Fallen Angel: Gram Parsons (2004)

On September 19, 1973, the musician and heir to a million-dollar fortune died under the influence of drugs and alcohol near his favourite place - the Joshua Tree National Monument in the ... See full summary »

Director:

Gandulf Hennig

Writers:

Sid Griffin, Gandulf Hennig

Stars:

Peter Buck, Gretchen Parsons Carpenter, Elvis Costello

Cast

Credited cast:
Peter Buck	...	Himself
Gretchen Parsons Carpenter	...	Herself
Elvis Costello	...	Himself
Pamela Des Barres	...	Herself
Emmylou Harris	...	Herself
Chris Hillman	...	Himself
Phil Kaufman	...	Himself
Bernie Leadon
John Nuese	...	Himself
Becky Parsons Gottsegen	...	Herself
Diane Parsons	...	Herself
Gram Parsons	...	Himself (archive footage)
Keith Richards	...	Himself
Dwight Yoakam	...	Himself

Storyline

On September 19, 1973, the musician and heir to a million-dollar fortune died under the influence of drugs and alcohol near his favourite place - the Joshua Tree National Monument in the Californian desert. As the founder of the Flying Burrito Brothers, a member of the hit-making, legendary Byrds, an important influence on the Rolling Stones and the man who catapulted Emmylou Harris to fame, Gram Parsons made music history in only a few years. The film was made on location by director and musician Gandulf Hennig and American music journalist, musician and biographer Sid Griffin. Friends, contemporaries and devotees of Gram Parsons talk about the importance of his work and the bizarre circumstances of his early death. Rare footage of his performances shows why Gram Parsons has become a legend. Interviewees include Gram's wife Gretchen, his sister and his daughter, Keith Richards, Emmylou Harris, Chris Hillman and "Road Manager" Phil Kaufman.

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Taglines:

Feature length documentary on the musician and million-dollar-heir Gram Parsons, his exceptional life, his bizarre death, and his deep impact on music history.

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Genres:

Documentary | Music

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Details

Country:

Germany UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 April 2004 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Music Entertainment, Spothouse GmbH

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

User Reviews

A sad story, mostly well told

I too wish there had been a little more depth in this movie. However, when my sister saw it at the screening at the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, along with many of Gram's close friends and colleagues, she never heard anyone voice some of the complaints registered here.

I think calling Gram "obnoxious" is too simplistic. He obviously had his obnoxious moments, but most highly creative people do. It's part of that artistic temperament you've heard tell of. However, I don't think most people could have registered the emotion they showed had Parsons merely been a gifted jerk. This is where the movie shines. The directors show some of the people who genuinely cared about Parsons as a person, and how his untimely death affected them.

I understand the attempt to show Parsons as more than the very pretty face and voice idolized so often. I think the filmmakers wanted audiences to understand Ingram Parsons as a human being, a guy who had a lot of breaks in his life, but who also had a legion of demons chasing him. I actually found myself liking this man a lot by the end of the movie. Parsons was a basically nice, decent guy who had a lot of bad wiring, not the least of which included an inborn tendency to addiction. I felt incredible pity for him.

I hope this movie spurs viewers to listen to Parsons' music and to appreciate the influence he had on popular music. If it does that, it has done its work well.