A partially fictional account of musician Gram Parsons' death and cremation. After Gram ODs in a desert motel in 1973, his road manager steals Gram's body for a last trip to Joshua Tree.
There are times when it's right and proper to simply bury the dead. This is not one of those times... Gram Parsons was one of the most influential musicians of his time; a bitter, brilliant, genius who knew Elvis, tripped with the Stones and fatally overdosed on morphine and tequila in 1973. And from his dying came a story. A story from deep within folklore; a story of friendship, honour and adventure; 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 petrol, and a promise. And the most extraordinary chase of modern times.—Anonymous
In this fact-based story a radio announcer introduces a song by Gram Parsons and tells how great the man is. The song plays during the opening credits that appear on an otherwise black screen.
In a room at the Joshua Tree Inn, a beautiful girl in a sexy nightie frantically tries to wake up Gram Parsons. Then she calls his road manager Phil Kaufman to say he is dead.
The news of Gram's death is broadcast on TV and at least one person is devastated by the news. Phil is shown driving across the desert on a motorcycle.
Barbara visits Phil and Susie is there. Barbara demands possessions that belonged to Gram, particularly a guitar. Phil says she can't have them because she was just his girlfriend, not his wife. Barbara shows Phil a handwritten will that says he wanted her to have everything. Phil is not convinced. Susie is angry and says she is leaving, and she takes the car, leaving Phil with just his motorcycle. Barbara leaves and Phil puts the guitar in the back of his motorcycle.
Barbara goes to the hospital trying to claim Gram's body and is told by a nurse she is not family. Later she asks a bank manager for the money that was Gram's, but he says that will isn't good enough. And besides, she will need a death certificate.
Phil goes to the hospital, sneaks into the morgue, and identifies Gram's body, but he is not able to take it with him.
After Phil calls the undertaker who handled Gram's body, he is told it is going to the Los Angeles Airport. Now Phil has to rent a hearse in order to collect the body. As he has previously explained to the movie audience, Gram wanted to be cremated in the desert.
Larry is nearly naked and meditating. He is annoyed when Phil shows up. Phil says he needs a hearse and that only Larry can provide him one, but tells a crazy story about why. Larry wants $200 and Phil offers $50. After some negotiation, Larry puts on his hippie clothes and shows him "Bernice", a '68 Cadillac painted mostly yellow with hippie decorations. He says he must drive, and Phil reluctantly agrees. Larry has to use a screwdriver because the ignition doesn't work right.
Barbara tries to get a death certificate but there are obstacles.
Larry and Phil arrive at the airport and the place where Gram's body would be is locked. Phil tells Larry they will have to be there a while. Larry doesn't want to stay but Phil persuades him to.
Stanley Parsons arrives at the airport to claim his son's body and is told they will do everything possible to help him.
The office is unlocked and Phil goes inside, leaving Larry with the hearse. Phil confirms that Gram's body is there and is told he would have to sign papers, only he can't claim the body because there are rules. Phil keeps handing the man money until the man says there are exceptions to every rule. When Phil checks the coffin, it is the wrong one, but the right one is eventually located.
Stanley, sitting next to a man resembling John Candy, watches as his son's coffin is delivered to the plane, but all of a sudden the coffin is taken away from the plane and Stanley leaves the plane.
Meanwhile, an airport cop asks Larry what he is doing there and Larry can't explain it. He behaves like he is on drugs, and the cop is already prejudiced against hippies and thinks Larry is high. Larry is in trouble until Phil comes out with the coffin and ranting about how there are people that make things so complicated with all their rules, and he has been dealing with that since Vietnam. The cop respects a man who says he served and is willing to let them go. Except Larry wrecks the hearse on the way out and is almost in trouble again, but the cop gets a call.
Phil and Larry argue and Phil checks the coffin before they leave. He tells Larry it is empty but very heavy because it is a luxury coffin, and makes up a crazy story so Larry will continue to drive him and the coffin.
Stanley goes to the office and is told someone else claimed the body. Soon he is seen driving a '66 Chevy across the desert.
In the desert, Phil makes a call to his house from a pay phone at a melon stand. Barbara answers the phone and is very angry. Susie came back, and Barbara and Susie get in her huge Chrysler convertible to chase after Phil.
Larry needs to throw up, and the pair are on their way again. Larry talks about his religious beliefs, which are not so much "religious" as "philosophical". Phil gets tired of hearing Larry talk and while Larry is distracted, he runs into a road sign. And a motorcycle cop shows up. When he realizes they are the people he is looking for, he handcuffs them. But while the cop is calling for someone to help him, Larry gets free from the handcuffs and runs over the motorcycle, and they are off again.
Stanley stops at the melon stand and is told the people he is looking for were there.
Barbara and Susie are also continuing their journey. Barbara explains that she inspired Gram and without her he wouldn't have been famous. Susie argues otherwise.
Larry and Phil need to stop and there is a dinosaur-themed diner, so they park the hearse in back and go in to eat. Larry is a vegetarian, which annoys Phil. Stanley comes in and tells his story to the bartender, who sympathizes and gives him a free drink. Phil realizes they need to leave ... NOW. Larry, hearing the truth at last, refuses to go along with the plot any more and intends to tell Stanley until Phil knocks him out and starts driving. Larry wakes up later and knocks out Phil.
After dark Larry and Phil stop at the Joshua Tree Inn and Stanley is staying there. They knock on his door and explain who they are and what they have done. Stanley reluctantly agrees to let the guys have Gram's body if he can just say goodbye. Barbara and Susie arrive and after an argument Barbara is put in the bathroom with a chair blocking her from getting out.
Larry, Susie and Phil go out into the desert and Phil uses a can of gasoline to set the coffin on fire. Phil adds the guitar and says appropriate words.
Barbara escapes the bathroom and is chasing after the hearse, but she gets stopped by a cop. She tells the cop what is going on but it just sounds crazy and she is given a ticket.
In the morning, Phil wakes up in the hearse and Gram greets him. He is very happy about what has been done and asks if he can have some of what Phil is drinking. After all, it can't hurt him now. After they talk for a while, Larry shows up and Gram isn't there any more.
Larry and Phil go back to town and stop at the police department to turn themselves in. A perp protests that he didn't do whatever they think he did.
Text on the screen explains that the men who stole Gram's body eventually just paid a fine because there was nothing to charge them with except theft of a coffin.
