osterberg (Shannon), a drug addled, yoga practicing hippie, to drive the latter's psychedelic hearse to the LA airport to pick up what Osterberg thinks is an empty coffin. The comedic chemistry between these two, as they encounter crisis after crisis trying to snatch the body and bring it back to Joshua Tree, is perfect - reminiscent of Laurel and Hardy. Among the obstacles they have to contend with are Parsons' gold digging ex-girlfriend (Applegate), who needs a death certificate to cash in on an informal will leaving her everything, and Parsons' father (Robert Forster), who has flown from New Orleans to pick up the body.

The movie is not without flaws. The Applegate role is purely fictional, and Parsons' real father died when he was a boy. But these characters add humor to the plot and depth to the characterization of Parsons (like all 70s rock stars, he was considered something of a womanizer), so they can easily be overlooked in the name of artistic license. And, there are some parts of the story that are not credible at all. I doubt that a body could be loaded for transport without a valid death certificate, and I've never seen a hotel bathroom that could be locked from the outside. But these are minor cavils.

Whether you're a Parsons devotee (like me), or have never heard of him (like my father, with whom I watched the film), I can just about guarantee that you'll enjoy "Grand Theft Parsons".

I loved this movie, and thought it was both very sweet and very funny, which is an unusual combination.

I do want to point out that this is not a movie about Gram Parsons, which seems to have caused a little confusion with some reviewers here.

The positive reviews are from people who like the film for what it is - a cool buddy road movie with a great soundtrack. The negative reviews are from people who complain about the film's makers changing some of the facts, or not telling enough of Gram Parsons' story, or not treating him with 'respect'.

For the record, this is not about Gram Parsons, but Phil Kaufman. It's not a biopic, but a black comedy. And it's not reverential, but dark, cool, and just a little twisted.

It is, however, great fun. And highly recommended...

Movie trivia fanatics will remember the play Dustin Hoffman's character wanted to stage in "Tootsie." Written by his roommate (played by Bill Murray), it was called "Return to Love Canal," about the (apparently) true story of a couple who returned to live near the toxic waste site, knowing what was there. "It really happened," Hoffman's character says earnestly to anyone who will listen.

"Grand Theft Parsons" is also based on a true story, one equally bizarre and yet compelling -- after country-rock pioneer Gram Parsons died in 1973, his road manager and buddy Phil Kaufman stole the corpse to cremate it in the desert, as part of a pact the two made in life. But just like "Return To Love Canal," "Grand Theft Parsons" does not have a leg up on being great drama simply because it is based in fact.

The film works hard at building momentum and dramatic tension by bringing in former girlfriends, Parsons' father and the inevitable cop or two, but none of these elements really have much to do with the heart of the story. In the end, "Grand Theft Parsons" succeeds modestly in making us feel the emotions that accompany friendship between men who have been on a long, strange trip together. And actually, we get two versions of that kind of friendship: the bond between Parsons and Kaufman, and the Butch-and-Sundance partnership that emerges between Kaufman and the drug-addled hippie who supplies the hearse used in the body heist.

There's a sweetness to "Grand Theft Parsons," but it's not as satisfying as it might have been if more of the back-story had been told.

OK I'm not a Gram Parsons Fan, in fact until last night I had hardly heard of him but I did enjoy the film. I met the star of the film Phil Kaufman and he struck me as being true to his character as portrayed in the film, a good guy. This is not a film about Gram Parsons, his life or his music but it is a great story of a mates attempt to honour a promise and I enjoyed it. I suspect as a spin off it will also introduce a lot of new people to the music of Gram Parsons and by my account that is no bad thing. I'm off to buy an album.

Ride free Scottie

BTW Nice Harley Davidson Servi-car in the film too for those real Harley fans that actually know what a Servi-car is!