Grand Theft Parsons: Movie

Grand Theft Parsons: Movie

Stars: Johnny Knoxville, Michael Shannon, Marley Shelton

Robert Forster, Christina Applegate, Steven Macht

Director: David Caffrey
Writers: Jeremy Drysdale, David Caffrey
Released 2009
Running time 1hr 28min

You just can’t make up a story like Grand Theft Parsons

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Before I tell you about this movie let me give you a little background. If you’re not familiar with the name Gram Parsons, you’ve heard his music I can almost guarantee it. Parsons was a musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist.. He’s best known for his work with what he called “Cosmic American Music” in a few bands like The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers. His music is a melding of country, blues, folk, and rock. Parsons has been acknowledged as a major influence by a host of musicians from different genres and is credited with helping to found both country rock and alt-country and influencing bands like The Eagles and Pure Prarie League. He spent a lot of time with, and became fast friends with and was a big influence on Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones. (Parsons can be heard on the studio tapes performing Wild Horses with Keith). And his duets with Emmylou Harris are legendary. He is also # 87 on Rolling Stone’s list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time“. Sadly Parsons died in 1973 at the age of 26 from an alcohol and morphine overdose. And here is where the story not only takes a bizarre twist, it’s also where the movie Grand Theft Parsons comes in.

Grand Theft Parsons tells the story of how Parsons road manager and friend, Phil Kaufman, made a pact with Parsons that whoever died first, the other was to take the body out to the place they both loved, Joshua Tree National Park in the California desert and cremate the body to set his soul free. The film stars Johnny Knoxville (from the Jack Ass series) as Kaufman who had to steal the body in order to keep his promise. Also in the film are Christina Applegate as Parsons lunatic ex-girlfriend, Robert Forster as Parsons father, Marley Shelton as Kaufmans girlfriend, Steven Macht as Parsons, and a truly inspired and hysterically funny performance from Michael Shannon as Larry Osterberg, a yellow hearse driving, totally burned out hippie. I’m not going into details about the movie because I don’t like spoilers and don’t want to ruin it for you, but I will say this is without a doubt one of my favorite films ever. It’s funny and a little sad. Knoxville was born to play this part and knocks it out of the park. Even if you’ve never heard of Gram Parsons or heard any of his music you will enjoy this movie, because the movie isn’t really about Parsons so much, rather it’s about Kaufman and his determination to keep a promise to a friend. This line from a review on IMDB sums it up perfectly “a story so extraordinary that if it didn’t really happen, no one would believe it. Two men, a hearse, a dead rock star, five gallons of gas, and a promise. And the most extraordinary chase of modern times” This movie is available to watch on Amazon. Below you can check out some clips. (this review is an original work)