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Movies / Upcoming / Grand Theft Parsons
Grand Theft Parsons

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Grand Theft Parsons (2004)

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Reviews Counted:27

Fresh:12

Rotten:15

Average Rating:5.4/10

Runtime: 88 mins

Genre: Dramas

US Box Office: $0

Synopsis: The world of rock & roll is littered with casualties who have only found fame posthumously. One of the most famous cases is that of Gram Parsons. Erstwhile member of The Byrds and The Flying... The world of rock & roll is littered with casualties who have only found fame posthumously. One of the most famous cases is that of Gram Parsons. Erstwhile member of The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, Parsons also eked out an impressive--in terms of music, as opposed to sales--solo career for himself. A great friend and drinking buddy of Keith Richards, Gram's heartfelt songs may have fallen on deaf ears during his short lifetime, but his lasting influence helped spawn the country-rock genre. His drug-related death at the Joshua Tree Inn in California on September 19th, 1973, forms the basis for this tale. Only 26 years old at the time, Gram had made a pact with his road manager Phil Kaufman (played here by JACKASS star Johnny Knoxville) to burn his corpse in the desert if he succumbed to the early death that so many of his talented predecessors had succumbed to. The absorbing tale of Kaufman's unusual race to complete his deed form the basis for GRAND THEFT PARSONS, with director David Caffrey using many of the original locations in which the act took place. A touching story of friendship, loyalty and trust, this is one of the most unique rock & roll tales ever committed to film. [More]

Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Christina Applegate, Robert Forster, Michael Shannon

Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Christina Applegate, Robert Forster, Michael Shannon, Marley Shelton

Director: David Caffrey

Director: David Caffrey

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Grand Theft Parsons

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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Don't let Knoxville's Jackass pedigree put you off - he can be subtle as well as gross.

Full Review Source: Eye for Film | comment Comment
06/13/08
Amber Wilkinson
Amber Wilkinson
Eye for Film

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/01/06
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

there are worse ways to pay respect to music legends

Full Review Source: Draxblog Movie Reviews | comment Comment
02/09/06
Dragan Antulov
Dragan Antulov
Draxblog Movie Reviews
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

a sad joke without a solid punchline

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
11/17/04
James Brundage
James Brundage
Filmcritic.com

What I responded to most about Grand Theft Parsons is that it tells the story without excess sentimentality...a funny, engaging movie that’s worth seeking out.

Full Review Source: Aisle Seat | comment Comment
10/26/04
Mike McGranaghan
Mike McGranaghan
Aisle Seat

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
08/19/04
Kimberly Jones
Kimberly Jones
Austin Chronicle

Inspired by a true story, pic travels down familiar genre highways, but quirky humor and an apt soundtrack make for a pleasant enough journey.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
06/29/04
Leslie Felperin
Leslie Felperin
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

What could have served as a colorful episode in a more expansive film about the famed singer has instead become the premise of a mildly entertaining but overextended road movie that doesn't succeed on either dramatic or comedic terms.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
06/29/04
Frank Scheck
Frank Scheck
Hollywood Reporter

Grand Theft Parsons showcases some of Parsons's songs, but ... in the end it is a tribute to a man who stayed true to his word.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
06/25/04
Daniel Eagan
Daniel Eagan
Film Journal International

The Phil-Larry dynamic makes up most of the movie and the strain of turning an anecdote into an demi-epic can be felt throughout the movie.

Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
06/19/04
John Anderson
John Anderson
Newsday

A dramatically inert buddy-road picture that's too shapeless to ever click.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
06/18/04
Ken Fox
Ken Fox
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Gram Parsons' last rites were among the most extra­ordinary in rock history. Too bad this retelling of the singer's final adventure is so tame.

Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
06/18/04
Elizabeth Weitzman
Elizabeth Weitzman
New York Daily News

It's an aggravating film that seems content to skim the surface before folding up its tent after a scant 88 minutes.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
06/18/04
Mark Keizer
Mark Keizer
Boxoffice Magazine

A ho-hum, meandering road movie, albeit with an extremely cool soundtrack.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
06/18/04
Megan Lehmann
Megan Lehmann
New York Post

Parsons' memory deserves a better movie than this.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
06/18/04
E! Online
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Caffrey keeps the energy level high, and has populated the supporting roles with the most comical-looking character types ever assembled outside of a David Lynch film.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles CityBeat | comment Comment
06/18/04
Luke Y. Thompson
Luke Y. Thompson
Los Angeles CityBeat

The script ... leaves a lot to be desired, strewn with dialogue as flat and stale as old beer and some invented characters who make the events depicted seem more silly than anarchic.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
06/17/04
Kevin Crust
Kevin Crust
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Since his death in 1973, the country singer Gram Parsons's legend has become a figure of worshipful legend, to which this rambling, low-key movie makes a modest contribution.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
06/17/04
A.O. Scott
A.O. Scott
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
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